Kendall, 22, aus Boston, USA, aber hat seit Juni 2013 in Berlin gewohnt. Studium an Amherst Universität. Arbeitet als Au Pair. 

Which gossip magazines, if any, do you or your friends read?

In the USA I had a subscription to US Weekly, and I sometimes read various others. I have bought Bunte a couple times to work on my German. 

Why do you read or not read gossip magazines?

Gossip magazine are easy and fun to read, they pass the time. They are useful for long journeys. I also bought them to read in the bath, to relax. 

What type of woman do you think reads gossip magazines? Does this differ in Germany and America?

I don’t think there is one type of American woman who reads gossip magazines. My mom, a middle aged housewife, reads gossip magazines all the time, and so did most of my friends at college. From the content and layout of German celebrity magazines, I would say they are aimed at younger, working class women who are interested in German reality TV etc.

Why do they appeal to women?

I think perhaps they are just something easy to read – I know they are not very intellectual, but you can flip through with your friends and look at the pictures. There is definitely an element of schadenfreude as well – it’s fun in a weird way to see all this stuff happening to people you don’t know. It gives you something to talk about as well. If I’m in the hairstylist and there’s an awkward silence, I can always say „did you hear about Kendra Wilson? I can’t believe her husband!“ and we can talk about it for 10 minutes. 

Which themes do you think American and German gossip magazines focus on?

The same things – bodies, which celebrities are pregnant, celebrity weddings, break ups.

Do you believe that gossip magazines are sexist? If so, why are they still popular with women?

They are definitely sexist. Gossip magazines are very critical of female celebrities – they are always too fat, or a bad mother, or wearing a bad outfit. I think we are just so used to these societal expectations and pressures that we don’t notice them. None of the articles in celebrity magazines would ever be written about men.
What effect do you think gossip magazines have on American/German society in general? What about the effect they have on women or the societal view of women?

I wouldn’t say they are hugely influential, but they definitely normalize sexist stereotypes of how women should behave and look. 

What are the main differences you have noticed between German and American gossip magazines (e.g. who reads them, what they focus on, how influential they are/what their influence is in society, what language they use)

In my experience, German gossip magazines seem much more trashy than the main American ones. The stories are more sensationalist. In both countries they seem to talk about the same things, but German magazines are definitely more lowbrow and unethical – they are always publishing pictures of celebrity’s children, which I don’t think American gossip magazines do.