uncleron

Not to be a pretentious ass, but—actually, to be a pretentious ass—Baudrillard’s concept of simulacra may be a productive way to think about the perception of originality in magazine graphics and photography. Magazines are meant to be ephemeral, disposable. Perhaps you and Ian Spiegelman are connoisseurs of the medium; perhaps you have chosen to put a frame around these images, to historicize and elevate Lois’s work as the original, the exemplary. But to most people it is indistinguishable from the copies, and the copies of copies, and so on.

I am probably not doing justice to your thoughts or to those of Seeräuber Jenny, and, indeed, I am watering down Baudrillard’s virtually eschatological notions about the end of reality and of meaning. I guess it seems weird to me to get so defensive about magazine cover art. What next?

iplaudius

crazedsage

On second thought, don't think about it.

You'll probably hurt yourself.

sailor

mladen

Helman

Think about it. You should be onto something by Monday.

sailor

ian spiegelman

Helman

No need for apologies. We have too much history for that.

I'm just not sure what George Lois' creative vision has to do

with Harlan Ellison's typically over-hyped and witless

story, one of many in that era. If anything, it makes an ironic

comment on how stupid the premise was/is/will be.

sailor

I do think it was interesting that Esquire, at least according to Time, didn't let a few facts get in the way of a good (sexist) image.

Seeräuber Jenny

"found a piece"

Another self-referencing comment. Shocking! Oh, the liberties taken!

Seeräuber Jenny

I wondered what the article was about. I did a search on the web and found an a piece published at the time (infant media criticism, as it turned out) that described it. I posted the link, referencing my previous comment. And the problem with that is ... what?

If I mistook your tone, I apologize.

Seeräuber Jenny

Addressing that comment to yourself seems all too appropriate.

sailor

Helman

According to Time:

"Another cover showed a morose nude jammed, derriere-first, into a garbage can. The article it advertised-"The New American Woman: through at 21" -was so heavily rewritten (seemingly to fit the cover illustration) that Freelance Writer Harlan Ellison refused to let Esquire use his byline. The article described a pseudotypical Los Angeles woman, prone to suicide, sexually jaded, hooked on pills and astrologically obsessed, who was supposed to be the wave of the future for all American women coming into their early 20s."

[www.time.com]

Seeräuber Jenny

sailor

But I would love to hear the thesis of the article on American women.

Seeräuber Jenny

Products Will Save Me

belltolls