us weekly = lashon horah?

Like every jewish mother, mine goes to the supermarket or corner store every Friday to buy the latest issues of Us Weekly, In Touch and Star magazine. It's practically a Shabbos tradition at our home, as it also is at many other homes, to sit on the couch after our huge meal and discuss who's wearing what and who's dating who.

Obviously, if we've got guests over, this tradition has to be put on hold until our guests leave - it's pretty rude to make your guests sit at the table while you're analyzing Lindsey's outfit mishaps.

But when it's just the family, as it was this shabbos, it's all about the gossip mags.

However, we do make it a point of also discussing Torah at our Shabbos table. This week, our family debate concerned the story of Miriam where she speaks Lashon Harah to Aaron against Moshe and gets leprosy.

Which brings me to my thought of the day.... Is reading those gossip magazines the same as hearing Lashon Harah? After all, we're paying money to see pictures of other people and read information about them that may or may not be true, and that more often than not is pretty slanderous. Does the fact that I've never met these people, and the fact that these people actually put themselves in the public eye, make it ok? Thoughts?