Take a Break stories

[Fanfeck]

And all similar kind of magazines...

The headlines are flinch worthy, usually always stories of dreadful child abuse, rape, incest, peodiphile fathers and husbands.

I imagine it's the kind of sick tragic stuff that abusers and peodiphiles actually get off on reading themselves and yet they're holiday makers favourites around the pool etc!

AIBU to wonder how there is such a high demand for people's ruined childhoods etc?

Often it's read by other people who've had tough childhoods. People can find it helpful to see that they're not alone, especially if the story has a redemptive theme. E.G: The protagonist was abused horribly but went on to live a successful life and see their abuser jailed.

One of them has a "Survivor of the Year" feature which is a bit much for me because, jeez, its not a competition. But I can see why some people find it compelling.

My wife's mother reads them, she had a lovely childhood but for some reason she's got into the habit, I liken it to a car crash really as she can't not read them.

Misery Lit is big business. Think of all the books with titles like 'Please Stop Daddy' and a stock photo of a cowering child on the cover. People get off on that stuff whilst pretending to be horrified by it.

11% of women in this country have been sexually abused or raped as kids. Add in the women who have been beaten as kids, raped or beaten as adults, then that is a lot of women who have had traumatic experiences. And yes, it is good to know you are not alone.

Yes, morbidity is big business, misery lit, just like biographies of serial killers, etc.

I do find it's the same kind of stories every week. Child with terrible illness or injury, wedding disaster, domestic abuse, drastic weight loss etc etc. I only buy these magazines now to kill time when travelling.

I remember one once. I was in hospital after my appendectomy and I asked exDH to get me a couple of magazines. He got me Marie Claire and Cosmo (it was a far few years ago!) and Take a Break. He said that he had to get it due to the headline "My husbands brain exploded during sex" complete with picture of the couple.

Turned out that he had a brain haemorrhage at some point after they had had a shag so not quite as exciting at the headline made out.

They have good puzzle sections? I only read the articles because it seemed silly not to when I had the magazine.

It's like horror films I suppose, it's sort of thrilling to experience (from a position of safety) fear and horror and suspense.

I quite enjoy them at the doctor's. Often there's a lady who has been impregnated by an alien. It's as well to be aware.

Where on earth are you in holiday that attracts poolside take a break readers?! 😂

Just a thought, perhaps they are doing the puzzles or entering the competitions?

Oooh I love Chav Mag Thursdays.

I sit in the garden with a fag and a glass of wine and read Chat, Take A Break and That's Life.

Complete mindless shite that I am relax to.

I used to read them for the reasons unlimited says. And it must have been helpful as I haven't read one in twenty years now.

I used to buy TAB, because there were loads of competitions to enter. I never actually read the sadface stories.

I had to stop buying them as the stories of dying children upset me so much and would stick with me for days.

As for the "misery lit", I used to read a lot of these; as someone said earlier in the thread, when you've been abused yourself, it's encouraging to read stories of those who've survived it. It made me feel less alone.

LewisAndClark, I could've written your post!

I get them for the puzzles mainly, although there are websites that give all the answers so you can enter them all online without buying.

The writing quality is pretty dreadful in the lower end ones (is there a higher end?!). Also, the cover editing can be wince inducing - I vividly remember seeing one that had 'My husband raped me live on the internet' right above the line 'Britain's wackiest wedding!'.

My gran used to get them and I read them just out of pure morbid curiosity. I'd be embarrassed to buy them myself though.

OP I'd advise you to take a proper look, if you can bear to, because you've got it wrong. Pure misery lit doesn't work in the magazines you are talking about.

I used to love them, and buy them every week. Not any more though
They all seem to be competing for the most sickening headlines lately, and they never used to be that bad.
Literally every other story is child abuse and how is that entertainment for some to read?
Gone are the real life inspirational stories that they used to have as well, and they're all over-run with domestic abuse, child neglect/abuse. murderers etc.
They all seem to vie with each other to see which can be the most sickening.

I used to read these magazines when I needed something with short, quick stories that didn't require me to use my brain too much. The puzzles were good too.

Jeremy Kyle in print.

My mum reads them and has for years. She had a tough childhood, but doesn't really talk about it. These stories may be cathartic to her, I don't know. I can't stand to even look at these magazines; the content makes me feel ill but I had a very happy childhood.

Its the most popular selling Womens magazine in the UK, Royal Mail for years tried to convince Bauer to offer a subscription service.

I like it, read it sometimes, I like the stories behind the headlines, often there is a story that I may have read about online and then you read it from the families POV.

Some good campaigns and raising awareness on issues.

I used to read them quite a lot, now I read MN. Some days I haven't noticed much difference.