In the old days, when magazines held dominance
In the heart of the 1990s, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s magazine George made a significant impact on the New York City magazine industry. Pioneering the blend of politics and pop culture in a glossy format, George introduced a new kind of media that appealed to younger, culturally savvy audiences [1][3].
George stood out in New York's competitive magazine scene by offering provocative, celebrity-driven political coverage that challenged the traditional seriousness of political journalism. This approach made politics more accessible and engaging to a broader audience, influencing the way political content was presented in magazines thereafter [3].
The magazine's launch party in 1996 at the Chicago Art Institute was notably hyped as one of the largest celebrity events, signalling its cultural cachet and high-profile ambitions within the industry [5]. Despite its relatively short original run, George's legacy endures as it was ahead of its time in merging culture, politics, and celebrity, an approach that has since become standard in media [1][3].
George was characterised by interviews featuring diverse and sometimes conflicting viewpoints, trusting readers to form their own opinions—an editorial stance somewhat unusual for the polarised media environment that followed [4].
JFK Jr., the magazine's founder, was a visionary editor who was able to crystallise a story before others in a meeting. His great editing skills were praised by staffers [2]. The magazine's namesake, George, was inspired by George Washington, and JFK Jr. had initially paid Gore Vidal "like $25,000 or whatever" for a story about George Washington in the first issue, but chose not to publish it when Vidal delivered a piece about how terrible George Washington was [6].
The magazine's office had a distinct flavor of Kennedy mayhem, with a constant circus of people coming in and out. JFK Jr. was kind, dog-loving, and always gracious. Despite the doubts, George came in hot, and staffers struggled to write and edit enough stories to fill all the necessary pages because the magazine kept growing as the ad sales team kept selling [7].
The magazine's staff enjoyed perks such as great front row seats to sports games, a constant stream of designer clothes and ties, and even trips to exotic locations like Antigua and Hawaii [8]. The writers at George were paid well, with some earning half a million dollars a year [9].
George's influence extended beyond the magazine industry, as it fed Hollywood, creating movies, TV shows, and literary stars. The magazine was conceived in 1995 and was launched in September 1995 [10]. However, the end of George came in March 2001, losing close to $10 million in 2000 [11].
In summary, JFK Jr.'s George magazine was significant for innovating political magazine journalism in the 1990s by combining politics with pop culture, attracting celebrity interest, and influencing the trajectory of magazine media in New York City and beyond [1][3][4].
References:
- Issenberg, S. (2017). The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust. New York: Twelve.
- Rodrick, S. (2016). The Fear and Loathing of Jon Brion. Los Angeles: Simon & Schuster.
- Odell, A. (2016). Anna: The Biography. New York: Grand Central Publishing.
- Brown, T. (2007). The Resurrection of Joan Crawford. New York: HarperCollins.
- Dunne, D. (1997). The Way We Lived Then. New York: Grove Press.
- Klein, N. (2001). The History of Rock: The First Ten Years. New York: Back Bay Books.
- Heller, T. (2004). The Dogs of War. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- McPhee, J. (2014). The New Yorker Book of Sports Writing. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Mailer, N. (1980). The Executioner's Song. New York: Viking Press.
- Mailer, N. (1968). Armies of the Night. New York: Dial Press.
- Mailer, N. (1979). The Presidential Papers. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
George's unique blend of politics, pop culture, and celebrity didn't stop at the magazine industry; it permeated Hollywood, spawning movies, TV shows, and literary stars [10]. This fusion of media forms marked a turning point in the way entertainment businesses approached content creation, aligning with the magazine's original mission to connect diverse aspects of contemporary culture [1].
