Magazines
My advice for a happier life is to stop buying magazines.On the face of it they may seem an interesting or enjoyable read, but their subversive message is that you are inadequate, your stuff is crap and you need to spend more money you don't have.

I used to buy lots of magazines, I used to want lots of stuff, now I don't want stuff I don't know about and so I am much happier.

Magazines are always selling stuff to you. There are the obvious adverts, then there are the advertorials - advert that look more like editorial, those are pretty obvious too. Then there are the reviews, news, top 10s etc that totally look like objective editorial but are all, in fact, influenced by advertising spend.

Take any computer, car, or random hobby magazine. On the front page it might offer 100 tips on how to make the most of your kit in the recession. Inside it will tell you how crap your stuff is and that if you were SERIOUS then only the super-duper brand new top of the range kit is good enough. What you previously enjoyed will now seem second rate.

Womens mags are the same. They suggest fashion tips to get that designer look on the cheap - but it is still that expensive designer look that you'd crave. All hung on super-models photoshopped to perfection and then they sell you boob jobs and laser eye surgery.

Don't buy the magazines, save money, be happy with what you've already got, you don't need then to tell you what you need.
(funkmotor is not the droid you're looking for, Sat 22 May 2010, 10:17, 6 replies)

some exceptions
private eye, economist, new scientist
(imallamallama looking forward to llamageddon on, Sat 22 May 2010, 10:42, closed)

agree with all those
but would add The Week (good catchup magazine) and the reviews in the Spectator (but not necessarily the editorial)
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Sat 22 May 2010, 11:27, closed)

Viz
When they were doing a Freddy Vs Jason giveaway, the promoter pulled the prizes because they slagged off the product so much :)
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Sat 22 May 2010, 11:34, closed)

I also find
Railway Modeller a fairly benign read in terms of 'hard sell'
(Good old boy just like yer grandma!, Sat 22 May 2010, 15:57, closed)

I agree with almost everything you say
except that laser eye surgery is unnecessary - I would recommend it to anyone hit by the squinty stick, it's fucking brilliant being able to see properly.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Sat 22 May 2010, 11:35, closed)

I think you already have to have low self-esteem for magazines to make you feel bad about yourself.
Really, seeing a car that is better than mine doesn't make me feel bad because my car does the job. But still, I am interested to know what other car-related options might be out there. You have to be pretty insecure about yourself already if just seeing stuff that is better than your stuff makes you feel depressed.
(Vlad the Inhaler forgot his password, Sun 23 May 2010, 18:10, closed)