
And another one bites the dust.
The latest mag to pulled from newsstands (well, most newsstands except for "high traffic areas") is Child. Meredith's long running attempt at mother baby advice, photos, and baby food recipes will take the road now most frequently traveled through the Internet.
But in a new sign that steep hills remain to climb, or quit, Meredith Corp. has decided to stop even trying to sell Child on the racks, ceding that territory to books like its own Parents and American Baby as well as competitors such as Parenting from Time Inc., Cookie from Conde Nast Publishing and Wondertime from Disney Publishing.
Ah, sigh. Well, on the bright site, when you publish online you can work from home … which should be good news to Child staffers, who are notorious for creating the most miserable office environment in the magazine industry. We've heard so often that it's even worse than the land ruled by a Prada wearing devil.
And you know what they say about children in unstable environments: sometimes putting an end to the misery is really what's best for the kid.
Reality Check: Meredith Yanks Its 'Child' Off the Newsstands [Nat Ives, Ad Age]
We had a Bryant Park Roving Reporter For All Things Skinny Beyond Medical Safety planted at yesterday's Child magazine children's fashion show in the tents, where earlier reports already tipped off which fame-seeking parents agreed to parade around their kids pageant-style in the name of fashion.
Dina Lohan signed up Lindsay's siblings Aliana and Dakota. 50 Cent offered up offspring Marquise Jackson. And, of course, it wouldn't be a child labor ring without Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons' kids, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee.
Our BPRRFATSBMS reports Ming Lee and Aoki Lee – just like their Baby Phat ads – had the "plastered on smiles" that should really initiate some interest from the Department of Children and Family Services. Marquise Jackson, meanwhile, owned the show with his runway walk. And Aliana and Dakota? They seemed to have been lost among the 50 other models, most of which weren't big names (that is, little names with big last names).
In the end, the person we're happiest for is Child editor Miriam Arond, who's desperate to land one foot in the fashion world now that Cookie is stealing her readership. Unfortunately, Roberta Myers is on the other side of the door, leaning against it. She ain't having it.
Earlier: Fashion for the wild 'Child'
Child, what are you doing?
Isn't your magazine supposed to be about how to raise cherubic children to be perfectly preppy and refined? Why, oh why would you host a fashion show in which childhood almost stars strut their potential to become vapid drug and bulimia induced half-adults? (We almost want to put a triple question mark at the end of this for emphasis.)
50 Cent's son, Marquise, Lindsay Lohan's little sisters, Aliana and Dakota, and Catherine Malandrino's son, Oliver, will strut the runway at Child magazine's Fashion Week show featuring clothes by Sean John, Tory Burch and Lucy Sykes.
Twenty bucks says that after the party in the hotel lobby, Ali Lohan will hook it up with 50 Cent Jr. in the dressing room, while Dakota (Lindsay Lohan's brother) rolls a joint with that other kid in the bathroom. (We actually have no idea how old these kids are, but we don't really care. We're sure that above age 5 all celebrity related kids are done for.)
However, we do know one thing: Cookie would never try to pull a stunt like this.
We Hear [Paula Froelich, Page Six]