Ranked and filed
The so-called “listicle” has become the go-to strategy for magazines looking to generate buzz during what has been a rough period for publishers. But, as we all know, executing listicles — in all their forms — is more challenging than it might look. With Time magazine having just come out with its list of the 100 most influential people, Media City thought it would be worth looking at what other mags are doing with lists.
Wine & Spirits‘ list of the 50 top wines in restaurants is always interesting because it tends to bring the bargain buys out of the woodwork. Good to know that Spain’s riojas continue to ascend with their “understated elegance.” There is also a promising feature on Dijon clones that have “taken over” vineyards in California and Oregon, and whether it’s good for the wines. Unfortunately, we found it to be on the dry side and lacking in finish — the article, that is. Instead, check out a weird story on a sake brewer who likes to pair his concoctions with cheese. Also gripping is a feature about Portugal and its popular white Vinho Verde wine.
Outside proclaims on its cover that Bear Grylls — the disgraced host of the Discovery Channel’s “Man vs. Wild” series — has a “dirty little secret.” But this shameful puff piece only gets around to mentioning the survivalist’s scandal on its final page. Grylls in 2007 was accused by a former consultant for the show of staging scenes with animals that weren’t always wild (or, in one case, “just a guy in a bear suit”) and of staying in five-star hotels while leading viewers to believe he was roughing it. But this article allows Grylls to blithely conclude, “When you have a No. 1 cable show, you’re going get the odd Exocet missile sent your way.” As for Outside’s list of “50 Dream Jobs,” it’s great if you want to sell beer or sporting goods.
TimeOut New York instantly made an art form out of listings soon after its launch 15 years ago, and only got more fantastic. Imitators came and went but never matched this mag’s original wit, easy style and sheer fun when serving up the cornucopia of the Big Apple. The current week’s cover gives us New York City’s best loved activity — taking walks. The cover story, “Great Walks,” lists and ranks 47 separate ones, divided into destinations such as food, bars and people-watching (with five more walks online). Other lists include: The city’s 10 best food trucks assembled in one place; the best new microbrew beers of spring, and three of the best bike rides covering all-day journeys. TimeOut’s got it all with great graphics and lots of heart: movies, restaurants, music, dance, galleries, books, shopping, live comedy, classes, drama and even sex and dating. If you haven’t picked up an issue lately, take a look and you’ll see why it’s so easy to fall in love with the Big Apple over and over. TimeOut loves the city, and the city loves it back.
In Time‘s list of the “100 most influential people in the world,” the writers are as interesting as the subjects, with Bono singing a paean to Bill Clinton, Jeff Koons sketching Steve Jobs and Ted Nugent firing off on Sarah Palin. Sometimes it’s not so convincing — for example, Ben Bernanke’s stiff regard for Paul Volcker. But check out Usher’s essay on Prince: “His energy is just so fly. He is so poised,” writes Usher. “He is the s–.”
New York focuses on home design, with photo spreads of city residences that will leave you either inspired or disgusted. We enjoyed the Williamsburg hipsters who have filled their flat with granny’s furniture. But the loft in the Meatpacking District, with the marble and candelabras around the bathtub, was a bit much. In all, we preferred the feature on “Who Owns the Skyline?” which tells the story of a recent proposal for a giant building in Midtown that got downsized, from Empire State Building to Chrysler Building proportions.
The New Yorker has an intriguing profile of Haim Saban, a billionaire kingmaker behind the Democratic Party who is a longtime friend of the Clintons and fierce backer of Israel. The Univision chairman brought the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Japan to the US, and meanwhile was a back channel for communications between Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak during the Camp David negotiations. If placed in a Casbah and given some rugs, Saban a year later would “have a billion dollars,” says a friend.
Newsweek‘s cover promises “War Stories,” and inside we get a wide-ranging package that spans everything from Vietnam to Teddy Roosevelt. The most compelling piece is from novelist Sebastian Junger about US soldiers in Afghanistan and their challenge to return to “normal” lives. Elsewhere, there’s a cranky invective against 3-D movies from Roger Ebert, who gripes that “whenever Hollywood has felt threatened, it has turned to technology.” Maybe, but we’ve enjoyed our movies with sound, color and widescreen projection just the same.