People magazine and Vanidades are both weekly tabloid publications. People magazine targets mainly American and European females aged 20-50 with celebrity interviews and gossip. Vanidades targets Hispanic females aged 25-45 living in America and Latin America with upscale articles on celebrities as well as sections on fashion, cooking, and health. Both magazines rely on advertisements to fund operations and appeal to their target demographics, with People advertising products like lip gloss and cars, while Vanidades advertises interior decorating and perfume.

1. Candyss Joseph and Joseph DeFazio MLJ 211 Professor Castro

2. People magazine is a weekly publication. People emerged in 1974 from Time Inc. The magazine fits in the category of tabloid. The headlines and body consist largely of celebrity interviews, pictures and gossip columns. The remainder is broken down into different sections: Polls, an Activity section, Music reviews and/or articles, Reader comments and Advertisements.

3. Vanidades is also a weekly publication. Vanidades began in 1931 in Cuba. This magazine is also known as a tabloid with articles and editorials on celebrities as well. However Vanidades has a thick section of articles more than one would expect from a tabloid. A large portion is dedicated to its readers. These sections are: Polls, Fashion/Beauty tips, Art and History News, Cooking, Health, Reader comments, and of course Advertisements.

4. Advertisements are used to help fund the printing and publication of the magazine. Appealing Ads are used so the readers will buy the magazines and the product being advertised. Both tabloids have full page glossy ads as well as ads within their own sections. The depth and relevance of their articles along with its advertisements help show the difference between the two.

5. People magazine is an effective publication because its readers run the gamut. However, their main demographic is the active American/ European female between 20 and 50 years old. With running ads for sneakers, lip gloss, and gum they are attempting to appeal to a younger demographic. Ads for Cars, Vacuum Cleaners, and anti aging makeup still gear the magazine toward the older crowd.

6. Vanidades is largely geared toward the posh Hispanic/Spanish speaking females between the ages of 25 and 45 living in America and Latin America. The smaller age gap is due to the stories and sections it covers. The magazine has an upscale air about it and can be closely compared to Cosmopolitan. It keeps this high class feel by running ads for Interior decorating, expensive perfume, and lipstick.

7. People magazine, as most mainstream magazines, suffers from a lack of “inclusion of minorities.” Vanidades is completely in Spanish and geared toward the Hispanic population. However, Vanidades also runs advertisements and articles for Blacks, Whites, and Asians.

9. People magazine is very generic in its layout. It trusts the reader to know the product. Because of this trust and it’s popularity the name “People” almost always appears in the back of the cover model. The cover of People is not used to showcase the name, but to showcase the type of issue out for that week. This week’s header reads: “Oscar Extra! 33 pages of dresses, gossip, and hot couples!”

11. Vanidades’ layout is also generic, however it’s words are capitalized, brought to the front and shaded in to show emphasis on the name. It also always appears on the very top. Vanidades is showing that the cover is just an indication of what is in the magazine, not it’s theme. It has a large footer instead of a flashy heading or issue title usually having something to do with the cover model.

12. People has a section where the reader writes in with their opinion on celebrities.

13. People’s news section is dishing out all of the details in the Casey Anthony case.

14. The food section is focused on what the hottest celebs are eating for breakfast.

15. People has a full page ad for One of the hottest new cars out today; The Ford Flex.

16. Vanidades has an OP-ED section where the editor talks to the reader about about 70’s fashion coming back to life.

17. This issue’s news section focuses on the President and First Lady, past and present, and their fashion!

18. VANIDADES’ food section is six pages long on ethnic cuisine and their recipes.

19. Its ads are similar; recognizable celebrities and brand names that get the message across to its readers.

20. Neither tabloid has a classified section however both have a food/health section. While People focuses more on what is popular and fashionable, Vanidades focuses more on the needs of it’s reader. Neither magazine relates to the other’s demographic. While Vanidades is geared towards older Hispanics and people from Latin America, People is geared towards younger Caucasians in America.