A fantasy-theme analysis of the editors' letters in "Southern Living" magazine shows an editorial vision of valuing the past and showcasing unique regional qualities. In addition, a content analysis of the visual representation of race in the magazine's formative years and recent past validates that inhabitants of the region were portrayed overwhelming as white and middle-class, even as affluence among nonwhites has changed. This analysis provides an example of how media products create and proliferate a specific representation of a place and its people. Suggestions for using mass media messages in the classroom to apply geography knowledge and research, as well as media literacy skills, are included. (Contains 6 notes.)