by MC Allen

Created on: March 02, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

For someone who loves "all things Entertainment", Entertainment Weekly has become the encyclopedia in which all information may be gleaned. The magazine is sleek, well written, and jam packed full of the latest in television, movies, music, books and even theater. Without falling into the gossip trap, this magazine helps the reader (me) stay informed about the business. My favorite aspects of the magazine can be broken down by sections.

The first section that is a must read is entitled The Must List and can be located anywhere in the magazine. This list contains the top ten things that Entertainment Weekly loves during the week ahead. The list includes anything from the Top Chef finale, to a new movie coming out on DVD, to a book that has a release date this week. This is a great quick reference point for the "week in Entertainment".

Another of my favorite (and funny) sections of the magazine is the Bullseye. The Bullseye can be found usually in the final pages and gives gossip hounds a little taste of what is going on in the gossip world for the week. The target is set up to look like a Bullseye with the most interesting items hitting close to the middle and the more abysmal all the way on the outer edges; and the most bizarre ending up on different pages throughout the magazine.

The television preview, entitled What to Watch, by Jessica Shaw is a wonderful rundown of a variety of shows and what each episode is about. Ms. Shaw has a witty sense of humor that never fails to make me smile even when she is degrading a show that I love. She combines the popular with the shows you don't know about (yet) and makes each title seem interesting and indeed a "tune in" worthy endeavor.

There are many other aspects of the magazine that catch my eye each and every week. Michael Ausiello and his insider information into television are always educational. Guest writers such as Diablo Cody and Steven King have an amazing everyman quality to their writings about pop culture, and the Sound Bites (dialogue from different shows) are just plain hilarious.

People (meaning me) come to rely on weekly periodicals and Entertainment Weekly is no different. I may not always agree with the opinion of the reviewers but at least I know what to expect when I attempt a new movie (or television show). For an entertainment magazine to be down to earth and newsy without being gossipy is no small feat and Entertainment Weekly accomplishes this every week.

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