Other Magazines

Alan Keyes’ Peculiar Popularity 

New Republic, Jan. 24

The cover editorial praises the Clinton administration’s handling of the Elián González affair, calling it “a shocking act of principle.” Demagoguing Elián’s fate could have helped Democrats’ chances in Cuban-packed Florida and New Jersey, but the Clintonites resisted sacrificing the boy to politics. A piece contends that Alan Keyes’ increasing popularity “illustrates just how marginalized the fight for the right has become.” The fact that Keyes’ “lunacy sells” shows the loopiness of the “fringiest of the far-right fringe.”

Economist, Jan. 15

The cover editorial claims that America Online’s takeover of Time Warner signals the convergence of bricks-and-mortar businesses and online companies. The deal recognizes that e-firms are overvalued and vulnerable to shifting customer allegiances. The related cover story applauds the deal for providing AOL the content, distribution channels, and marketing it needs. An article forecasts the decline of megaplex movie theaters. The market is saturated and there aren’t enough good movies for all those screens.  

New York, Jan. 17

The cover story marvels at the “intensive pet care” industry. Manhattan’s Animal Medical Center facility looks just like a human hospital: Plaques honor benefactors, pets are wheeled around on stretchers, and wings are named after deceased dogs. Animal dentists perform root canals for $1,000; a veterinary ophthalmologist removes cat cataracts for $1,500 per eye; dialysis cost $55,000 per year. Soon the center will offer kidney transplants. A review of The America We Deserve reveals Donald Trump’s plans for the nation. To finance more spying, Donald proposes a national lottery. If elected, he promises administration jobs for Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

New York Times Magazine, Jan. 16

The cover story laments the persistence of educational inequality, which stems from the pathologies of poverty. Even the best schools cannot equalize academic achievement. Enriched pre- and after-school programs might help break the cycle of disadvantage. A profile attributes Renata Adler’s penchant for smashing icons to her depressive nature. Adler disregards journalism’s clubby rules in a memoir that eviscerates the New Yorker editors who nurtured her career. She blames ex-editor William Shawn for making the magazine pompous. An article describes the horrific conditions in a Mexican mental institution: It is illustrated with stark photos of children tethered to window bars and half-naked inmates huddled around puddles of urine.

Talk, February 2000

The cover story reveals that the “surprisingly sweet (for lack of a better word)” Leonardo DiCaprio insisted that director James Cameron add a crucial spitting scene to Titanic and prune some clichés from it. Leo finds fame a “false paradise.” A profile of Karenna Gore Schiff (a Slate alumna) says that she is “America’s fantasy Gore: transparent, funny, at ease.” Before becoming a mother and a valued member of her dad’s campaign, the “telegenic hipster” partied a lot. In a two-page spread, bikini-clad Melania Knauss caresses the presidential seal. She had planned to be a “very traditional” first lady for Donald Trump. Alas, he dumped her after the mag went to press. A slavish article pegged to Miramax-produced The Talented Mr. Ripley instructs readers on how to “plot the perfect Ripley vacation.” 

Brill’s Content, February 2000

The cover story explains how the murder of JonBenet Ramsey became a national soap opera. She was slain during the slowest news period of the year, the week after Christmas. The Ramsey’s picture-perfect life and JonBenet’s spooky pageant videos provided irresistible visuals. Once the national press embraced the story, JonBenet’s fate became “a career builder for journalists.” An article investigates John McCain’s press problem: his “lousy relationship” with Arizona print outlets. Relations first chilled when McCain was criticized during the Keating Five scandal. The senator shunned the ArizonaRepublic for a year after it slammed his wife’s drug-pilfering problem.

ARTnews, January 2000

The cover story marvels at the online art market’s explosion. Sotheby’s has partnered with Amazon.com, and eBay bought Butterfield & Butterfield to lend cachet to its “Great Collections” site. Dealers are selling their works through virtual galleries and startup art sites are even leasing fine art. A piece says that the Guggenheim–the most multinational of museums–is considering opening a branch in Brazil.

Time, Jan. 17

The cover story bemoans the battle over Elián González. Cuban exiles and American conservatives embrace the 6-year-old to further their anti-Castroism. His father seeks his return to Cuba because “[t]his country is where I can teach my son the values I want him to learn.” The clash has robbed Elián of his innocence. An article reveals why Gore and Bradley dislike each other so much. Gore thinks Bradley is arrogant and short on substance. According to a Bradley confidant, Bradley considers Gore “a smaller guy.” One reason he looks down on Gore: Bradley never would have accepted the vice presidency. A piece visits the School of Hard Knocks, one of a dozen training academies for wannabe pro wrestlers.

Newsweek, Jan. 17

The cover story laments the growing ranks of African AIDS orphans, projected to number 10.4 million by year’s end. The parentless generation threatens to further destabilize poverty-plagued Africa. The United States is trying to force the United Nations to focus on the problem. A separate feature illustrates the humanitarian tragedy with heart-tugging photos of infants awaiting care in an overwhelmed orphanage. About 1 million African children are HIV-positive. Yet another gushing article about The Sopranos notes that the HBO series has inspired an X-rated takeoff: The Sopornos. (For Slate’s “TV Club” discussion of The Sopranos, click here.)

U.S. News & World Report, Jan 17

The cover story repeats the conventional wisdom about John McCain and Bill Bradley. The public responds to McCain, but he needs upset victories after New Hampshire to have a chance. Bradley is in strong shape because he is out-fund-raising Gore. An article warns against the increasing prevalence of video surveillance. Many states offer no legal recourse against peeping cameras. Technological improvements have led to more secret taping in the workplace and in the guestrooms of at least 50 Manhattan hotels. A piece questions the application of the death penalty to inmates who committed crimes while they were under 18. The United States is the only nation that has executed juvenile offenders since 1997. Three teen-age killers are scheduled to die this month.

The New Yorker, Jan. 17

An article argues that DNA evidence has not lived up to its promise. It is not “the gold standard of innocence.” Ambiguous genetic evidence prompted the release of a rapist who was subsequently convicted of a new assault based on DNA testing. O.J. Simpson walked free when Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck cast doubt on the seemingly unshakable scientific evidence. DNA evidence is shaky because of the frailties of the criminal justice system and the failures of human advocates. A piece attributes John McCain’s maverick appeal to his frank self-flagellation. McCain owns up to embarrassing himself in the Keating Five affair, being wrong about the value of AmeriCorps, destroying his first marriage, and having no solution for the nation’s health-care problems. The press laps this up.

The Nation, Jan 24

The cover story reveals that Ford Motor Co. “eagerly collaborated with the Nazis” and “helped Hitler prepare for war.” With the support of its American parent company, German Ford used forced labor, produced military vehicles for the Reich, gave Hitler a lavish birthday gift, and published a “fanatically pro-Nazi” newsletter. An article whacks George W. Bush for wrecking Texas’ civil justice system. Bush made the courts “almost useless for ordinary people” by placing limits on punitive damages and plaintiff attorneys. He also freed Texas’ professional class from legal accountability by limiting citizens’ ability to sue doctors and lawyers.

Weekly Standard, Jan 17

An editorial announces that “the long-anticipated legal crisis of the American family has arrived.” The Vermont Supreme Court’s pro-domestic-partnership ruling is “a decisive step toward the replacement of marriage with a new system of temporary, fluctuating unions.” The cover story claims that the decision opens the door to the recognition of alternative family arrangements–including polygamy. A piece urges Republicans to stop opposing campaign-finance reform. The symbiosis between lobbyists and politicians corrupts policymaking. The public will punish politicians who protect the system.