THE “POP" WORLD “POP” MAGAZINES PROVIDE ADOLESCENTS’ DREAMLAND

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30681, 22 February 1965, Page 12

THE “POP" WORLD “POP” MAGAZINES PROVIDE ADOLESCENTS’ DREAMLAND

/81/

JOHN LAYCOCK

in the “Guardian.” Manchester]

(Reprinted from the “Guardian” by arrangement) ’THIS week’s public offer of shares in the Beatles, and the emergence of John Lennon as a company director, are only the latest reminder of the profits to be picked up out of “pop.”

Over the last two years, some 25 new “pop" magazines have appeared. From general monthlies and weeklies with pictures and news of the “pop" world (“Rave," "Big Beat.” “Fabulous”), through monthly fan-club publications ("Beatles Book"), to various weekly newspapers (some, like "Combo,” new; others, like "New Musical Express" and “Melody Maker,” adapted to the “pop” world), they all aim to guide the teen-age world along easily exploitable lines. They cost from (id tor a 12-page newspaper ("Combo”) to 2s fid for a fil-page "glossy” ("Rave"), ami come mainly from three publishing organisations.

Exact circulation figures are hard to come by. “Rave,”’ “Big Beat.” “Fabulous,” “Beatles Book” all exceed 150.000: and “New Musical Express” is as high as 268.649. Many of the others fall not far short of this, although a few—like "Billy Fury Monthly”—sell no more than 35,000. Exploiting Youngsters “Pop” magazines provide teenagers with a dreamland and. in so doing, exploit commercially the teenagers' problems and insecurities. To tell their readers what is “with it” they adopt—and sometimes create—the “with it” language of the teenage world. Vocabulary is limited and highly stereotyped; adjectives are usually “fab," “gear,” “fun,” “in,” “big,” “crisp,” “dreamy,” “swinging.” No discrimination is shown between conventional parts of speech: “to wax a demonstration disc which will showcase their talents” is standard procedure. Some of the language is simply illiterate: ‘I still think he could happen very big in this country.” And nearly all of it is monotonous. After using “with it” language, the magazines proceed to set the right materialistic atmosphere for exploitation: “The Mojos were off on a shopping expedition . . . they shared out £5O0 —and that’s not peanuts!” But money is no end in itself: “Of course, money gives you the power to buy things and do things that were just in the imagination before.” Accordingly, exact details of what every teenager should buy are provided—first, by describing what the stars are buying: “Mick's gone mad on round thin-neck sweaters . . . Brian raves over a 30gn French jacket he bought at Cecil Gee's . . . recently he spent £l2 buying eight shirts”; secondly, by editorial pontificating on what is “in”: “Rouge is big right now . . . Use rouge on your kneecaps in cold weather. It gets rid of those romance-killing blue patches.” Planting Desires Desires are planted and then exploited. Some of the bigger magazines carry two or three pages of advertising

that is ostensibly editorial matter: “Smiling John Banks looked great in orange denim. The shirt has a slash I neck and is 355. the slacks 49s lid . . . These and many more original outfits can be found in the new 'His Clothes’ boutique at . . .” An issue of “Fabulous” contained 10 per cent of such advertising, compared to 12 per cent of display advertisements; the ultimate is reached in “The Mod,” with 81 per cent. Sex in "pop” magazines is only hinted at. Male stars stand in effeminately suggestive positions, and adolescent emotions are fastened to externals like hair (of great sexual significance). Thus. “Big Beat” suggests, that one star’s success is due to “the long hair tied back with the Tom Jones bow," and girls appeal for boy friends who “must have long hair.” Only scant references are made to the boy or girl you should admire: “We don’t really go for the mousy, girl-next-door type. We like girls who are interesting and trend-setting. A girl with lots of personality and exciting, exotic hobbies.”

Boys are mainly “fab” or "dreamy" or just “good-look ing, especially when his face is tanned by stage make-up.” Always the same meaningless terms are used: Mick Jagger, writes one reader, “just oozes with sex, excitement, and sparkle.” Sex is only hinted at because it is real—it belongs to the everyday world and its problems. Bring it openly into “pop” magazines, and you bring responsibilities that will shatter dreamland and end the sense of security dreamland induces. “Big Beat” can indeed assert. “When you think about it, 'pop' is the most romantic thing. A boy sings a song about love—and the girls love him and the song. . . . We even believe the words they put to the tunes!” This is make-believe, nothing to do with real sexual relationships. Beatles may marry, but in the magazines we only hear of marriage as part of this dreamland; “Rave” asks, “Could you marry a Stone?” and gives a marriage-consult-ant advice on the ideal wives for the Rolling Stones.

Rejecting The Squares “Pop” magazines reflect few permanent values. The only thing that really matters is not to be a square or a “Fuddy-duddy”: “The Beatles would hate to appear corny.”

To a great extent, of course, this is a rejection of dull (middle-class conformity: . "What we need are more alive and interesting faces " The sad thing is that "interesting” means nothing more positive than “different"; so in the end they have to clutch at the only reality they can find in dreamland, the only thing that is inescapably theirs alone: you. “We’re young. Youth is on our side. And it's youth that matters right now.” But it’s not really any comfort, for youth is a transitory value that vanishes as they watch: “The thing I'm afraid of is growing old. I hate that. You get old and you’ve missed it somehow” (John Lennon). And this pitiful fear of growing old. of missing “it” (whatever "it” may be), is the fear of having to leave the magic dreamland: but it has great commercial possibilities. The actual building up of dreamland is an easy task. The reader is assured that the stars are really all ordinary lads, so that he can identify himself with them and the magic dreamland of their life. Just like you, Reader, says "Big Beat," The Animals “are not really far removed from those five boys who once had to toss up as to who should sleep on the camp bed and who on the floor in the bar room where they all once shared.” But the reporter is essential ifi forming a stepping-stone between reality and dreamland. Life With The Stars “Rave’s,” reporter Cathy confides: “1 think you’re going to have a great time sharing my life with the stars. . I come from an average home. In most ways I am the same as the next girl. What has happened to me could just as well have happened to you.” Finally, the reader's involvement is clinched by telling him of the power he has over the stars: “You set the scene, call the tune, make or break the stars.” Values of the real world are ignored or scorned: “In case you hadn't noticed." jeers “Fabulous,” “They’re having a General Election. Most of us aren’t old enough to vote in it. Who Cares.” A fan who writes to “The Rolling Stones’ Book” says she is “lost in time, suspended from reality." "Pop" magazines know how to keep her there.