…the Food Network, basically a good-hearted organization still fundamentally clueless about itself (TV or non-TV) and its audience (cooks or kitchen idiots)

So I’m leafing through the latest New Yorker when I’m met with a lovely looking piece on what used to be my favorite cable channel. It may still be my favorite cable channel, but we no longer get cable (well, we get broadcast channels + TNT via cable, but that’s it, and only because they give us a great deal for having cable internet). So, I’m humming along as I read about Julia Child and the Beginning of All Food TV when all of a sudden I find my face scraping along the ground, mouth agape, scooping up pebbles. What happened!?

The Food Network is weeding out the Old Guard real-chef cooking shows like missing Molotovs–’Molto Mario,’ Sara Mouton

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Sometime in the last year, the venerable New Yorker magazine sold ALL of its advertising for a single issue to Target Stores. Most of the ads weren’t obviously for Target, but they did incorporate the signature bullseye logo or a red/white color scheme in interesting ways. In fact, the whole concept was kind of interesting.

Not interesting was the monstrosity that appeared in my mailbox yesterday. Wrapped in a plastic pouce were my New Yorker issue AND a second magazine that turned out to be a full-length publication devoted solely to CBS’s Fashion Rocks television special: an entire magazine devoted solely to the fashion and music being featured on a show celebrating, um, fashion and music.

The whole thing was packaged like one of those TV infomercials that looks like an actual newscast or talkshow. There were articles and glossy paper and advertisements (INSIDE THE ADVERSTISEMENT!). In fact, it took me a few minutes for my confused brain to figure out what this monstrosity was. And I still don’t know why it was packaged with my New Yorker. I mean, sure, the New Yorker has always carried advertising, and its advertising has always been for insanely expensive things that I could never afford, but that’s why I liked it. I’m never going to spend a full-year’s salary on a brooch or a watch or a special hat. But what the dueces is CBS doing in my New Yorker?

Egads.

On the same day, I received a complimentary copy of Paste magazine which includes a CD full of sample tunes. There was a note attached that I was receiving this as a thank you. I guess because I’ve ordered some Over the Rhine CD’s from them this year. That’s marketing I didn’t mind because, you know, it actually matched the market segment indicated by my purchase.