This weekend while I was at the beach, I decided to pick up a few magazines to read while working on my tan. As I was perusing the magazine counter, I stumbled on Tiger Beat and was reminded of how much I loved this magazine as a pre-teen. Laughing, I suddenly found myself wondering what “kids these days” were interested in and which celebrities they were crushing on. Damn, where did the time go? I’m almost as old as my mom- 20 going on 40!
After debating whether it was socially acceptable for me to bring this to the cashier or not, I finally came to the conclusion that I was going to pick one up. I mean, f*ck it. YOLO, am I right? As I lay on the beach, catching up on teenage drama and taking quizzes titled, “Is it Love or Like?” I thought it would be interesting to document these moments, for prosperity’s sake:
1. Flipping through the pages, I began to notice that teens don’t just consider actors and actresses celebrities, but also YouTube and Vine stars. Just from the pages I’ve encountered, it seems the teenage heartthrobs are Hayes Nolte, viner; Cameron Dallas, viner; Austin North, Disney Channel actor; Austin Mahone, singer; and Nash Grier, viner. I remember back in my day, The Jonas Brothers and Naked Brothers Band were the guys to swoon over. And duh, Justin Bieber. It seems as though we had a pension for those “bad-boy, band guys.” Ahh how the times have changed!
2. I’m really glad I picked this up now, after reading a spread on “Kissing 101.” The hotties from Forever in Your Mind (what seems to be a new band?) reveal their kissing secrets. They reminded me that there is no “perfect time” for a kiss and you really just can’t prepare for one. Moreover, they let the cat out the bag that the big first-kiss can be a tad awkward. How shocking! Although those takeaways are invaluable, the best piece of advice I got from this section is that “(kissing) is like giving a high five with just your lips, if you think about it” says Emory. Sorry to disappoint ladies, but he “won’t be giving high fives to every girl (he) sees!”
3. Towards the end of this captivating read, there was a fill-in-the-blank letter that you can send to your crush. All I can say is THANK GOD I stumbled across this. I’ve been trying to write to my crush for awhile now, but just couldn’t find the right words!
4. Yes, finally, the horoscopes! It appears that it’s time for me to get a makeover and send a little extra time pampering myself. Wow, I couldn’t agree more!
5. Lastly, I couldn’t ignore the spread filled with readers’ most embarrassing moments. I can really relate to “Insta-Bad” who accidently texted a “super cute” picture of her crush to him instead of to her bestie. Been there, done that! It’s okay “Insta-Bad,” usually everything just works out!
Well, there you have it! As a thirteen year-old I must say, this issue would’ve been spot on. I would’ve absolutely kept and hung up every single poster provided inside the glossy pages. As a twenty-year-old, this magazine provided a great laugh. Oh yes, and it reminded me to thank sweet baby Jesus that I’m no longer an awkward, fumbling thirteen-year-old. Now, I’m a different type of awkward twenty-year-old. #winning!