it’s GOOD
Last summer, the Wall Street Journal published an article about a soon to be released magazine. I did not read it. I wish I would have. That September, GOOD Magazine hit the stores on the eve of the US midterm elections. I did not see it in any of my regular stores (ie. Save on Foods, Indigo Chapters, etc.). Apparently it made the shelves of Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble and Borders (which all have in common that they are exclusively American). Fast-forward to March 3, 2007. My wife went to go change a smelly diaper while we were shopping in the West Edmonton Mall, I happily marched to the Chapters outlet. I was already drinking a Green Tea slushy sensation from Second Cup so I skipped past Starbucks towards the magazine section. Ah, a new Adbusters and… what is this? A snazzy looking magazine with four huge letters: G-O-O-D.
It was issue 003, “The Media Issue.” I squatted down, trying to find a comfortable position that did not completely obstruct others from the best part of the magazine section (Harpers, New Yorker, Adbusters, Walrus, Time, etc.). I picked up the magazine and sifted through and found myself impressed after a brief look before my wife returned. The magazine was only $5.95 CDN, so I purchased it. A couple hours later I took a deeper look. Pages five and six included grainy pictures of real-life advertising with slogans such as “ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE” and “KISSING DOESN’T KILL: GREED AND INDIFFERENCE DO,” the latter with scenes of three kissing couples - a heterosexual couple, a gay couple, and a lesbian couple - all interracial. The ads to come, although not overtly political, were almost entirely made up of socially-conscious products or independent films.
And that’s only the ads. The design is immaculate, integrating easy-to-read functionality with abstract creativeness: a cross between National Geographic and, well, Adbusters. Likewise, the content is substantial, relevant, and significant. From articles concerning water parks in Africa to the ratings of world democracies to the stalwart grandeur of HBO, GOOD is a damn good magazine “for people who give a damn.” Their “Transparency” section uses, literally and figuratively, black and white facts that remind readers how little we know about those things that we pretend to know about. Sure, you know there is some animosity between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, but what’s the diff? You “know” Big Brother is watching, but how many cameras are in Time Square, NY?
The magazine is entertaining and informative, but what right does it have to call itself GOOD? While it probably does not meet Jesus’ standard of good (see Mark 10:18), the magazine boasts probably the most innovative scheme to build circulation: give 100% of subscription fees to charity. For Americans, your $20 fee goes straight to one of twelve charities, including Millennium Promise, Teach for America, and UNICEF. So while a magazine like Adbusters is busy using any extra dough to pay its legal cases (libel, copyright, etc.), GOOD appears to actually be doing some useful activism on top of merely educating the general public.
Check out the GOOD Magazine website.
Thanks to Jim for the graphic.
