Seduce Any Woman In The World

It's hard to take an article comparing sex in other countries too seriously. It's almost like all those articles in Cosmo about "best ways to get an orgasm" or "69 ways to satisfy your man." It's important to note however that although articles like this aren't particularly high-brow (i.e. social issues), they are articles nonetheless and must be treated as such in being well-written.

I actually do think this article was well-written. One of my favorite points in the article was at the end of the introduction where the author states that, "Master their tips and soon you'll simply be able to say "G'day" and mate." I feel that it's clever wordplay like that which applies so well to articles like this and really any other article for that matter. Comedy is a great way to keep the reader reading. Another thing this author does well is in the quotes. She was sure to support each of these sections with a quote from someone actually from the country, even if half of them were from various Mens Health regional locations. Articles like this need to be taken for what they are. I think Lauren Murrow understands this will not win any Pulitzer Prizes, but she also knows that it must be well written enough to make the magazine and to hold the reader's attention.

The Courage of Detroit

This is just a nice, classic well-written sports article. I love when I read a sports article which ends up being so much more than just the sports. The lead opens the story wonderfully, setting up an environment in a homeless shelter in Detroit. Throughout the story we learn about Detroit's numerous sports team failures as we also learn about other failures, such as that of the auto industry. You really begin to emphasize with the city as you read the article. I know that I realized that the Lions really are the butts of so many jokes.

I enjoyed how the author continued to use the phrase, "And yet." The recurring phrase exemplified the resilience of the author and other residents of Detroit. It's used an awful lot throughout the article showing that these people have gone through an awful lot to still be holding strong. I would have liked to know more about the meeting with the four star Detroit players. It sounds like that may have been a part of a separate article, but I wonder what they discussed and whatnot.

"Without tennis, who am I?"

I'm not sure I liked this article so much. I had a problem with trying to figure out exactly what purpose the article was serving. Is it about Jennifer Capriati's recent overdose and the support she's giving? It would seem so at first, but I feel the author was pushing the situation by trying to get at a much deeper meaning which I never fully understood. Capriati's issues with being a teenage athletic star were never really delved into enough and by the end I felt confused as to why the issue was now one of identity. It almost felt like an anonymous letter that friends would write about someone hoping that he or she would read it. Overall, it just had a corny feel about it. I felt this really became apparent when the writer states,

"It might not be possible for Capriati to hear it right now, but what if the answer to her melancholy question -- "Without tennis, who am I?" -- is this: a happier, healthier human being?"

This quote just feels like the writer is really trying to gauge a deeper meaning to this issue than there really is. And even if that is the issue, that not playing tennis would make Capriati happier and healthier, does the writer really know enough to make such a claim?

Girl Who Conned the Ivy League

I enjoyed this article, not only because of it's interesting content, but also with the way it was written. I feel like Sabrina Erdely did a great job of storytelling throughout this article. In fact, this felt a lot less like an article and a lot more like a short story. Although the writer surely had to do plenty of background investigation as well as interviews, she never actually places herself in the story. This can be seen when she quotes individuals such as, "'For the first time ever, I was functioning!' she recalls." It would appear that Erdely got this information from an interview with Esther, but we never really know for sure. Erdely just as easily could have said, "she recalls as I spoke to her months later," however she refrains from doing so. In this way, the article seems much less journalistic and more actual story telling.

Arthur Kade Lead

Angelina Jolie is often considered one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood. Arthur Kade however, would tell you something completely different about the gorgeous starlet. "I've dated much hotter women," says Arthur, going on to say that he probably wouldn't initiate a conversation with her in a club, perceiving her as "mother hot" rather than "stripper hot."

Arthur Kade Profile

I think it really shows how well written an article is when the writer is able to make an interesting story out of a normally uninteresting story. I had never heard of Arthur Kade before, and probably for good reason. He's trying to be an actor but has never really landed any decent roles; basically he's known only for his blog and for being a "douchebag". I discovered that as I read the article though, that i became more and more interested in the person that is Arthur Kade. I believe Dan Lee did a fantastic job of portraying who Kade is and what he's all about. I particularly enjoyed how Lee incorporated actual comments on Kade's blog calling him such things as a "fucking idiot" and "the worst human being on the planet." It's comments like these that show how ordinary people perceive Kade and how he couldn't care less. However, Lee makes sure to not completely drown the article in hate towards Kade. For instance, when he finally introduces the reader to Kade's background, it's actually a more heartfelt turn towards Kade's family. There's also a sort of duel feeling towards Kade when you realize that he may be seen as a jerk, but at the same time he is pursuing a dream of his which is, in a sense, very noble. After reading the article though, I made sure to check out Kade's blog to see why people do think of him in such a way. I'd say they're mostly correct.

Good Morning, Megan Fox

Capturing the reader's attention is perhaps the most important thing a journalist should take into account as he or she writes an article. I think David Katz does a great job of doing this by starting the article with the single sentence, "Megan Fox won't kick her house." I know when I first read that sentence, I just assumed that was a metaphor for her stubbornness only to realize a few sentences later that Megan Fox literally was on a horse. Not that Katz had my attention, he continued the story providing a good journalist's usual vivid details and solid quotes as it progressed. Another moment which caught my attention particularly however was when the article switched to the topic of food. The interview had actually taken place at a restaurant called The Smoke House and Katz used this to his advantage as he wrote the article. As the article delved into Fox's status as a sex symbol, Katz was able to use include how she was eating her food to portray how she was not near as sexy in real life as she is commonly seen by the public. He explains that she eats her food like everybody else rather than, "licking her fork seductively."

I feel that this article showed how important the actual act of interviewing can be to your story rather than just the facts that are obtained from interviewing. The fact that the interview with Megan Fox took place on a horse is actually pretty interesting and really helps to bring to life the story. I think this also makes the story relate more to the reader, almost putting him or her in the shoes of the interviewer.