Skateboarder Magazine

This week I explored Skateboarder magazine. I was surprised by how entertained I was by this mag's content (since I'm not a skater). I found myself caught up in reading all the interviews and can easily see why YAs enjoy this mag.

There was an "Either/Or" page where the interviewee picked between two choices. Chad TimTim (the interviewee this month) said "It's gotta be snoop!" for "Snoop Dogg or Warren G". Another interview offered love advice--"Don't be scared with girls, just go for it. What's the worst that could happen?" There were many other columns that were easy to read and entertaining. For instance, the article titled "Face Off" pitted two skaters against each other to answer questions and the one with the most correct answers wins.

I think teens (particualrly boys) suscribe or check this mag out because it has very down-to-earth qualities. For example, when Josh Kalis described what he does in Grand Rapids, he wrote, "I really don't know what this bar is like on a daily basis, but Friday nights on the second floor are dope." Plus, the mag is loaded with awesome photography depicting various skateboard stunts. Another appealing aspect of this mag may be it's "bad-boyness" because there are quite a few swear words littered throughout the mag.

T.I.

Today I listened to T.I.'s Paper Trail CD. I have to say that I am not really into rap, but I found myself humming along to the chorus of many of T.I.'s songs. While I am not a huge fan of T.I., I do also respect the community service projects he has been involved in (he has several videos relating to the seriousness of gun violence on his offical website and you can pruchase a t-shirt designed by T.I. with the proceeds going to Urban Farming and the K.I.N.G. foundation).

I think teens like T.I. for several reasons. First, he is hip and now. He has appeared on many award shows, has his own show and he has done collaborations with many artists (Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, and Akon). T.I. has also started a clothing line and many of his songs are played often on the radio and tv. Also, I discovered that teens (or any fan for that matter) can have a very hands-on role on T.I.'s website. You can become a member, post videos, leave comments, post photos, join a group, etc. When fans feel like they are involved, I think they become loyal followers.