Ed loves nothing more on the weekends than to sit in front of the TV with some pancakes and get caught up on his tabloids from the week. This morning time is his opportunity to turn it off. The time when he can forgo the eight-page Iraq feature and peruse pictures of Heidi and Spencer in Easter Bunny costumes instead. Is there shame in that? Ed doesn't think so. Every magazine has its purpose. But lately, friends, these two separate worlds—meaning the tabloids and then everyone else—seem to be converging more and more, and personally, Ed is p.o.'d. Remember the Vanity Fair cover with Paris Hilton? Or the recent Harper's with Nicole Ritchie? And then yes, there's the Rolling Stone cover with The Hills ladies. Used to be Ed could aspire to the people on the covers of magazines. He wanted to hear their life story. He actually cared about their life story. But thanks to reality shows and the blog culture, Ed's already heard these guys' life stories, seen their naked photos and their sex tapes.
Why all the fuss?
They sell. The economy sucks (well, duh) but the only thing that's not on the downswing is everyone's obsession with everything tabloid and reality TV. (What better proof than a MTV and Myspace star named Tila Tequila on the cover of Blender?!) If magazines want to stay in business, do they have to include some cringe-worthy cover subjects just to stay afloat? How do we keep publication integrity without commiting newsstand suicide? What do you think?
Currently praying that Brody Jenner doesn't end up on the cover of GQ,
Ed
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11 comments:
Thank you for saying it. Not that "real" celebrities are much better role models for magazine covers, but at least they have a particular skill, talent, or (at the very least) sex appeal.
I do have to say that I appreciate the fact that Vanity Fair still gives some cover love to politicians, community leaders, and American icons with actual career longevity.
As an aside, I'm so glad to see you've started a blog. I've been a reader since 2005 (my senior year of college) and, although I am not a part of the New York market, ed2010 has been a great help and inspiration.
-Olivia
Does it make me old if I don't know who Heidi and Spencer are? :/
I don't know who they are either :p
But maybe it's to our credit!
American journalism seems to have become another outlet of consumerist escapism.
--Ell
http://gender-pop.com
Just talking about Rolling Stone, I just see it as a reflection of how out of touch they are in what's really pop culture. They're trying to make up for it with their website, but stop relying on MTV to figure out what's cool! There are hundreds of stories that mean more than "does girl A really hate girl B? We have the scoop!" I mean, Rolling Stone is a part of journalism history, but stop dumbing yourself down with cover stories like this...
-Chris Zak
You just articulated my thoughts after seeing the new US Weekly with Heidi Montag on the cover. Seriously...why is this person a celebrity and why do people eat it up?
Yeah, well Shia LaBeouf on the cover of GQ is bad enough, dontcha think?!
I think this is a question of journalistic integrity. I work for a magazine, and as much as I like reading about "who hates who" and "who wore what," true journalists should care more about the people making a difference in society rather than those who simply "show up" on reality tv and become famous. It's disheartening to find some of the greatest magazines of all time (i.e. Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, etc.) pandering to the wants of our reality-obsessed society, but who are we to discredit their need to gain a new readership or cater to their existing readership? Especially when we are seeing a decline in magazine and newspaper sales...the very essence of which most of us make our living. It's sad, but necessary.
We can't make it stop; the American public doesn't see what we see as professionals...
I cringe each time I pass the newsstand and see a magazine cover splattered with reality TV buzz -- from US Weekly's "The Plot to Destroy Lauren" cover story to the entire cast's photo on Rolling Stone.
But as an avid magazine reader and a journalist, I think this says more about our society than it does about the magazine industry itself. Magazines, after all, are supposed to target their audiences, and if this is what America wants, that's what it will get. It's a sad, sad situation...
I agree about the Vanity Fair comments. Anyone remember last June's with the Sopranos? I thought it was fantastic, because the show is truly an enduring piece of art that will live on in the American cultural fabric.
Brody better than Bruce
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