Letter from Boston
Junk Reading
By MASAKO YAMADA
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役に立たない読書
くだらないと分かっていても、ついつい読んでしまうタブロイド新聞。アメリカでは、有名人の私生活についてのゴシップはもちろん、「しっぽがついた巨大赤ちゃん誕生」「宇宙人捕らわる」など、ありそうもない奇怪な見出しが人々の興味を引いています。雅子さん自身は、やっぱり有名人のゴシップが気になります。
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My new British roommate came back from a shopping trip recently and happily
told me that she had found an English newspaper in one of the local shops. She
told herself that it was a treat for after she finished her work. And when
she did finish her set tasks, she sat down in the kitchen with a cup of tea
and her paper. I had to chuckle a bit, since it was a tabloid.
Although Britain is commonly thought of as being a place where people are
proper and refined, it's also well-known that tabloid papers flourish
there. It seems that the people cannot get enough trashy gossip. My roommate
is a postdoc in a well-respected hospital, but I suppose she can't resist getting her dose of junk reading.
I have to admit that I share this fondness for frivolous reading
material. Whenever I make trips to the local Japanese market, I do not head
toward the rack with Bungei Shunju. Instead, I head straight for the women's
weeklies. Knowing about the latest political or economic news in Japan
doesn't make me feel particularly connected to the country, but for some
reason, knowing about the latest trends does.
I can't resist reading the American tabloids, either. They are usually
placed strategically, right by every cash register at the supermarket.
The most popular tabloid, The National Enquirer, is actually the most
widely circulated newspaper in the States. Given the number of respectable
newspapers out there, this is quite scary. However, I heartily admit that I
almost always have the urge to pick up a tabloid. I suspect many other
readers are just as curious.
The tabloids obviously cannot be taken too seriously, although they have
been known to be hot on the trail of top-secret gossip well before the
legitimate press. They can take risks in reporting theories that are unverified because they are really not held accountable for misreporting.
There are many different kinds of tabloids. My favorite tabloids are the
celebrity tabloids. They usually focus on the private lives of famous stars
like Michael Jackson, Princess Diana and Leonardo DiCaprio. However, they also
provide gossip on more "substantial" figures such as Bill Clinton and the
Kennedy family. The Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman murder trial and Jon Benet Ramsey murder investigation have also been
favorites of the tabloids. I'm a rather matter-of-fact person, so I don't
know why I'm interested in knowing who is dating whom. But I am.
I suppose most people want to know what lies behind the carefully crafted images seen in the legitimate media. The thing about these tabloids is that
one can never be sure whether what one is reading is true. It seems true, or
at least plausible, since the articles involve people seen every day in
the newspapers and on TV. But that uncertainty is probably one of the things
that makes the tabloids so compelling.
Some other tabloids have fantastic articles with headlines like "30 lb. Baby Born in Nebraska — with Furry Tail!!," "Aliens Trapped in
University Laboratory" and "Elvis Seen at McDonald's." They usually are accompanied by very artificial-looking photographs. The articles are obviously false, and for that reason I don't find
them so attractive. However, I can imagine that people like to read them
exactly because they are so corny.
There are also tabloids that focus on miracle remedies, usually along the lines of "Wine Vinegar Cures Cancer" and "Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days
Using Table Salt." "Alternative medicine" is getting more popular these
days as people become more skeptical of traditional doctors. I, myself, have
turned to Chinese herbs many times. However, I find it a bit scary that
tabloids feel free to dispense medical advice — especially if it prevents
seriously ill readers from going to the doctor.
There might be something behind these articles, but I can't say that I have
much of an urge to read them, since I'm in good health. At the end of a long
day, tawdry celebrity gossip often hits the spot. It's junk food for the
spirit.
Shukan ST: Feb. 25, 2000
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