Contribution Corner!

This was brought to my attention by the lovely SOTS from the Cook’d and Bomb’d forum (the spiritual birthplace of this blog). She used to have a Tom Baker avatar so clearly she’s a lady of taste.

IPC Media publish Pick Me Up and the Chat range of magazines. On their website they describe Pick Me Up as thus.

“Pick Me Up is the woman’s weekly magazine that sparkles with originality and warmth and sets the pace in the Real Life sector. It always provokes a smile, and takes you to a place where it is fun to be. Upbeat, vibrant and fun, it’s an intense package of the best real life stories and puzzles. The intrigue of real people’s lives is Pick Me Up’s heartbeat. With its big heart and fresh look, it’s the real life magazine you want to be seen with. Altogether, it means a quality real life read that is excellent value for money. Pick Me Up has more real life than any other magazine.”

And to illustrate how full of warmth and fun it is they have this cover right next to the description.

Nothing says warmth, vibrancy and fun like a screaming ‘STABBED IN THE FACE’ headline after all!

Thanks again to SOTS from CaB! Picture taken directly from http://www.pickmeupmagazine.co.uk/

“…but I CAN’T leave my make up behind!”

The headline about the handbag did cause me to burst into laughter at the W.H Smiths in Bristol I found this one in.
One thing I’ve noticed about Real People is their cover models are usually photoshopped to make them look anything but like a real person. This one for example looks like a collection of facial features pasted on to a blank face like a sinister version of Mrs Potato Head. Is it a smile, a knowing smirk or has she wired her jaw? And why does her left eyebrow look like it’s been drawn on with a burnt bit of cork?

I see dead people…

Lovely now!

Day 2 of this blogs life and courtesy of my friend Icy Sedgwick there’s a new header image! Thanks to her this blog is looking a little more lovely now…

Want to be involved?

Ok so this blog is still in it’s infancy with a staggering ONE post! Because I’m relying on a ready-made theme here, I’ve only got a stock image as the header. Wouldn’t it be really nice if I had a really fancy custom picture up there instead?  In fact if someone was to create one for me, why they would be my new best friend (terms and conditions applicable) and would be welcome to eat cake with me on a day of their choosing! Doesn’t that sound nice? Yes, yes it does doesn’t it!

SO!

I’m putting out a call for contributions for not just a header but anything else, be it covers they’ve spotted or made up themselves! There’s no real prize alas but you’ll get it featured here (depending on if I remember to add it or not). So you too can lay claim to internet fame!

E-mail anything you want to @: vacant.stare@gmail.com

Why this site is here.

I love trashy gossip. I really shouldn’t as it only really appeals to my baser instincts but there’s an illicit thrill to hearing about other peoples misfortunes.

Sometime last year, on a trip to the new Tesco that opened just around the corner from the flat I share I noticed a headline that just screamed for attention. I just got a new phone with a fancypants camera on it so like anyone else would, I took a picture.

This has now turned out to be the first picture of quite a collection. I soon discovered that this wasn’t just an isolated incident. Every week more magazines were churned out with more lurid headlines that the stories inside just couldn’t hope to live up to. I’m now sharing this obsession so that together we may laugh at the editorial staff’s open contempt for their readers and interviewees!