To the Editor of Time Magazine,
Rather than play into the outrage you so transparently tried to provoke, I shrug my shoulders.
Rather than blog about the unfairness and insensitivity of your cover, I leave that to others who have done so with far more aplomb than I could.
Rather than read the firestorm of criticism and debate that exploded in the blogesphere, I chose three from writers I really respect. One was a direct response, and the other two used it as a jumping off point to discuss what is relevant to me at the moment – writing and parenting.
Rather than have talks with my kids about it, I just left it on the counter for them to see. Consider it ignored by them and the issue unread by me.
Rather than jump immediately into the fray, I waited a week and let my response develop naturally – and on the outskirts of my thinking. Here it is, without even the courtesy of a link to the cover article that prompted this letter – I’m pretty sure you know the one to which I refer:
Thanks for helping me de-clutter my magazine rack and my mind. Fareed Zakaria is brilliant, and Joel Stein is hilarious. But really, I can get them online if I want them, and I officially dismiss you as extraneous. Subscription cancelled.
With minimal regret,
Aliza Worthington
I wonder how many customers they have lost. I haven’t been to the book store lately but I was wondering how they were handling this cover. A sigh is really I’ve got let on this “issue”.
Sigh, indeed, Kenya. :-/
I LOVE THIS POST!!!!!!! and FYI I feel the same– thank you for so adequately expressing EXACTLY what I’d like to say to the editors of time– which is much more effective than just giving them the finger;)
Thanks, girl! I just couldn’t get worked up about it, but I don’t rely on it enough to make it worth keeping up the subscription. Meh.