When we get wind of the whispers, we run them. This little (not really that juicy but pretty friggin' funny) rumor landed in our tattle box this morning — and because were always jonesin' for some good magazine gossip, we thought we would share the unconfirmed rumors surrounding stressed out Giant founder and president Jamie Hooper.
His recent all-out panic attack was supposedly induced by some negative reader reaction on Giant's website in response the mag's redesign, headed up by former America EIC and Vibe editor Smokey Fontaine. The unedited email recount of this "incident" (along with our pathetic attempt at fact-checking) after the jump.
A red faced and panicked Hopper was running around the office trying to get the webmaster to get rid of the bad ones and replace with good ones before advertisers or morale were affected..but the only prob was there were no good ones so GIANT staffers took the afternoon to write gushing, praising of the new urban, downtown, complex-eque GIANT.
But even after all the hoopla and despondant and slumped Hooper was spotted staring bleakly out his windown mumbling something like, “Where’s there’s smoke there is fire..where there is smoke..there is fire……†When staff left for the day he was still gazing out the window….
(It's our sincere hope that our reader overhead this incident correctly, and the prez wasn't blabbering "Smokey's fired. Smokey's fired.")
Anyhoo, we conducted the absolute minimum amount of research and checked the comments on the site. Yeah, some are pretty bitchy (though the best part is when other comments suggest the one complaining most is an ex-staffer), but we missed the "gushing, praising" comments. Unless you count "GIANT is great coverage and it’s hot and current. It is NOT in anyway like any other magazine out there!" as "gushing."
Editorial Director
Hate to break it to ya, as the idea of Jamie staring out the window babbling is pretty damn funny, but it just ain't true. (As much as some of us would like it if he'd just babble to himself sometimes…) And we haven't taken any comments off our site, good, bad, or just plain functionally illiterate. See for yourself.
http://www.landliving.com/articles/0000001110.aspx
I'll beg to differ Charles. I posted a comment earlier today and it's now gone.
Oh sure it contained the email addresses of Smokey Fontaine and Jamie Hooper, but hey…….
Folks - if you don't like the redesign - email the "big guys" directly:
Founder/President: jamie.hooper@giantmag.com
Editor: smokey.fontaine@giantmag.com
Let them know how much they screwed it up.
–*Rob
From: XXXXXX@comcast.net
To: letters@giantmag.com
Subject: New layout and content
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 01:04:52 +0000
Smokey and the team,
I've been a subscriber to the magazine since the 3rd issue. It's undergone some changes since the debut, but when this copy arrived in my mailbox tonight, all I could say was, "Wow".
You broke my magazine.
Giant was special and different because it wasn't trying to be the coolest kid on the block - it already knew it was. Giant was comfortable in it's own skin. It was a great read from cover to cover, intelligently written, and connected with my tastes. The content was smart, original, and not too serious. It was exactly what it proclaimed - a great men's entertainment magazine. Not a laddie mag. Not a GQ wannabe.
You've traded the subtle personality for the painfully overexposed. The Office Space reunion for an interview with Mark Ecko. Book and Game Reviews for eloquent insight from Angelina Jolie's bodyguard. Jon Heder's favorite albums for Tori Spelling's Dog Shopping tips. Hustle is the new talent? Oh, I think we got hustled, alright.
Good luck in luring the new demographic, because I have a feeling you have alienated most of us that fell in love with this magazine over the past two years. My subscription expires at the end of 2009. Keep the $20. You're not going to see too many more 3 year renewals rolling in.
Sincerely,
[XXXXXXXXX]
Chicago, IL
I wonder if the positive comments on the Giant website posted by the user "Pez" were written by Advertising Finance Manager Lisa Pezzuto…
Nah, couldn't be.
I love mastheads.
My wife and I were just gutted when we got the new issue. We truely loved GIANT even after it's first editorial shuffle. But as soon as I flipped through issue 13 I was almost teary eyed at the fact that I just lost a good friend.
So my review 'death of a GIANT' is more of an obituary to me now.
Check it out and please comment.
http://landliving.com/articles/0000001110.aspx
Charles Coxe–You are wrong, wrong, wrong. The Giant.mag website just took down the link to this article in the "Beyonce: If I was your girlfriend" thread. That's how I found this story and within the past hour it has been removed.
And nice catch Some Guy: The posted quote within the same thread, "GIANT is great coverage and it’s hot and current. It is NOT in anyway like any other magazine out there!" is from Pez.
Giant 1.0 was like a beloved visit from a cool (yes, slightly nerdy) fanboy. I posted on the Giant website the following:
10 Reasons Why the New Giant Sucks:
1. The table of contents. Should help the reader–this is a dump.
2. Giant Profiles. Wow. Really, wow. Reeks of pr kiss and pay offs. Who cares about the hustle of writer Marisha Pessl (in a Karen Walker belt), art dealer Zach Feuer (in a Sean John tie) or fashion stylist June Ambrose (in HER OWN necklace). Who. Really. Cares.
3. Pictures of the New Editor Smokey D. Fontaine enjoying a Hennessy XO
4. Guidance Counselor Proclamations of Giant’s Worth. “Giant testifies that living the dream is not just possible, but assured. These pages present the talent, ambition and success of our generation as a mirror. We are our own heroes. Celebrity has a new definition. The dream is big. The magazine is Giant.†Testifies? Assured? Mirror of …? While this makes no sense, it does make me giggle like a schoolgirl.
5. You’ve. Smokey D. Fontaine wrote “you’ve.â€
6. Hyperbole. Count the times the word “most†is used. You’ve been given your assignment. Start with Smokey da Exagerator’s column.
7. The article “Where Are My Summer Jams†notes that “This year Diddy, Justin Timberlake and even Guns N’ Roses have skipped summer to go after year end profits….†Ummm, G N’ R have skipped lots of summers in delaying their latest release. No Google?
8. Vogue? Lots of glamour shots of lovely Beyonce in fab outfits. Fine for the gay brothers planning their next Halloween outfit.
9. Hustle. From Smokey Da Exagerator’s column to the Giant Profile to the last article on the last page, titled, wait for it, “Hustle.†Jeez the cheeze.
10. That Table of Contents. I am still in awe.
I never worked for Giant. I subscribed after seeing a copy in the gym. The only future delivery from Giant that I am looking forward to is the refund check for $7.97 from Iowa.
I understand the frustration of Damon Dash.
I like the picture of beyonce on the cover it goes hand in hand that entertainers want to represent the average american. (Angeline jolie, brittney spears) who esle is going to rock this style. They want to be viewed as the average american but just with money. and money makes on the difference money talks everything else walks.
Posted this over on the Giant Beyonce thread:
Two points:
1 - This is not unlike a format flip of a radio station. In those cases, management usually says nothing, stays the course, and blows off all the old listeners in favor of attracting all the new ones. These things are done for business reasons and are usually carefully planned out, with plans in place to deal with advertisers. In fact - the ultimate goal of any magazine is to bring as many eyes to their advertisers. They do this by providing content to hit their target demographic - which appears to have changed.
2 - The difference is that people pay to subscribe to magazines, whereas with radio because it’s free it’s easier to blow off. So - because people paid for one product and now are receiving another - they absolutely should (and as far as I can tell have been) refunding their money. That all said - I think that people are ultimateky disappointed because they created a connection to the magazine - it spoke to them and their lifestyle in a way no other magazine did. But if that didn’t bring in the advertisers or the results for the advertisers they wanted, then management had to do something to get results.
So what’s the point? Business always overrides public passion for a product. Eventually, you get over it. But not without a lot of complaining.
That said - I doubt very much that the staff cares - they’ve made their business decision and will likely stick by it.
It’s funny - I was at the mall yesterday and I saw the new issue of Giant on the news rack in the bookstore. It was merchandised between Smooth and Vibe.
Right below it in the next rack down was the last issue - with Emilie De Ravin on the cover. It was merchandised in between Entertainment Weekly and Premiere. That speaks volumes does it not?
–*Rob
The bottom line is this: I have worked with Hooper years agao at another company and although there is no disputing that he is the most petty, mean, vindictive and odious person I hav ever worked with…there's no way he will lose even with these stupid, impulsive redesigns. Because he has so much of DADDY'S or should I say Father-in-Law money he can afford to show his ineptnes time and time again. It's a guy like Hopper that makes you respect a guy like Jan Wenner even more. As for him jumping out the window he is staring out? No way…too much prfide!!!!
Isn't Jamie always red-faced?
Giant now exists ONLY for advertisers. It might work for a while because big time advertisers only want to see bland big name stars and unchallenging material. BUT once the readers catch on and circulation plummets, Giant will wish it had "stayed the course."
Giant used to be unique, now it's just another attempt by the man to productize and blandify urban culture.
So FREAKING SAD.