Paula

Friday, March 30, 2007

Right On!

You know what's hot?

Picking up a magazine that I used to read cover-to-cover religiously, as a teen, and seeing my book in it.

OMG!

That is so HOT!

Now granted, reading it cover-to-cover was easy because the whole mag consisted primarily of glossy posters of teen eye candy. But there were articles...sort of.

Okay, okay there were lots of Q&A type interviews and advice columns. The format doesn't matter. What matters, is that teen pop mags are nothing short of entertainment bibles for young readers. And no, I will not engage in a discussion about how healthy (or un) that is.

Some people read the Wall Street Journal. Some people read Right On!

Oops, did someone say Right On?

Well, speaking of Right On!, So Not The Drama is a Crave selection in the April issue. As in, readers should crave these movies, CDs and books!

As in, Right On! is telling their readers that my book is a hot pick.

What?!

Why yes, as a matter of fact I am totally stoked about this!

It's Right On! magazine, people!

My publicist is the shiznet for getting this press hit. The absolute bomb.

My bedroom wall was plastered with this magazine's pages. My mother could barely stand to come into my room because she said it felt like New Edition, Kurtis Blow and that guy with the delicious body who was in The Last Dragon were staring at her.

Not to mention, I purchased my fair share of new music and other items (lip gloss and various other non-essentials but gotta haves) because Right On! said so.

And I'm fairly certain that Right On! and Cynthia Horner - the ed director of the mag back in the day and youngest editor of a nationally published mag when she took the helm (Yes, I'm a total geek for knowing that!) - are responsible for my pop culture addiction.

Me and my girl, Nick, would tear through the magazine looking for the latest posters and every single piece of minutae we could find on our pop idol crushes.

Right On! is single-handedly responsible for me knowing the birthdays and zodiac sign of every single member of New Edition. That was important stuff, back in the day and there was only one place (or two) to get it.

I've long forgotton those things now...wait...I know Bobby Brown's birthday is some time in February. But you know the ol' mind ain't what it used to be.

Cynthia Horner was the luckiest adult I knew, always up close and personal with the stars I would have sold my right arm to chill with.

She was the woman!

One of the first persons I recognized, even in my young mind, as a "celebrity" journalist. Honestly, she felt more celebrity than journalist, always cheesing in the photos alongside actors and singers.

But as the editor of Right On! she was a star in her own right because she was the keeper of the information.

Cynthia's moved on, of course. The new EIC holding things down at Three Tres Tres Seventh Ave, is Danica Daniel.

It's so awesome that Right On! is still holding strong. If anyone doubts the economic power of the 13-18 demographic, they're ignoring the longevity of these mags. I mean, who knew Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, Word up! and Right On! would still be kicking all these years later?

I've witnessed the birth and demise of about half a jillon women's lifestyle mags over the last four years, alone. All the while teen pop magazines live on.

So for one of them to touch So Not The Drama's binding with its golden sword, dubbing it "hot," is very...well, hot.

And good thing I bought two copies. Princess A immediately scooped it up and disappeared into her room. Not because mom's book was in it. But because, singer, Mario was on the front.

Kids.

Boy, the really know how to ground you.

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

OH MY GOD.

Right On! used to be the magazine for my Michael Jackson obsession when I was 8 or 9.

8:23 PM  
Blogger Paula said...

LOL Yes, it's quite the pop culture bible isn't it? Maybe I'm a nut, but I love teen pop magazines. They're so unashamed in their frivolity. It's like - Yes, it is breaking news to us that one of the guys in Pretty Ricky cut his dreads!

T(w)eens don't freak out. He totaly didn't cut his dreads. I was just saying...

11:40 AM  

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