Vogue, May 2009 cover.
Lynn Yaeger
Besides their cover story “The Real Lives of Models”, Vogue’s May issue cover includes a blurb that reads “You’re fired! Surviving and Thriving After the Pink Slip”.
I thought: “Awesome! Vogue is going to address a problem facing millions of American career women!”
Of course, I’m no idiot. I know it is Vogue. They’re not going to tackle something unpalatable like losing your healthcare or the uncertainty of feeding your kids. Ew!
After having issue after issue kiss the ass of the wives of many of the very CEO’s who have bankrupted the free world, I was certain that Vogue would at least make a half-assed attempt to take this crisis seriously. A typical Anna Wintour maneuver would be to focus on a particular photographer/buyer/emerging fashion designer she worships and, tastefully and indirectly, address the concern of professionals in the “La-la land industries” (Fashion, entertainment, luxury…) whose careers have come to an abrupt and very unnatural end.
Instead, Vogue dug deep into its legendary closet and came out with something called Lynn Yaeger. In a misleading two-page feature about the “crisis”, this undead Muppet tells the story of how, while working as an Editor in the Village Voice, she led the “Carrie Bradshaw” lifestyle and spent all her “hard-earned” cash in designer duds in order to express herself by looking like a demented bag lady. And so, Vogue’s big editorial on unemployment becomes a two-page rant on how this gelatinous fur-wearing couture-ruining parasite can no longer afford $1,000 blouses but must, instead, settle for $118 Anthropologie ones.
So while many of our older parents have lost their retirement funds, working couples with children have lost their jobs and cities like Detroit lay in shambles, Vogue –who has been seen begging for advertising dollars in newspapers, (You won’t believe it da-ahling!)–, chose to make a mad cow the face of the crisis.
Wow!! Great entry, soo sharp (words and brain), Where is a magazine that would give you room for this??? or is it a readers problem? Hola MIAMI!!!!
Caro, it’s like knowing a new you today, a greater one.
Our creative wings are never longer than our needs. Being able to express your brightest ideas and views in the media today is like…. impossible, we have to be soooooooooo…. careful to not upset anybody that you end up writing a story full of words without content.
So there we are doing 95% of what’s needed and 5% of what we like.
Thanks for your blog. Please keep me posted of new entries.
Best of luck.
gio