Dear Friends,
I work at a bookstore, one of those chain bookstore that has a huge magazine section. Most of the time, I'm a cashier so I see which magazines people buy. I also live in a northern suburb of Chicago.
As you can imagine, there is much love for Barack Obama here, and I have rung up many, many magazines with his picture on the cover. What you may not realize, however, is how many different magazine covers there have been, and how many currently are on the newstand.
Sure, you have seen the Time, Newsweek, People, and those terrific Rolling Stone covers. But did you know that this year a very handsome Barack Obama has been featured on the cover of every men's lifestyle magazine you can name, including this month's Men's Vogue?
No wonder the Republican's believe that the media are "in the tank" for Obama, because the magazine cover editors certainly are. The quality of the photographs is outstanding. The designs of the covers are so pleasing to the eye. Senator Obama is very photogenic, as you all well know. The man can't take a bad photo. Even in Republican attack adds they can't find a bad picture. I almost wonder if there's a little competition in the New York magazine design world: who can put out the best Obama cover?
I want to make one important point. There are a few other Black men who are regularly featured on magazine covers: Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Chris Rock, and others. Sports magazines feature Black athletes. The music magazines feature many Black rappers and hip hop artists. Oprah is on the cover of her magazine for very good reasons.
But never in the history of magazine publishing has there been so many different magazines with so many different kinds of covers featuring a Black politician. I believe that these magazine covers featuring Senator Obama and his family, displayed in newsstands and grocery store checkouts all over the country, will have some small influence on the vote. It is so normal now to walk by a rack of magazines and see his smiling face.
Here is a quick list of magazine covers I found in the bookstore today. If all goes well, I'll post another magazine list or two before the election.
Men's Vogue, Oct. 2008, delightful pic of BHO working in his airplane.
More 40+, Oct. 2008, Michelle Obama, cover girl lovely.
American Interest, Oct 6, 2008
Extra! Sept/Oct 2008, a magazine about media
In These Times, Sept. 08,
Historical Collectors Ed. (100% about Obama's campaign)
New Republic, Oct. 08, The iconic "Hope" graphic but with the word "Worry."
National Review, Sept. 08
Newsmax, Oct. 08,
Africa Report, Sept. 08
ISR, Sept/Oct 08, International Socialist Review
Technology Review, Oct. 08
Upscale, August 08, Another Michelle cover, this a magazine for a Black audience.
Today there were exactly two magazines featuring the Republicans:
New Yorker: Palin's office with the view of Alaska and a peek of Russia
Atlantic: John McCain feature (very nice pic of him, too.)