Preliminary Notes on Dec Philadelphia Magazine

I still haven't finished reading the Dec. issue of Philadelphia Magazine.   There's one main reason for that -- I can't read it on the train.  Why?  There's a nearly naked woman on the cover.  She's toned, tanned, airbrushed, and wearing a few strategically placed post-its.  Magazine covers that feature a partially dressed woman are clearly not aimed at my demographic (middle-aged straight woman) so I seldom buy those issues.  However, one of the kids was selling magazines for school so I'm back to subscribing to PhillyMag again.

The main reason I haven't finished reading this issue is that I can't take it on the train.  If I can't read it on the train it's unlikely to get read at all.  Flashing photos of nearly naked women on the train is a surefire way to get attention, though it is likely to be unwanted attention.  Some months ago I was reading a magazine on the train and the page opposite the one I was reading was a full-age lingerie ad, with photos of women in their underwear.  The man sitting next to me practically climbed into my lap to get a better look.  I kept trying to fold the magazine so that page didn't show but that just seemed to entice him further.  Please PhillyMag, if you don't want to lose a subscriber when it's time to renew, ditch the nudie shots.

So I can't really discuss the content of most of the issue.  One thing did catch my eye was "The Ultimate Philly Cocktail Party," on p. 74.  Ed Rendell makes the list of dream party guests, as you might expect.  Josh Shapiro (state rep for a few more days until he's sworn in as Montgomery County Commissioner) is also on the list, with this tag line:  "We think he might actually be fun to share a beer with."  I've never shared a beer with Shapiro, but I can tell you that you should never make eye contact with him when he's mc'ing a charity auction.  He's positively hypnotic; people end up buying all sorts of things.