Hollywood actresses no longer favored for magazine covers

NEW YORK, June 6 (UPI) -- Hollywood actresses, a longtime staple of U.S. magazine covers, are taking a back seat to musicians and other celebrities, magazine editors say.

"There was a day when movie stars were the gold standard for magazines. But movie stars are less revered than they used to be, and also audiences have shifted their allegiance in large part to television," said Jess Cagle, managing editor of Entertainment Weekly.

The New York Times reported Thursday sales of Cosmopolitan magazine with reality television personality Kim Kardashian on the cover sold 1.2 million copies -- their best month of the year so far. That topped the March issue with singer Miley Cyrus on the cover, which sold 1.1 million copies, their second-best seller.

Covers featuring celebrities Demi Lovato, Khloe Kardashian and Selena Gomez were among their top five best sellers in 2012.

Lovato is a singer-songwriter, Kardashian is a reality television personality and Gomez is a singer and an actress best known for her work on television.

Vogue's best seller this year featured Beyonce on the cover. A 2012 issue featuring Lady Gaga sold nearly twice as many copies as the January issue featuring three-time Oscar winning film star Meryl Streep.

The editor in chief at Glamour, said singers Beyonce and Rihanna "do an incredible job of connecting with their fans," calling them the "Mick Jaggers of today" -- a reference to the Rolling Stones frontman.

"There are a lot of movies right now that don't speak to women. Since 'Sex and the City,' there haven't been those big rah-rah movies for women," said Joanna Coles, editor in chief at Cosmopolitan.

Angelina Jolie, apparently, is an exception.

"Angelina is not just a film star. She is a spokesman for something bigger," Coles said.