The Lady and the Revamp

[BadGardener]

Gripping.
That Rachel Johnson seems like a right cow... but the magazine clearly needed a kick up the backside.

Yes, watching as well. Just knew Debo was going to say 'What's an Agony Aunt'.

Am enoying it so far

Can't believe Yanina suggested Madonna for the Xmas cover.... ffs!

The trouble is Rachel Johnson is sneering at the readership.

exactly Loungelizard.
You would need to like the editor of the magazine you read.

I think she is coming across very badly indeed - I thought she was ok before but have not warmed to her at all in this programme. On the whole it has been a dull hour's viewing...

I am loving the programme but I agree with you she comes across terribly.

Can't believe they had computers on their desks. I expected manual typewriters, quill pens and a tea lady with trolley.

The readership is dying out. Bit like Readers Digest, pink corsetry, hair nets and blue tinge hair dye.

The Lady - 0. Rachels diary of her time working at The Lady - 1. Rachel the winner no matter what.

readers digest is already dead.

I reckon it was totally contrived. She is obsv chums with the owners and it was all a 'bit of a hoot'. The magazine def needed a revamp but she is very irritating (esp the cuffs over her hands, v schoolgirlish). Hope it backfires on her to be honest.

It was quite handy for nanny vacancies abroad when I was looking (1990-1994). Bought the magazine and never really read anything other than the sit vac ads.

Never really...what I mean is never - full stop.

Thought Rachel Johnson was dreadful. The only reason they could say she had been engaged ? despite no experience ? was her ?bulging address book? . yet she fires someone IN a meeting ? very bad form ? and deliberately makes life so uncomfortable (because she cannot fire her) for the assistant editor that she resigns. DH said ?that?s constructive dismissal?.

Okay, so the staff were complacent and the magazine clearly needed a shake up, but RJ came across appallingly. And a bit of a bully. IMHO

I wonder how many they are selling these days.
I notice they didn't axe the short story in the end.

I really enjoyed the programme. I'm glad they told us at the start who Rachel Johnson is because I would have had no idea. I do agree the sacking in a meeting incident was a bit shocking. I don't think he saw it coming at all. He seemed to think it was fine to breeze in late for the meeting.

I suspect this programme will make a difference to the circulation figures, but I am unsure whether they will go up or down.

I should think there'll be a wave of subscription cancellations but the current issue will sell lots of copies from people who saw this and are curious. But I wonder which effect will be the strongest!
How clueless would you have to be to take your teenage daughter's advice about which bits are 'lame' in a magazine bought by elderly people?

cobnuts made me laugh.

I bought a copy after I read the article RJ was shown talking about, and I have bought it in the past for the holiday cottages (pre internet!!).

Now it's a bit like the Tatler,and a bit smart arsey, not as genteel as it was. I imagine she has totally alienated the original readership, whether she can gain any new readers, I'm not sure. This TV prog will probably have helped circulation a bit.

It looks like it used to be pretty nearly sleb-free with articles that were actually about something (history of the cucumber etc) rather than just columns about nothing by people who think they are witty.... is it not like that any more then Loungelizard?

I RJ - I thought she was great and I want to be her chum. Doubt she can keep her job though after her outburst at the end - but can't wait for the book!!

Can't remember exactly, but more articles on 'modern manners', social attitudes, that sort of thing, tongue in cheek really, (and a couple of sex related articles), but a bit 'silly' for their core readership (i.e. the ladies shown on the prog).

Admittedly that is exactly who they are trying to get away from. I just wonder whether any bright young socialite or feisty career women about town (sorry about all the cliches.... can't think of another way to describe them!)would actually think of buying the Lady in the first place.

Am rather over thinking all this, why am I so concerned about a stupid magazine I couldn't care less really!!!

I disagree with all the people knocking Rachel Johnson.

The magazine and the people who worked there really needed a kick up the backside.

I bought it once or twice in the past and, apart from a very good puzzle called The LadyGram, thought it unutterably dull.

Since Rachel took over I have bought it quite often and I think it has improved tremendously. Certainly I prefer it now to most other magazines aimed at women.

I think I read somewhere that the average age of subscribers was about 79! Obviously they needed a shake up before the readership died out completely.

I hope that they do manage to pull it round eventually.

Loungelizard:

It is fairly celeb-free but they usually have an interview with a famous(ish) person every week. This week it was Sharon Osbourne, mainly because she has just published a novel.

Other articles from this week included:

• one mother's approach to head lice,
• divorce fairs,
• use of NT properties for shooting recent films,
• interview with Geraldine James (actress who plays Lily Potter),

-continuing popularity of G&S,

• Duchess of Northumberland specifically with regard to Alnwick gardens.

There is the regular stuff about gardening, health and so on.

Then the puzzles - especially The LadyGram

is it terribly snobbish? They seem to have a thing about duchesses!

The Duchess was marvellous - what to do when children are misbehaving at the table? Bash them.

I loved her.

I didn't think RJ was a bully at all. God, she was up against it wasn't she? I warmed to her enormously. Also warmed to her extremely fetching wardrobe - particularly that jumper with all the buttons up the sleeve.

The sequencing was a bit odd. On occasion she had wallpapered her office, then two shots later - No! Back to the prison green with weird splodges