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December 21, 2006

Magazine in the Bathroom?

First, this title reminds me of one of my favorite songs of all time, "Mirror in the bathroom" by The English Beat. The problem is that in the context of a magazine in the bathroom the lyrics transform into:

Magazine in the bathroom
I read freely
The door is locked
Just it and me.

Which brings us to the larger problem, the (ridiculous) question driving me to post this entry (against my better judgment, but then, aren't the best parts of life against your better judgment?), which is:

Are magazines in the bathroom OK?

Let's set aside the germ aspects for a moment. Let's assume the only people (ok, living beings) who enter your bathroom are you, your man, and your cats because HEY LADY, you CANNOT leave us out here long enough to brush your teeth. We NEED you. In this instance, germ circulation can't be eliminated by the absence of reading materials in the loo.

No, let's talk about the other logistics.

Basically, I rarely get to my issues of The Economist. And I think I might if they were readily accessible while I was taking a bath, or, you know, otherwise spending time in the bathroom.

But the problem is, if I have magazines in there, aren't I basically ADMITTING that I spend more time in there than the two seconds necessary to powder my nose?

In high school, my (brief, poorly fated) boyfriend Dave was of the stridently asserted belief that women NEVER spent the more than two seconds necessary to powder their noses. He also once won a contest for removing his underwear without removing his pants, so should he really be haunting me as a yardstick of ladylike behavior? Perhaps not.

In any case, I have been waffling on this issue. Part of me thinks, dammit, I am THIRTY in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. I am woman enough to admit to being, oh, HUMAN, right? And I need to be aware of what is going on in the world!

The other part of me thinks, are certain things supposed to remain a mystery?

What do you think? To Mag or Not To Mag? That is the question.

Posted by jen at December 21, 2006 11:05 PM

Comments

Ahhh I say Leave em.. why?? well because anyone who is questioning your length of time in the lavatory.. well needs some help anyway.. if they are consumed in their thoughts about just how long infact you spend in there...well.. they must be a 12 year old boy cause I think I can safely say... probably the majority of people dont spend anytime thinking about that accept of course for Dave you ill-fated high school boyfriend with what sounds like a wonderful talent for oh stupid people tricks? anyway... Leave em... also.. thanks for stopping by my blog.. and for the lovely compliments on my family.. they are infact my pride and joy. Have a wonderful Christmas / holiday season

Posted by: eLiZaBeTh at December 22, 2006 04:49 AM

I wouldn't worry. They have magazines in our work bathrooms. I don't think anyone is entertaining the thought of who's doing what in there unless you happen to be the one after them and your nose is assaulted. I just don't go at work or anywhere else in public. It's your bathroom, you can do whatever you want. And there are other things that take place in there besides toileting... Plenty of people read while tubbing. Maybe you could come up with a delightful out-of-the-tub rack that the magazines sit in that is not near the toilet. That will help with the 12-yr-old minds that visit.

Posted by: Samantha at December 22, 2006 06:45 AM

Go for it, a girl needs to catch up on her reading material whenever she can. BUT! The number one rule of bathroom reading at my house is: Once it goes in, it ain't comin' out. The magazine that was potty/tub reading yesterday is not, under any circumstances, coffee table reading today.

Posted by: Leah at December 22, 2006 07:01 AM

I say Mag. They'll be there, you'll read them, and I cannot tell you how many times I wished I kept my magazines in there. (As soon as I figure out where to put them? They're totally going in.)

Posted by: Dawn at December 22, 2006 07:13 AM

So, that Zoolander model walkoff - your high school ex could've won it?

Yes to magazines. Otherwise, I would never read Time or my alumni magazines.

Posted by: Gloria at December 22, 2006 08:21 AM

here's the thing about spending time on the pot and the business that happens there: everybody does it. aside from the magazines i keep in my bathroom i also have a book of sudoku.

Posted by: jennifer at December 22, 2006 10:19 AM

In my bathroom, I have a cute little stool/table/storage thing from IKEA that the magazines go on. Afsheen, on the other hand, puts magazines on his floor, which is why he's not allowed to bring anything into his bathroom except Us Weekly and MacWorld.

Posted by: Gwen at December 22, 2006 12:03 PM

I've got a magazine rack full of New Yorkers - not exactly quick articles. I also have a collection of crosswords and an electronic Yahtzee. I don't feel bad about it because I must be multi-tasking at all times. Plus, with all the law-related reading I have to do, the bathroom gives me an excuse to do 'fun' reading. Quite honestly, it's one of the nice stress-free parts of my day, and if people think it's weird, then they obviously haven't given it a whirl.

Posted by: Ana at December 22, 2006 04:53 PM

Dude, if I don't have something to read for more than 4.7 seconds, I pick up the closest thing and read it. I read my shampoo bottle EVERY time I shower. (Yes, I need help.) So I say mag - I do the best reading in the bathtub. Now, if only I could come up with a rack to hold books in the tub so I can soak and read heavy books.

Posted by: confiance at December 22, 2006 08:32 PM

You don't even want to know how many magazines are in my bathroom!

I say leave them in there. I'd rather have something to read than worry what someone who is visiting my home is thinking. Besides, I can always blame my hubby since his magazines are usually on the top of the pile. ;)

Posted by: nicole at December 22, 2006 09:14 PM

You went out with Hansel from Zoolander? Niiiice.

Posted by: Sarah at December 23, 2006 03:09 PM

No mags in the bathroom for me. It would be a tight squeeze. But I am known to carry one in with me.

Posted by: Dagny at December 27, 2006 01:09 PM

I have a beautiful magazine rack behind the bathroom door. It's from Pottery Barn. Also, I subscribe to a zillion magazines and I like to read them before I drop them off at the hospital each month.

Posted by: Shawn at January 10, 2007 07:37 PM