Tue 20 Mar 2007
As if Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Magazine didn’t fill the *niche* for the 25- to 44-year-old crowd, two more glossy magazines are about to premier aimed squarely at this demographic. And yes, that was a pun. We can’t overlook the awesomely decadent Niche magazine which appeared once in downtown Hartford this winter.
But where are the yuppies? And, can we ever have enough lifestyle magazines?
Tribune’s new glossy, CT Slant (scroll down a bit), is set to premier next week. It will be mailed with the Hartford Courant. It is set to have 70,000 copy first print run. 50,000 will be delivered with the paper and other 20,000 will go with the Advocate and as Sunday inserts. The Courant and the Advocate are working in tandem to push this new 64 page magazine. The glossy even features a mascot named Señor Slant- a mustached Hispanic gentleman in a white suit.
Following the folding of the Connecticut Life newspaper, White Publishing will be unveiling their own glossy also geared toward the 25-44-year-old crowd. The Hartford Business Journal discusses the battle for advertising dollars between all these glossies this week.
If the utter failure of luxury housing (again) in Hartford should tell us anything- this demographic is a myth. Yet, still massive amounts of cash, including public monies, continues to be dumped into this bracket in the hopes that Hartford County will be reborn- saved by the yuppies.
This trend in publishing also speaks to the white supremacy of the major media. These institutions do not serve the public interest; they serve the advertisers and wealthy consumers. As independent publishing continues to struggle, the corporate media is finding refuge on the better shores of rich, white folk (25 to 44, if you please).
March 20th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
This is too much: White Publishing? Senor Slant? What kind of bad satirical indictment of white privilege is this?
Check out the link to CT Slant. Here’s a quote:
“Introducing CT Slant, a magazine so unique, so exciting, so extraordinary, readers won’t be able to live without it, and neither will you!”
“You” clearly isn’t a reader. Who are they trying to catch with this one-liner! It’s great reading for people who hate reading. “Finally, a magazine for those people who hate words.”
This is a joke. Maybe HIMC should start its own glossy - The Spin Cycle - sexing up the revolving door of media gimmicks!
March 20th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
If the HIMC can have our very own burlesque troupe (The Hartford Colts), then we can certainly have a glossy advertzine.
Rock on Hartford. Rock on Chicago.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Apparently Niche Magazine only knows how to take pictures of blonde haired, skinny, white women. I think they’re all pics of the same cookie-cutter girl.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Niche’s MySpace page (which personally, I think, says it all…myspace is what people use to pick up 12 year olds for christsake!) claims its spring issue will be out soon, but they haven’t seemed to even grasp how to properly update their website. Not in itself a problem, but you think if they are trying to appeal to Gen X, they’d at least get the technology right.
March 25th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Why are these local publications, and the Hartford Chamber of Commerce trying to appeal to Yuppies. As resident of Hartford, born and raised, and current resident of Downtown Hartford, Hartford Mag, Hartford Advocate, and various other publications, do NOT appeal to me.
The yuppie, does NOT a Hartford resident make. There seems to be this glamorous demographic, concocted by the PR team of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce or whomever, that is being targeted. Perhaps therein lies the problem. This demographic is not my reality, nor is it anyone else’s who reside and work in the Greater Hartford and Downtown Hartford areas.
March 26th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
pass me a pail i have to puke
March 29th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
[…] As Josh warned, the yuppie glossy publications are actively occupying windowsills of restaurants throughout Hartford. Though Niche still has not followed through on their second issue, I can restock on my emergency supply of toilet paper because CT Slant just got dropped off. […]
April 11th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I have to agree with the majority of some of the comments here! But I seriously hope that no one uses Niche magazine for toilet paper, although it does have a nice aqueous coating similar to Playboy magazine so you won’t receive anal papercuts! Still I nor any of my advertising clients would recommend it. And please don’t pass this secret to the homeless, considering the pub is complimentary.
Great, reading this makes me feel like a yuppie pusher! Arghh, my boys back home in NY are gonna denie my street cred’ now. Hey, look on the bright side, if you had a chance to see the Spring issue of Niche I think you’ll all feel it’s moving in the right direction. Oh hell, atleast it’s moving at all! let me speak from experience that running a new pub in a city like Hartford is harder work than expected. But rest assured the new Spring issue is sitting nicely in a warehouse in Windsor right now getting dressed and prepped for it’s leak on April 21st at Hartford 21 during the LOFT LAUNCH PARTY! (shameless plug, sorry..:(..)
What’s in the new issue you might wonder(or not)? Certainly a lot less photos of W.A.S.Py chicks barely old enough to get a mortgage! I personally took the pics myself along with an amazing local photographer for the coming issue. The last photographer didn’t work out so well, and you reflect those problems right here on this blog. I do hope ya’ll all come and celebrate the debut of the Spring Issue with us on the 21st. Go to my website, www.nichehartford.com and grab a few tix, hell it’s for charity too! By the way, great blog, glad to see people are interested in my lil endovour(positive or not). Seriously guys this stuff actually influences my decision making on my pub. But take it easy on Niche, he’s so young and means well.
- Joe Gazzola, owner/publisher/designer/photographer/father of Niche Hartford/haterofmyspacebutitworks.
www.nichehartford.com
www.myspace.com/nichehartford
April 11th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I saw the new spring issue at Koji which he is debuting by stealing all the money he claims he is putting towards charity. I think we should stock up on it once it becomes available and wont ever have to go buy toilet paper again.
Wheres the lifestyle in that magazine? I’m confused.
April 11th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
tsk. tsk. Where did you learn to write? Sorry but blaming others for your mishaps doesnt really work well in the business world. Especially the publication business where you have to lift up your ass to get advertising dollars. To be quite honest, no one really knows who you are and it is all because of Yourhartford that you exist and made your mark with. You used yourhartford.com for their pictures to publish the magazine and I am sure you got this next issue paid off because of that content by soliciting ad space. What was your sales pitch then? “The other photographer sucked but the next one will be good.” ?? “the other photographer” *SARCASM*. Wasn’t he the guy (Kashif) who helped you get on foot with your magazine? and how ironic he was the photographer too. I am sure you go around tell people how great you are and how bad he is. Which is evident in your post above. Stand up for yourself. Who are you kidding? There are pictures of midgets and under-age drinkers in your photos which I will get to in the next paragraph.
Personally, I can bet this blog $1000 if it looks content wise any different then it. I too, myself, have seen the new spring issue and boooooring. The same thing over and over again. Stolen articles from other places, pictures of under-age drinkers and midgets, destination (yet again), the same nightclubs over and over and over again.
And what is this whole charity thing? We all know that your bank account is tied to the ticket sales. You will probably claim all as expense and end up pocketing the hard earned money of someone and decieve Covenant to care. How do you keep track of tickets that are paid in cash? Forget how you keep track, How do you report Cash as income/expense without proof? a little ticket that says ADMIT ONE? Charity. tsk tsk.
anyhow, good luck.
April 12th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
so you don’t like all the slick magazines…..SO DON”T READ THEM! who the fuck cares if you don’t like them? are you actually surprised about the content? i don’t care for it, some people do. some people have all the $$ and want of that stuff, i don’t, but i don’t feel a need to talk shit shit and more shit about it to try and feel better about my poor ass.
what’s the problem? don’t you have better things to do than make toilet paper comment after toilet paper comment?
April 12th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
To William Griggs of the Advocate (a.k.a “get a life”)–
It’s called critical thinking. Try it some time.
If you weren’t aware, this is a media activist organization. If you aren’t seeking media criticism to read, then stop reading.
sunshine & roses,
kerri
April 12th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
“it’s called critical thinking”
i am failing to see much critical thinking about this, just critical comments.
“try it sometime”
read my letter to the editor in last week’s Hartford Advocate.
(here’s a link if you can’t or refuse to find a copy)
i am seeking media criticism. i just don’t consider ct slant and niche to be media, atleast not as far as news goes.
what is useful about judging and treating these glossy lifestyle magazines (or whatever you want to call them) as if they are a news media source? was anyone here expecting something different? it sounds like people are pissed off that there are publications about different lifestyles and people can’t handle the fact that there are readers, people who like shinny photos, advertisers and consumers who like that stuff.
ct slant isn’t covering the social problems in hartford is your complaint?!!? was it supposed to be?
niche? was anyone here expecting stories about the war toll? i wasn’t. i expected the second issue to be of more halfnaked white girls and people with way too much money to spend on clothes and misplaced priorities. i was part wrong and glad i was. the second issue actually had many more people of other races.
obviously both publications are catering to a lifestyle that none of us (making an assumption here) live. i don’t see the point of bashing them for that. it seems to me they are doing what one would expect, so i don’t understand all the shit they are getting.
the comment about public money involved? please explain.
and if this site is about media criticism, why was this closed to comments?
http://hartfordimc.org/blog/2007/03/03/news-that-isnt/#more-172
yeah, this is william, i like how you choose to call me out, but not others not using thier names.
i also like the way you censured the people from commenting on the above blog piece you ran.
how is this different from big bad white corporate oppression that you talk so much about. i didn’t use my real name or where i work, but you abused the power that you have and published it. seems to me that you are no better than many of the rich powerful white men you always criticize.
i have read some great dialog here as well as stuff that just seems like misplaced anger. shame on me for not speaking up sooner.
you are losing support from people who also have a sense of what is wrong, i prolly agree with you on many points, but we seriously disagree and how to go about change or expressing the need to make that change. i feel as though sometimes y’all get so into preaching to the choir, that you are alienating lots and lots of good people who just don’t happen to agree with you 100%, which is really too bad…..for everyone.
April 12th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
here’s the link to the editorial, forgot to post it.
http://www.ctnow.com/custom/nmm/hartfordadvocate/hce-hta-0405-ht15ncletters15.artapr05,0,3517119.story?coll=hce-utility-ha-advocate
is there a way to edit a post?
nite, nite, sweet dreams.
April 13th, 2007 at 12:30 am
To me what is so egregious about CT Slant and Niche is what they seem to be saying about Hartford - it needs to be fixed by wealthier, “hipper,” and whiter people. I want a Hartford lifestyle magazine that deals with real people - people who live and work in the city by choice, not from coercion or marketing to be part of the next big scene. I want people to move back to Hartford, but because they really want to be here. You’re right, Hartford has problems, so what happens when all the people who only see the glossy too-good to be true Hartford in these mags that isn’t based in reality? In a few years they’ll be gone again. And, Perez, and the establishment will try another quick fix scheme to attract new would-be saviors. I can’t help but feel that Niche and CT Slant are capitalizing (literally) on this trend of gentrification that Perez has started.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:44 am
In the above comments I was challenged to support my contention about public money. Here was the original post:
“Yet, still massive amounts of cash, including public monies, continues to be dumped into this bracket in the hopes that Hartford County will be reborn- saved by the yuppies.”
Massive, million dollar tax abatements have been flying off of the Hartford City Council’s desk for years. Why here is one for the NEW Front St. (how fucking craven is that? Yeah, we destroyed the community, now we’re gonna name a glorified mall after it)
Will, the readership of Undercurrents should know that anonymous comments being posted to this site are actually from employees of the Tribune Corporation.
So one blog entry, out of the hundreds on this site, doesn’t have a comments section and therefore we’re hypocrites? That’s just silly.
April 13th, 2007 at 9:21 am
[…] Developments in the suddenly magazine-crazed Connecticut publishing community are coming fast and furious. Just this past week it was reported that White Publishing, parent company of the old Connecticut LIFE magazine, picked up the publishing rights to the faltering and debt-ridden Hartford Magazine. Undercurrents discussed the possibility of two more glossy magazines back here (take a peak at who has been commenting). […]
April 13th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I reserve the right to disable comments on posts that I make and do not desire to receive comments on. Of course, that doesn’t prevent someone from leaving comments about that post elsewhere. It also does not prevent them from using email or other appropriate avenues to speak out.
It has nothing to do with hypocrisy. I closed comments on that post because several inappropriate comments were left early on, and, while I don’t have better things to do than make toilet paper jokes, I do have better things to do than moderate comments all day.
If people want to have respectable discourse, fine. If not, I’m certainly not leaving my posts open for a free-for-all. Other bloggers can do what they wish.
Moreover, I did read your letter to the editor before you mentioned it. You raised good points there; however, that’s not a license to then make obnoxious remarks because you can’t appreciate that a media watchdog organization feels the need to speak out about the garbage being published in the area.
Media means communication. It doesn’t necessarily mean news. In the case of CT Slant and Niche, the message being communicated is that people who live in Hartford are invisible unless they have shitloads of money, work at high-powered jobs, and buy junk they don’t need.
Silence is complicity.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:07 am
[…] I picked up the May 2007 (second issue) of CT Slant, really hoping I’d have something nice to say. And I do–the cover photo of a flock of seagulls is lovely, with interesting composition and suitable color. They also ran an ad for Marshalls, which is the kind of retail that is more in the price range of Hartford-area readers. […]
November 27th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
There is no lifestyle in Hartford, the place doesn’t even have a super market! Walk around Bushnell and you’ll see about 4:1 bum to “resident” ratio. How about putting them into a ‘life style’ magazine, at least it’d be more represantative.
On a lighter note, I found a couple business cards lying around Hartford with a website on it. At least this person takes decent pictures:
www.hartfordphoto.com