November Issue of Redbook Tackles Adoption

Meltingpot Readers,

Not too long ago, I didn't want to admit that I'd outgrown Glamour magazine and now found myself drawn to Redbook for my fix of glossy pictures, fluffy reading and the occasional useful article to help me organize/spruce up/ pare down my hectic lifestyle.

But I'm here to tell you, after grabbing the November issue of Redbook off the shelf yesterday, I am officially declaring my conversion. Yes, I've grown up and Redbook is my new glossy of choice. It's probably no coincidence that the new Editor in Chief of Redbook is a former Glamour editor, so Redbook looks a lot more hip and trendy, fun and classy. It doesn't feel like that older lady's magazine it used to. But it's more than that. There are articles in there that I actually wanted to read, about issues that I care about. And I'm not just talking about the sex secrets of married women article either (although that was really useful.)

I actually picked up the magazine because the cover model is actress Katherine Heigl. I'm not a huge Heigl fan, but the cover line promised the story behind her adoption. Well, not only do we get that story -- as well as photos of Heigl's Korean daughter -- but the magazine also includes a three-page spread on adoption in support of National Adoption month. I'd love to hear what other people in the adoption world think about this "mainstream" coverage. I was impressed as adoption in women's mags is usually only discussed as it relates to celebrities or horror stories.

Another thing I appreciated about the new and improved Redbook were the images of women of color. There was a decent variation of skin color and hair textures throughout, in both the ads and in editorial. In that realm we can always do better, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of diversity.

Good for you Redbook. Anybody else been reading Redbook lately? What do you think? Do you have a glossy guilty pleasure? Let's hear it.

Peace!