Critique on Journalese-- Baby Blue Ivy

http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com/

William Zinsser describes Journalese as a "quilt of instant words patched together out of other parts of speech." He uses the magazine "People" to show examples of how the poor use of adjectives can not only confuse the audience but leave them with an interesting outlook on any story.

I decided to choose a very similar magazine that I read almost weekly-- "Us Magazine". The addicting headlines full of gossip and alluring photos are what attracts my eye. I normally skim over the short stories to become more informed about a reality I will never live --stardom. This time, much different than others, I actually read each and every word in the articles, paying close attention to their use in words. You would be amazed at what I found!

I decided to start with the most provocative news that is buzzing around TV and magazine headlines -- Baby Blue Ivy Carter. For those of you who aren't living in the 21st Century, Blue Ivy Carter is Rap Icon, Jay-Z and Hip-Hop Singer, Beyonce's newborn baby girl. NEWS! NEWS! The photos are finally out! But the gossip is how they became public. So starts the article.

"For Jay-Z, a trophy is good, but family time is better." The first sentence to wrap you into the article. Not so much of a cliche, but a weird way to compare the two big "f's"--Fame and Family. As you start reading you realize they are connecting this with not showing up to the Grammy's and taking his lovely wife out to dinner. Then you notice... no mention of this baby of theirs. Isn't family time associated with everyone sharing the same last name? I guess not.

"Beyonce has been holed up in the couple's Scarsdale, New York mansion..."Hmm.... I started thinking of this word "holed" not knowing what they meant by the meaning. After searching through the dictionary, I stumbled upon the informal meanings (the only meanings) that could relate to what they were trying to depict. The meaning of course was astonishing--a small unpleasant place or an awkward situation. Way to describe taking care of your first precious child in a nice way. It sounds as if she's not happy or being forced to do something she wasn't prepared for. This is confirmed when at the conclusion of the article, the writer describe an interviewee as "gushing" about Beyonce and Jay-Z being the best parents to "their little princess". I can just imagine someone "gushing" about this. The best part was that they didn't want to be named. They were described as a source close to the pop diva. Which in other words this means--- they don't even know Beyonce and Jay-Z.

I could go on forever about this short 250 word article describing what I thought was going to be about the baby photos, but ended up confusing me about if they even liked having a baby. The design on the other hand was simple and with a two-page spread had great photos showing off Blue Ivy Carter. But would they pass Words and Images at University of Baltimore-- I don't think so.