Tired of those clich‚d, glossy-covered magazines that consist of obviously recycled articles on sex, fashion and beauty? (Yes.) Want a more cultural experience in your next magazine read? (Yes.) Pick up the premier issue of Planetø.
Need another reason? (Maybe.) There are artistically photographed bare boobs. (Yes!)
Planetø is a photo-driven, nouveau cultural experience, with a refreshing aspect in that its stories are told as much, if not more, by its pictures than its words. From exotic portfolios of Morocco to an eclectic array of fashion, Planetø covers all the cultural bases.
I flipped through Planetø a number of times before realizing that the photography detracts from the words so much that I have to force myself to pay attention to the print. It is unfortunate that the pictures draw me away from the editorials, because the articles are informative and deal with cool stuff worldwide. Planetø includes a global perspective in its reviews of international popular culture. The only slightly disconcerting element of Planetø is that the editorial content and advertising are almost indistinguishable from each other.
"Satellite," a section devoted to examining trendy in-spots, reviews a lounge in Spain, nightlife entertainment in the Ukraine and Berlin, a new comic book in Japan, Reverend Billy C. Wurtz's latest tirade, new music and avant-garde fashion.
Since I'm not a connoisseur of photography, I can't discuss the technical aspects used in the spreads. The photography in Planetø gives the magazine its distinct human character. It is almost daunting to flip through. Someone with a deeper understanding of art will probably have a greater appreciation of the beauty of Planetø, but even a photo-virgin appreciates the aesthetic, even if only for its face value.
The feature articles communicate a broad view of cultural arenas. MTV recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and the first of Planetø's features looks at MTV through the years. The article talks favorably and authoritatively about MTV's beginning, and is critical about its goals today--an all-encompassing view of music television I found refreshing.
On the next page is an interview with William T. Vollmann, a daring writer-journalist, who travels where few are willing to go and writes about the mysterious, murky margins of the world.
Planetø aims to please a somewhat upper crust, slightly older-than-we-are audience with a steady cash flow and global appreciation. But it's possible the Penn reader who plans to study abroad can get some classy advice on the world's hotspots for a night on the town. In that respect, Planetø achieves its mission of educating its reader in world subcultures. But at times Planetø ventures past the point of interest and into the realm of obscurity.
The aforementioned boobs: photos of a barechested "Catherine Zeta-Jones/Lori from this season's The Real World" look-alike model are placed near the center of the magazine, and have a centerfold-like quality about them. Except that they are neither fake nor huge. Advertising ploy? Maybe even artsy-fartsy mags can stoop that low.
