YM also introduces a sickly slice of Ricki Lake-style earnestness into the equation. Make no mistake, this is a magazine with a mission; to wit, informing its readership of the best life choices to make. Editor-in-Chief Diana Salvatore, for instance, declares herself (ahem) psyched to have TLC as cover stars of the May 2000 issue. The reason? At YM we feel this is a truly exciting time to be a girl especially with role models like these to lead the way.
I m all for moving away from the often patronising treatment of teenagers by various publications supposed to serve them; nevertheless, 15-year-olds who have been dating for a month being brought together to discuss their relationship issues (as they are in the pages of YM ) makes me more than a little queasy
Elsewhere, questionnaires ( Are you too Sensitive? Are You and Your Bud Too Tight?) abound, together with opportunities to grade guys love crimes or to reveal embarrassing moments. The winner on that count is the lass who confesses: For our first anniversary, my boyfriend snagged tickets to an N Sync concert. When we got to the show I had to pee really badly, but the bathroom line was so long I decided to hold it until the intermission. I guess my bladder had a different idea, though, because when my boyfriend lifted me up onto his shoulders during the first song so I could see the stage, the floodgates opened and pee poured down his neck.
We re sure that some corrupting influence within the magazine came up with the May issue s polling question to be put to 100 girls What s Your Favourite Solo Activity? The answer, disappointingly, was reading books or magazines. Elsewhere, a reader shares her memory of her most unforgettable kiss: How Do I Live? by LeAnn Rimes came on, she relates, and I started to cry.
Don t worry: LeAnn has the same effect on us. There s hope for America s youth yet.