CosmoGirl

CosmoGirl. (2006, June/July). New York: Hearst Communications.

Reading level: Grades 9-12

Summary:
Celebrities, swimsuits, fashion, etc.

Comments:
I couldn't really figure out what qualified this magazine as a teen magazine, besides the title. It seems to contain everything the regular Cosmo magazine has, minus the sex tips. There were a few excerpts from YA books (including one Gossip Girl book), but otherwise I would have guessed that this magazine was aimed at 18-20 year olds. But 18-20 year olds are already reading Cosmo, so I remain confused. There really isn't much to discuss about the magazine. It was a lot of fashion shoots with beautiful stars and models, lots and lots of advertisements, and a lack of stimulating or relevant information. One interesting section was the last page, a manga representation of CosmoGirl interns at a concert...quite a feeble attempt at connecting with their teen readers in my opinion.

There's also a companion website, where the first thing I noticed was a poll asking whether you drink more alcohol during the summer or the school year. This seems a bit irresponsible, seeing that the legal drinking age in the US is 21, an age past girlhood! Altogether a useless magazine that I wouldn't recommend to any teen. They might as well just read the regular Cosmo.

Rating: 1/5