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Summaries of what's in Time, Newsweek, etc.
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 31)
A long profile of George Lucas, pegged to the re-release of the Star Wars trilogy, depicts the director as an awkward and innocent genius. The piece attributes Star Wars' success to its combination of simple morality and nostalgia, but blames the series for the ascendance of cartoon action movies: Lucas showed Hollywood that special effects could replace acting. Also, Peter Matthiessen worries about Siberia's marvelous tigers, which are being poached for fur, medicine, and even food (Siberians are very hungry). And the opening "Comment" celebrates the medicinal marijuana initiatives passed by California and Arizona voters ("the grass roots, so to speak").
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 31)
The cover story warns that global free trade is leading humankind toward an "unbearable chaos" of inequality, mass unemployment, and reactionary politics. The remedy? Governments should promote employment and help raise wages for the poor, thus encouraging bottom-up economic prosperity. A related editorial inveighs against a proposed global trade pact known as the "Multilateral Investment Agreement," calling it a windfall for transnational corporations. Also, a creepy story about a rash of sex murders in the maquiladoras, the Mexican factories along the Texas border.
(posted Saturday, Dec. 21)
The cover promises "Goodwill to All Men," but the articles inside prove that the headline is just a joke. An article scoffs at Larry Flynt chic, arguing that the pornographer is much scummier than the new movie about him suggests. A story chronicles how pedophilia alarmists are destroying (this is not a joke) the Santa industry: They're worried about children sitting on old men's laps. Another story contends that corporate philanthropy is increasing only because businesses have learned that do-gooding helps profits.
(posted Saturday, Dec. 21)
A year-end double issue. The opening editorial advises Palestinians to declare independence and apply for U.N. membership. Independence will infuriate the Israelis, but will ultimately solidify peace. A long article explains why the West must cling to "liberalism"--that is, constitutional government that guarantees basic freedoms. The piece maintains that the Asian model of economic liberty without political liberty is inherently dangerous. An article explains how the Internet is making English the "impregnable" world language. Also, a contest: The Economist publishes the first three-quarters of a mystery story (about a murder at the Economist), and readers are invited to write the ending.
(posted Thursday, Dec. 19)
The cover story asks "How Breast Cancer Became This Year's Hot Charity." The answer: savvy marketing. At first, breast-cancer advocates recruited a few wealthy patrons (Ralph Lauren, Ron Perelman). The buzz attracted corporations, which were persuaded that funding breast-cancer research would endear them to female customers. Now, advocates for other diseases (ovarian cancer, prostate cancer) are jockeying to make their malady the next big thing. Also, another celebration of corporate do-gooding: The magazine profiles toothpaste tycoon Tom ("Tom's of Maine") Chappell. A "capitalist and moralist," Chappell is proving that social responsibility can be profitable. And, Fred Wertheimer, campaign-finance nag, argues that Congress should outlaw "soft money" now, while the American people are still angry about campaign spending.
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 17)
"The Cancer Killer" cover story focuses on p53, a gene that prevents cancerous cells from multiplying. Malfunctioning of p53 may cause as much as 60 percent of all cancer, so scientists are seeking ways to prevent the gene from breaking down. A sidebar predicts that genetic testing by employers and insurers could be "the civil rights issue of the 21st century." Also, "Gore's World" argues that the vice president is "laying the groundwork for 2000" by stocking the new administration with allies. And, the magazine profiles figure-skating champion Ekaterina Gordeeva, who has returned to the ice a year after the sudden death of her husband/skating partner.
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 17)
Time's "Best of 1996" names The English Patient and Big Night its favorite movies; EZ Streets and Seinfeld make the list for TV; musicians, Cassandra Wilson and the Fugees; athletes, Tiger Woods and Kerri Strug; Web sites, Salon and amazon.com. Also, Time wonders whether welfare reform will overwhelm America's day-care industry. And, an article on Sears' comeback.
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 17)
U.S. News goes " In Search of Christmas" and finds a mess. The holiday was invented in the third or fourth century as a way of co-opting the Roman solstice festival Saturnalia (the first Christians didn't celebrate Xmas). Christmas remained a drunken, raucous celebration until the mid-19th century, when American merchants helped turn it into a gift-giving holiday. Also, a trio of articles about affirmative action. One explains how a recent Supreme Court decision is gutting affirmative action in university admissions. Another praises the military's affirmative-action policies.
(posted Tuesday, Dec. 17)
The cover story mulls "The Feminization of America," finding that women have become America's dominant class, largely because they're fickle. Politicians and advertisers court them because they are easier to sway than men. (It's the triumph of difference feminism, sort of.) An article condemns the Rehnquist Supreme Court for pampering criminals. The editorial condemns the Clinton administration for pampering China.
--Compiled by David Plotz and the editors of S LATE.
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David Plotz is the Editor of Slate. He's the author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank and Good Book. He appears on Slate's Political Gabfest.