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ECKO...Ecko...ecko....
A couple of months back, I received in the mail a shrink-wrapped issue of Complex. I was unfamiliar with the magazine, which described itself as "A Marc Ecko Production" and "The Men's Guide to Consuming Culture." One of the mailing lists I'm on probably decided I was in the correct demographic for this publication. A sheet visible within the packaging offered me some sort of free subscription if I would just mail back the attached card. I don't know the exact details because I never quite got around to opening the shrink-wrap.
Don't get me wrong, I like magazines. I love them, in fact, and make my living from them. And I like free stuff. But, I don't know, I didn't open it. Maybe I wanted to stay faithful to the magazines I already read. Maybe I'm not that interested in gadgets and extreme sports. Perhaps I don't actually know who Marc Ecko is. (Was he the bad guy in Wall Street?) Still, I figured I'd at least rip open that plastic and flip through it. Skim, if you will. But other mail got piled on top, and it just never happened.
Last weekend I was doing a little cleaning in anticipation of a rare visitor to Casa del Silbert. I finally tossed out that still-wrapped issue of Complex. I brought the trash to the curb. The local sanitation crew picked it up and took it away.
Tonight, I arrived home, only to find in my mailbox…the hot-off-the-presses February/March issue of Complex.
I can't eckscape.
Posted by Jack Silbert on 02/14/2007 | Permalink
Comments
Who was visiting? A Valentine date?? Naughty!
Posted by: Kubla | Feb 15, 2007 1:47:19 PM
Wonder if Complex will be doing an interview with anti-gay hate-speech spewer Tim Hardaway. No wait... Blacks, er.. "Urbans" can't be racist or bigoted. They can only be victims.
Posted by: MishaN | Feb 15, 2007 3:14:05 PM
Well, MishaN, I've never heard a representative of the African-American community—or of any cultural/ethnic group, for that matter—claim they were exempt from having a fair share of small-minded, hate-filled members. Fear of anything/anyone different is an unfortunately common trait around the globe, and fear turns to hatred. Hardaway's comments were absolutely deplorable. And every time a member of a group that's been discriminated against speaks out against another group that has faced discrimination, it's just further proof how hopelessly fucked we are as a society. The underdogs are supposed to stick together, right? If me skimming through an issue of Complex is a step in the right direction, I'm happy to do it. Even if I'm not particularly interested in Seth Green, luxury watches, or "25 Years of Air Force 1's."
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Feb 15, 2007 11:17:39 PM
Nah, it's not proof of how hopelessly fudged we are as a society! It's just proof that, as you said, there are small-minded, hate-filled people everywhere. But we can't give in to it and let it change who we are, even if "good people" become their own minority group.
Even if a lot of the world is rotten, you kind of still have to sleep at night and do your best to do what's right. And sometimes the world can be pretty rotten. But there is hope, and there are good people. Yes, yes, I know I sound like Polyanna, but I have to be accountable to myself.
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 16, 2007 10:13:06 AM
Oh, PS, Seth Green is kind of cute (except for that "Idle Hands" movie), but I appreciate your doing your best to broaden your horizons. You couldn't have done better if you'd bought something at Bennetton!
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 16, 2007 10:15:20 AM
Tim Hardaway has done the same thing John Rocker did. Let's see if Hardaway is humilited in the media, booed, and has shit thrown at him like what was done to Rocker. Let's see if Leno and Letterman insult and denigrate Hardaway night after night. Don't hold you're breath. If you're Black, you can get away with anything in this country. Even double murders.
Posted by: Leslie | Feb 16, 2007 1:08:32 PM
Leslie, do you at all understand that your words are just as hate-filled as Hardaway's? I'm not sure how I ended up sparking this "discussion" (is it because I mentioned Mark Ecko, who is a respected part of the hip-hop community?), but if I have to straighten out some morons, I will. I have every confidence that our comedians and pundits will have a field day with Hardaway, as they have with Mel Gibson and Michael Richards (who are admittedly much more famous).
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Feb 16, 2007 1:35:04 PM
Yeah, this was a lighthearted post about magazines, and it looks like someone is using it as an excuse to post their long-held prejuduces. Pul-eeze. You can justify hating any group if you try hard enough; lots of people get away with murder when they have the right attorneys...but I guess arguing against ingrained racism would be wasting our breath. So forget it. Hey, anyone seen any funny commercials lately? How 'bout those Mets? What's new? Why does Hawaii have an interstate highway?
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 16, 2007 2:49:38 PM
"... but if I have to straighten out some morons, I will."
Now, WHOSE words are hate-filled? Nice to know you've now appointed yourself "straightening-out'er-of-the-morons" Jack, but we all know better than pretend that we have "every confidence that our comedians and pundits will have a field day with Hardaway."
Nice to see you also left yourself the out of Hardaway not being as famous as Gibson or Richards. As if anyone heard of John Rocker before he went on HIS tirade.
No, aside from a couple days of cursory and half-joking shots at Hardaway, this will be forgotten by next week. The same can't be said of what happened to Rocker.
Posted by: RocketUSA | Feb 16, 2007 3:15:54 PM
RocketUSA, why are you avoiding the matter at hand? Hawaii has an interstate highway but it's an island...why?????
Anyway, I'm going down the shore to hang out at the Pony and watch for Bruuuce. Have a nice weekend.
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 16, 2007 3:35:04 PM
In a shocking turn of events, it turns out that MishaN, Leslie, and RocketUSA all have the same IP address. Could it be…the same person? Has also commented on Stay Free in the past month and a half as Susan, John, Rob, Jennifer, Olga, Gary, LindaS., Laura, nancyfreeman, and KingsLeadHat. Has repeatedly made ignorant comments about Jews, gays, women, and blacks. Way to bravely stand up for your beliefs!
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Feb 16, 2007 4:09:57 PM
I would like to know how can I subscribe to this magazine Complex as I am very interested to have it.
Posted by: Bryan Wolfmann | Feb 16, 2007 4:36:48 PM
That turn of events is about as shocking as the Britney/Kev divorce.
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 16, 2007 11:39:48 PM
Ce-rist, you're just doing an IP lookup NOW?!
Let's see, if all those "posters" are one in the same, then Stay Free Daily just lost 90% of it's commentator base.
Posted by: Slack Jilbert | Feb 17, 2007 9:15:59 AM
The scary part of all this is that the racist/sexist/etc. poster seems to write and spell reasonably well...but his comments sure seem uneducated. What a misuse of brainpower.
Anyway, don't let the bastards wear you down, J.S.!
- Your fan in Hob.
Posted by: Jersey Girl | Feb 17, 2007 5:08:47 PM
All one person? Damn, those were some of the best written and funniest posts on this forum!
Posted by: Deb | Feb 19, 2007 11:44:45 AM
If by "funniest" you mean "most idiotic and bigoted," and if by "best written" you mean "most reminiscent of what might result if a squirrel were allowed to dance on a keyboard," then, yes, I agree with you!
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Feb 19, 2007 3:33:38 PM
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