Philadelphia Magazine’s appalling cover theme

**Moonraker** · 03-01-2011, 07:38 PM

I take personal offense at being asked to die off, as if our worth no more than Soylent Green. Sorry to tell the out of work next generation but you were sold a story about a college education. Education is a “tool box”, but there are other facets in your brain which must be applied to optimize that “tool box” of an education.

PhillyRag has taken the first step into Yellow Journalism, a very slippery slope. Unless an appropriate apology is published, I recommend we vote with our pocket and cancel our subscriptions.

For those deeply addicted to the Rag, go on line or to your library.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 03-01-2011, 07:45 PM

I rather enjoyed reading Sandy Hingston's reply article..."Now wait just a goddamned minute!" where she not so politely told them to go to Hell.

**Seanibus** · 03-01-2011, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by Moonraker

I take personal offense at being asked to die off, as if our worth no more than Soylent Green. Sorry to tell the out of work next generation but you were sold a story about a college education. Education is a “tool box”, but there are other facets in your brain which must be applied to optimize that “tool box” of an education.

PhillyRag has taken the first step into Yellow Journalism, a very slippery slope. Unless an appropriate apology is published, I recommend we vote with our pocket and cancel our subscriptions.

For those deeply addicted to the Rag, go on line or to your library.

Oh, come on, who are we kidding? Philadelphia magazine is absolutely the worst of the city-based magazine genre. It even makes the shallow and vapid Washingtonian look deep and well consider. Philadelphia magazine is an affront to journalism and always has been. It's an affront to English. It's even an affront to whatever shallow, dumbass typeface it is printed in.

In other words, don't waste any time even eyeballing it in the grocery line, let alone worrying about the words typed on the pages inside.

**Marc** · 03-01-2011, 08:10 PM

Wow...not sure I realized PhillyMag was still around; learn something new everyday.

**gren** · 03-01-2011, 08:33 PM

Part of me wants context. Part of me thinks me thinks the cover was "Moonraker worst Bond movie. Should die."

**raider.adam** · 03-01-2011, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by Seanibus

Oh, come on, who are we kidding? Philadelphia magazine is absolutely the worst of the city-based magazine genre. It even makes the shallow and vapid Washingtonian look deep and well consider. Philadelphia magazine is an affront to journalism and always has been. It's an affront to English. It's even an affront to whatever shallow, dumbass typeface it is printed in.

In other words, don't waste any time even eyeballing it in the grocery line, let alone worrying about the words typed on the pages inside.

Umm, does that bode poorly for the Daily News then since they now have Platt?

**eldondre** · 03-01-2011, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

I rather enjoyed reading Sandy Hingston's reply article..."Now wait just a goddamned minute!" where she not so politely told them to go to Hell.

just another whiner from the worst generation

**gren** · 03-01-2011, 10:48 PM

How Gen X and Gen Y Will Change Philadelphia
And why it's time for boomers to step aside and let them

Janine White's 38? That seems pretty over the hill to me. Time for my generation to get wild in the streets.

**Seanibus** · 03-02-2011, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

Umm, does that bode poorly for the Daily News then since they now have Platt?

You said it, but I am not vehemently disagreeing. As a lifelong newspaperman, I cannot imagine that any publisher with the intelligence of a brain-damaged bumblebee would have hired him, except that they expected him to fail as either 1) an excuse to kill the Daily News or 2) a deliberate sacrifice as a transitional editor (and therefore professional scapegoat) who won't last more than two years before they hire someone who knows what he is doing. It may be that the Daily News has fallen so far that they figure that the worst that can happen is that he succeeds.

**OKT3** · 03-02-2011, 12:46 AM

I dunno, Philly Mag's always been horrible--pre and post Platt. It's the Lipson's show.

**Seanibus** · 03-02-2011, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by OKT3

I dunno, Philly Mag's always been horrible--pre and post Platt. It's the Lipson's show.

That may very well be true - I moved to town in the Platt era. But from the Daily News' perspective, I still can't understand - the guy has no newspaper experience, certainly none at the management level. He did manage a small staff at a largely mindless glossy magazine (and managed to alienate them and make a spectacle of himself while doing it). Here he is going to be faced with a gritty, highly political culture, publishing daily, and managing hundreds of traumatized, frightened, and cynical employees in a poisonous labor-management culture. "Platt" should not be the first name that comes to mind in that situation.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 03-02-2011, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by eldondre

just another whiner from the worst generation

Both articles were rather poor. And frankly the generation looking to kill everyone else so they can take over might just have the patent on worst and whiniest.

**BarryG** · 03-02-2011, 08:44 AM

I didn't read the article; is it about killing the baby boomers so they don't bankrupt us with Medicare, Social Security, and local pension costs?

**cubanChris** · 03-02-2011, 08:56 AM

I only heard from a friend who hates Philly Mag as much as Seanibus does, but I think the article is (also?) about how it was this hippie generation that was supposed to change the world, make everything 'green', reinvigorate the city cores, etc etc.... and in the meantime blames them for the explosion of suburban sprawl, Hummers/SUVs, over-consumered society and such.

Just to be clear, that is what I was told the article is about. I'm neither trying to kill anyone, nor be killed for posting this!

I do think Philly Mag's poor product is heightened by the inherent arrogance their cover stories tend to portray, maybe thats just me though.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 03-02-2011, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by cubanChris

I do think Philly Mag's poor product is heightened by the inherent arrogance their cover stories tend to portray, maybe thats just me though.

I think you've just nailed the problem.

**raider.adam** · 03-02-2011, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Seanibus

That may very well be true - I moved to town in the Platt era. But from the Daily News' perspective, I still can't understand - the guy has no newspaper experience, certainly none at the management level. He did manage a small staff at a largely mindless glossy magazine (and managed to alienate them and make a spectacle of himself while doing it). Here he is going to be faced with a gritty, highly political culture, publishing daily, and managing hundreds of traumatized, frightened, and cynical employees in a poisonous labor-management culture. "Platt" should not be the first name that comes to mind in that situation.

I saw some people already complaining that they have "editorialists" like Bunch doing "news" stories and they can't manage to keep the commentary out of a news story. (Of course, to be fair, I have been noticing that trend happenign in a lot of news papers.)

**peahen** · 03-02-2011, 09:36 AM

Not to get all emotional, but some of us know boomers who are going long before their time. So don't worry, Philly Mag -- cancer's got your back!

Jerks.

**Seanibus** · 03-02-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

I saw some people already complaining that they have "editorialists" like Bunch doing "news" stories and they can't manage to keep the commentary out of a news story. (Of course, to be fair, I have been noticing that trend happenign in a lot of news papers.)

In fairness to Platt, I haven't seen too dramatic a change at the paper yet - most of the unfortunate trends there seem to have been in the works long before he started or, as you point out, part of broader unfortunate trends in the industry. But I remain highly skeptical about the future.

**eldondre** · 03-02-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

Both articles were rather poor. And frankly the generation looking to kill everyone else so they can take over might just have the patent on worst and whiniest.

yes, they were rather poorly written...almost like, hey, we don't have a good cover story, what topic can we use as filler. nice try though. people hate the boomers because of their extreme arrogance. they are the worst generation because they thought they were the **** but they bankrupted the world's wealthiest country. you can hope the following generation is whinier and worse but that isn't yet evident, and would be an impressive feat.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 03-02-2011, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by eldondre

yes, they were rather poorly written...almost like, hey, we don't have a good cover story, what topic can we use as filler. nice try though. people hate the boomers because of their extreme arrogance. they are the worst generation because they thought they were the **** but they bankrupted the world's wealthiest country. you can hope the following generation is whinier and worse but that isn't yet evident, and would be an impressive feat.

Are you sure they bankrupted the country? I suspect it was more likely a cumulative effect of many factors, and not just the timing of a rather large and unprecedented number of births within some randomly drawn era, post WW2.

FYI--I am part of the late years of the group, who at times gets called "Baby Bust", rather than "Baby Boom". My issues at not yet 50, are far different than those of the group reaching 65.