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I for one look forward to updates on the goings-on at my favorite magazine, Teen People. In fact, I think I'll stop subscribing to Salon so I can afford a subscription to this fine magazine, now that I know I'll at least be spared reading about one of the Very Important to Women stories you feel the need to obsess over for weeks on end.
Can we please get an update on Jennifer Aniston, too?
Rebecca Traister gets the best mail. Seriously, I had no clue that I was not allowed to enjoy articles about Jennifer Aniston and white power teens, while simultaneously appreciating in-depth political discussion and investigative reporting. Thank you, Salon readers, for reminding me that intelligent people are not interested in such pop culture fluff, because we are too busy watching films with subtitles and talking about global economic strife. Unfortunately for us brilliant types, the plebes are totally into this celebricrap, and they are bringing down our media. Take it back, before we become sucked into their semi-literate, People Magazine world!
You angry readers are too much. Fluff is fine, and necessary. Nobody is forcing you to read about Jennifer Aniston or the Nazi teens. You have the power to NOT click on the link. It would save you lots of time, because you wouldn't have to read the entire article and compose a wah-wah email. Don't you have more important things to do anyways, like write the next great American novel or dissect Karl Rove's motives from your computer screen?
The idea that a People magazine property would publish a positive article about white supremacists is a pretty newsworthy item, I'd say. Because this isn't just another piece on the Olsen twins, this is a small move towards the mainstream assimilation of a dangerous fringe movement. A positive article in a popular magazine would give a subtle but unmistakably real nod of approval towards this racist mindset, and would open further inroads for any similar ideology.
Some people might see this as a trivial bit of news about a minor pop sensation. I see this as an important refutation of not just banality, but of a banality that too often cloaks discord and hate, and thereby infiltrates in secret.