Readingheat: The meanings and pleasures of star fashions and celebrity gossip

Abstract

Although the growth of celebrity gossip publications has recently outstripped that of the traditionally orientated women's weeklies, comparatively little work exists to account for the meaning and pleasures afforded by these particular texts. Although current research has proposed a textual reading of these magazines, this work has yet to engage with the ways in which audiences make use of such titles. Therefore, the present article will look at heat magazine and examine reader responses to this particular publication, highlighting the importance of star fashions and celebrity gossip for the target ‘twenty-something’ female reader.