Ralph J. Gleason Wept or Rolling Stone is the new Tiger Beat

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I know everyone with half a brain has written off Rolling Stone Magazine by now. The former counterculture rag's target demographic has been getting younger and younger by the year. Remember the issue that had different covers for each of the members of N'Sync? Now it seems they are continuing to target 8 year old girls (and/or gay men): I just saw on the news stand a "special" Rolling Stone issue called "Justin!" all dedicated to Justin Timberlake, complete with mostly photos of the pop star, his likes and dislikes, etc. What's next? How low will they go?

― Huh? (nonthings), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 02:53 (twenty-two years ago)

In other news, Bush considered a dick by some.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Depends on how low the biggest-selling white artist in America goes.

(x-post)

― m.e.a. (m.e.a.), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 02:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I know it's an obvious point that the magazine sucks and has sucked since the late 70's, but is this not a new low?

― Huh? (nonthings), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahaha why can't Rolling Stone stay "cutting edge" by cover such hip current acts as Jefferson Starship?!?!? Why has time moved forward? I thought it was gonna be like 1968 forever?!?!?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a subscription to RS (last year a mentally challenged person came to my door selling magazine subscriptions and I was feeling generous so I picked the only music mag on the list). I'm going to pissed if this issue isn't part of my subscription! Justin is my boy.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:39 (twenty-two years ago)

was the mentally challenged person orlando jones?

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Olsen twins on Rolling Stone cover
this answers my own question.

― Huh? (nonthings), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

actually, it was!

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:44 (twenty-two years ago)

his talk show didn't do well.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:44 (twenty-two years ago)

oh no! GAY MEN! oh NO!

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

where?

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Over there reading RS and getting married.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

dude the olsen twins are SO not gay

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

despite my best hopes

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not really sure the Olsen twins have clearly defined individual selves let alone sexualities.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The whole "Rolling Stone used to be valid" myth needs a checkup. While trying to find out what that unsightly lump behind the radiator was I stumbled onto a bound edition of old copies of RS covering the early 70s and found an issue with Jackson Browne on the cover and a four star review of Black Oak Arkansas; turn the page and Eno's "Here Come the Warm Jets" gets one star and is dismissed as "self indulgent". So RS has been ass for a really, really long time . . .

best,

Drew Daniel

― Drew Daniel, Tuesday, 16 March 2004 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

!!!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 08:24 (twenty-two years ago)

They didn't have star ratings that far back, but I might buy the rest of the story.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Jackson Browne.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

um, they did so have star ratings that far back

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

is that drew from matmos?

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

what's significant about the Justin! thing is these teenybopper one-off specials are a quick 'n cheesy way to make money. Not to mention desperate. My kid picked this up and I was shocked (shocked!) to see the logo. Makes me think RS itself ain't selling too well these days.

― lovebug starski, Tuesday, 16 March 2004 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I would be shocked if a mainstream music mag DIDN'T want a Justin cover frankly.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

He'd better wear a nipple shield.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

the cover of the new rolling stone is the most appalling thing ever -- ben affleck as patrick swayze in roadhouse!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

http://rollingstone.com/features/coverstory/featuregen.asp?pid=2825

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

a four star review of Black Oak Arkansas

dismiss Rolling Stone if you must, but Black Oak Arkansas rocks!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

So which is worse: Rolling Stone putting out a Justin Timberlake special, which is at least about music happening now, or SPIN putting Kurt fucking Cobain on the cover with the line "10 Years After His Tragic Death: Why The Man And His Music Still Matter." They should have finished it with "(And Why This Magazine Doesn't)."

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha - I'm blocked from the RS cover because my workplace deems the site to be "Entertainment, Mature". Saucy!

Please note that my workplace blocks various P!tchf0rk reviews, too. Insert bad joke here.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

not any more M@tt, not any more. (Trust me)

(BTW, my Dad's favorite concert story is when he went to see Black Oak Arkansas and Chucky Berry was the OPENER. And all the kids were really just interested in hearing "My Ding-a-Ling")

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

um, or Rolling Stone putting the Beatles on the cover a couple of months ago

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

oh shit -- I PROMISE that "Chucky" was a typo.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Not that I subscribe (or even purchase it, as long as I can thumb through it for free), but RS does serve a purpose, if only as a recent info source: If you wanna know which former drummer for which '60s folk-rockers died in the last month, the "Obits" page'll tell you. And the "New Releases" and "In The Studio" sections can be useful too. Anyways, its critical acumen was only as good as its individual writers, who ranged from the best to the worst. (Ralph J. himself being among the latter.)

Oh, and the 5-star rating system did not exist until the '80s.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

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