Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Thu, Mar 19 1992 Date: Thu, 19 Mar 92 05:57:39 EST Message-ID: 03-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update March 19, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network FAMILIES LARGER, HOMES SMALLER: American families for decades have been growing smaller. And for decades, the homes have been getting larger. But the 1980s saw a twist, according to 1990 Census figures. For the first time in 50 years, the proportion of "crowded homes" - more than one person per room - went up to 4.9% from 4.5% of U.S. households. The increase reversed what had been a steady decline since 1940's 20%. (For more, see special Crowding package below.) REGIONAL MAGAZINE HITS HOME: Midwest Living has been playing so well in places like Peoria, Cedar Rapids and Topeka that it has become one of the USA's hottest magazines. It is a magazine devoted to country inns, apple pies, folk festivals and fall foliage excursions. Those topics have drawn enough readers and advertisers to propel the magazine, published by Meredith, onto several industry lists. CIRCULATION SOARS IN '91: Capell's Circulation Reports has called Midwest Living the "hottest-circulation magazine" of last year. The heartland magazine's circulation jumped 13.8% the first half of last year from a year earlier, says the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Midwest Living's stronghold is midsize cities. Best Market: Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque, Iowa, where 7.1% of households take the magazine. LAUGHTER IS CHEAP: The cost of humor fell 0.03% last year, according to the Cost of Laughing Index compiled annually by Santa Cruz, Calif., humor consultant Malcolm Kushner. The index notes an average 4.5% decrease in comedy club ticket prices and no increases in the prices of a pink gorilla telegram or Mad Magazine. HORMONE NEW DRUG OF CHOICE: Human growth hormone may be the latest dangerous drug boost among high school athletes, a new survey finds. "These kids don't know it can hurt them," says Dr. Vaughn Rickert, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock. Kids believe hGh strengthens tendons and ligaments although there's no such evidence. Unsupervised use can lead to abnormal bone growth. RUSSIAN OPERA ON THE MOVE: Orchestras, dance and opera companies from the former Soviet Union used to tour the USA with the imperiousness and infrequency of visiting royalty. Now the Russians are becoming the nomads of the performing world. Two opera companies from St. Petersburg that rarely toured before are debuting in New York just moths apart: The St. Petersburg National Opera Tuesday; the Kirov Opera, July 6. CBS AIMS FOR OFF-SEASON: "Northern Exposure" started two summers ago and now CBS hopes to launch another off-season hit. At bat: "Middle Ages," a drama about middle-aged Chicago salesmen chasing dreams; "Grapevine," about relationships; "Cutters,"" about the merger of an old-fashioned barbershop and a beauty salon; and "2000 Malibu Road," a high-gloss soap about fabulous babes who live on the beach. `WORLD' PARTIES ON FOR ALL AGES: "Wayne's World" has just scored its fifth straight week at the top of the box office. But the only ones seeing the movie are teens. NOT. Ticket buyers were "very young the initial weekend, but the audience has been expanding in terms of demographics," says Barry London of Paramount. IT'S OK TO BLUSH AGAIN: It was considered a health taboo, but women used blusher as eye shadow for a subtle glow. Now that habit has come out of hiding. The April issue of Mademoiselle reports that Max Factor has a new line called Shadow Sweep. They're "cheekily colored powders, FDA-approved for the eyes." Mademoiselle recommends Dash of Mocha. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CROWDING: CROWDING REFLECTS POLARIZATION: Population experts and social service workers say the increase in "crowded homes" - homes with more than one person per room is one more reflection of how the tremendous influx of new immigrants is redefining American family lifestyles. "It illustrates the polarization of housing conditions in American society," says Dowell Myers of the University of Southern California. IMMIGRANTS SHARE BEDS: The poor in the USA are "very poor, very overcrowded," says Myers. That's indicated by the increase in crowded homes. Although increasing numbers of Americans view sharing a bedroom with a sibling as a sacrifice of privacy, newcomers from Asia and Latin America routinely share beds, sometimes even sleeping in shifts or converting garages into homes. `ALTERNATIVE TO HOMELESSNESS': In some parts of Miami, such as Little Havana, "It's not unusual to go into a two- or three-bedroom apartment and see 15 people living there," says Jim Towey of the Florida Health and Rehabilitative Services. "The alternative to homelessness for many ... means doubling up." The increase in crowding wasn't uniform; most states saw a decline. But other states had rapid rises. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. 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