GEORGE, JFK, JR.'S MAGAZINE
John-John (who is the man whose name is mirrored in itself?) launched the
first issue of his new magazine. When we went to The Little Professor's Book
Store, we found that it was sold out. This confirmed a rashly premature
judgment that JFK, Jr., has hit a target. We saw him interviewed by Larry King
on CNN. He was promoting the sale of the magazine in the now-ritualized
fashion by which one medium of the popular culture prostitutes another for its
own advancement. In the interview he told us about his editorial vision. He
seemed to be saying that the magazine seeks to explore (exploit?) the
intersection where national politics meets popular culture. The much-discussed
cover of the initial issue depicted the magazine's namesake, George Washington,
in the guise of the popular actress/model, Cindy Crawford, bare of midriff.
King observed that the mix seemed to some to trivialize whatever was
to be political in the magazine. Kennedy countered that politics in the US has
become intermixed with the popular culture; he pointed out that Larry King Live
itself--a phenomenon of mass media culture--has become a place where serious
politicans announce important decisions, such as running for national office.
We need to see how this insight takes concrete form in GEORGE's pages--if we
can get our hands on a copy. The schedule calls for an issue every two months
for a while. We will return to it.
30 September 1995
Praxis in the Postmodern
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