Macho Man death crash photo: wrestling tragedy.

Publication: Globe

Date: 6 June 2011

The target market for the Globe and the low rent Examiner watch a lot of TV, so it's no surprise that they would have Macho Man Randy Savage on the cover after his untimely death in a car crash.

Given that it's the Globe, it's also no surprise that they would morbidly publish a photo of the crash.

Stay classy, Globe.

Joplin, Missouri. Heartbreak and hope.

Publication: People

Date: 6 June 2011

Once again, People magazine distinguishes itself from the rest of the supermarket rags with a story about the awful damage done by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Like in all disasters, there are parts of the affected town that are completely unaffected, but this aerial shot of the long dirty brown swath surrounded by areas with greenery gives a very good idea of just how bad this tornado was.

If you have a couple of nickels to rub together, find it in your heart to send something to a reputable disaster relief fund, won't you?

Japan's Tsunami: Heartbreak, heroes and hope.

Publication: People
Date: 28 March 2011

There's only one gossip mag that goes for stories about the biggest news items, and that's People. This week, they have a report on the quake and tsunami in Japan.

Best wishes to all concerned and a request to my readers. If you can afford to give some money to Doctors Without Borders or the International Red Cross, please do so. These are charities on the up and up and they can do some good.

Gabby Giffords' Amazing Recovery

Publication: People
Date: 31 January 2011

Both OK! and People had stories about the shooting in Tuscon on their covers last week, but when it comes to the follow-up about good news about her recovery, that's the kind of story that you will usually find only in People.

Best wishes to all the people whose lives were touched by the events of that horrible day.

Heroes of the Arizona tragedy.

Publications: People, OK!
Date: 24 January 2011

Sometimes the biggest news of the week crowds onto the covers of the gossip rags even though celebrities are not involved. It's only fitting that the two nicest gossip rags, People and OK!, are the ones to mention the tragedy in Arizona and to put a positive spin on it, focusing on the people who helped save lives when a psychotic fired into a crowd of people gathered to talk to their congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in front of a supermarket in Tuscon.

Jet ski mysteryWoman claims husband killed by lake pirates

Publication: People
Date: 1 November 2010

Fresh trash on Thursdays! Last trash of the week... right now!

A woman claims her husband was killed by pirates while jet-skiing on Falcon Lake near the Texas-Mexico border. People put her story on the front cover this week.

The teen suicide epidemic

Publications: People, OK!
Date: 18 October 2010

Both People and OK! went with stories about the "epidemic" on teen suicides recently. As often happens with stories like this, like the summer when the press noticed a lot of shark attacks, the overall numbers are often very little different from the normal rates, the only difference is that the press has decided to pay attention. Tyler Clementi, the 18 year old Rutgers freshman who committed suicide after a sex tape of him was released by his roommate, is on both covers. Also on the cover of People are Seth Walsh and Asher Brown, both 13.

My condolences to the families of these young men.

Angelina Jolie In Haiti

Publication: People
Date: 1 Mar. 2010

I don't know exactly how the tabloids work, but this story looks like a quid pro quo. BrAngelina went to People to start their offensive against the other magazines, dispelling the rumors of a break-up and granting access, something they rarely do. This story about Angelina in Haiti looks like the magazine returning the favor and reporting on something positive Angelina wanted to get publicity for.

By the way, the picture is from 2006, when the couple visited Haiti with Wyclef Jean, seen here at the right. You can tell because Brad has no scraggly beard.