I didn't write this letter, but I would have gladly co-signed. Thanks, Figlet!Cancel My Subscription
Dear Editor in Chief of Cookie Magazine:
Yuck. Look, I'm not opposed to conspicuous consumerism. I'm a conspicuous consumer myself, and I'm sure my stats fit in nicely with your target demographic. I'm happy to buy my little darling expensive Italian leather shoes and trousers made of the finest, softest cotton. I won't apologize for my Yuppie Trophy Stroller, and if they ever make a double stroller, well, I might be inclined to invest in one of those as well. I'm all about organic and 100% cotton and the odd luxury hotel myself. And yes, I'm willing to spend $10 on bubble bath for my kid because I can convince myself that it's better for her sensitive skin.
But.
But.
But.
I'm flipping through your latest issue and I can't help but notice that the only people of color in the entire "American Beauty" issue appear in a handful of ads. I went back and scanned every single page three times. Lots of sweet looking blondes and carefully coiffed white moms. Yo! Rocawear. Props to Guess and Dillard's Department Store. They at least pay lip service to the notion that conspicuous consumers come in all colors.But I can't enjoy a parenting/lifestyle magazine that doesn't even attempt to speak to anyone outside upper middleclass white yuppiedom. Last I checked there were black yuppies, Asian yuppies, and of course Hispanic yuppies. The thing is, yuppiedom and conspicuous consumerism aren't the exclusive domain of white folks. Not every black woman pushing a Bugaboo is a nanny.
As a child I used to sit myself down with my mother's magazines and pore over recipes and parenting tips, and my favorite column, "My Problem and How I Solved It." I would be ashamed for my daughter, when she's old enough, to idly thumb through your magazine and realize her mother reads a magazine written for upper middle class white women with white children.
Since your editorial offices are based in New York, it's unforgivable, to my mind, that your staff wouldn't have caught this egregious omission. And I wonder if your advertisers noticed, or if they even care.
Sigh. To the bin it goes. Ick.
Sincerely yours,
Figlet
