Radar Aims High, Hits

Huffington Post   |  Rachel Sklar   |   October 11, 2007 11:30 AM


stumbleupon :<em>Radar</em> Aims High, Hits   digg: <em>Radar</em> Aims High, Hits   reddit: <em>Radar</em> Aims High, Hits   del.icio.us: <em>Radar</em> Aims High, Hits

2007-10-11-Radaraimshighhitsit.jpgWell, no one is ever going to accuse Radar of elevating the discourse: For this month's issue they go lowest common denominator via the tried-and-true custom of superimposing heads on other people's bodies who happen to be naked. In this case, they are inflicting the execrable Tom Ford/Keira Knightley/Scarlett Johanssen Vanity Fair cover on us yet again, this time with images of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani. Ew. Though it has obviously achieved the desired effect — Radar's Tyler Gray has already been on MSNBC twice this morning to discuss it (and the politics-themed issue it graces). Folio's Dylan Stableford notes that it's a gimmick that works (he calls it a "Roshan tradition" thanks to the Tom Cruise/George Lois cover, though really the tradition seems to be photoshopping, given the Paris Hilton/George Bush, Prince Harry and Colin Farrell covers), but the question is, will it actually sell? It's not a very, er, appealing cover image — MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski looked at it, expressed revulsion and said "Get it off the screen" — and she tasked Gray to come back to her after it had hit newsstands to report on whether people actually bought it, because she had her doubts. There's no question that it's a mesmerizing image — you really can't look away, possibly because Rudy's head just looks so natural on Tom Ford's skin-crawlingly skeevy body — but it will be genuinely interesting to see how that translates into sales. So far, not surprisingly, it's translating into buzz. The devil's in the follow-up.

p.s. In case anyone's wondering, I don't particularly feel like Hillary's being objectified here — it is clearly a spoof, and hey, she looks pretty good. It's actually Obama who comes off worst, smooth and feminine and clearly not part of the conspiratorial whispering going on quite literally over his head. Sort of not something that emphasizes his raw strength as a candidate — a message that targets one of his weak spots. Whether or not that was intentional, that's an element Radar captured surprisingly effectively.

Hot On The Trail [Radar]

Related, because I can never erase that searing image:
Tom Ford's skeevy, lecherous Vanity Fair [Tomatoes Are Delicious]

Also related in superimposed heads on magazine covers of naked-ish people:
ETP Photoshops Radar, For Kicks [ETP]

Comments for this post are now closed

 
Comments
132
Pending Comments
0
iPhone App Promo

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next › Last » (5 pages total)

Does no one have a sense of humor about themselves anymore? This is a satirical comment on the stupidity of media coverage surrounding this election cycle which has vacated the two democratic candidates of everything but their most base characteristics (gender and sex) and aggrandized someone who is, essentially, an overblown hack (tom ford counts in this category too, as he's no lagerfeld, de la renta, herrera, etc.).

Yea, it requires a bit of subtext, but I think that the people who write Radar are confident in the fact that the audience who reads their magazine (which is a large section of the readership of this website) would get the joke. The fact that so many haven't is a bit distressing, but that's my opinion that no one has to share in.

To the people who have called it crass and tacky, I totally agree. But, I would argue that's about 50% of its charm: the fact that it is so poorly done. I think this issue's out now. I'm going to go buy it with the new Economist.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:00 PM on 10/18/2007
- unclebucky I'm a Fan of unclebucky 70 fans permalink

And Rootie Tootie? Why aren't his man boobs not being shown? And why isn't Romormoni not pictured in his Magic Mormon Long Johns? And Bloomberg? Where'd he go in the meantime? Will they have a mail-in Republican faux nudie cover?

But the thing is that Clinton and Obama are pictured as rather buff, so how bad can that be?

Sharp legs, Hillary! Nice ass, Barak! I'll vote for both of you!

Ugh.

--UB.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 AM on 10/12/2007
- unclebucky I'm a Fan of unclebucky 70 fans permalink

But...

Can you imagine the Fred Thompson cover?

{Vomits}

Ugh.

--UB.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:39 AM on 10/12/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

just proves, freedom of speech and press, can be bad taste.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:53 AM on 10/12/2007
- bkny I'm a Fan of bkny permalink

damn, huffington post just gets more and more degraded in content every day.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:49 AM on 10/12/2007
photo

MANDINGO, MANDINGO

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:17 AM on 10/12/2007

Kinky 3some! I'd pay to see that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:11 AM on 10/12/2007
- kelfeind I'm a Fan of kelfeind 2 fans permalink

What is this stupid magazine anyway and why is the hufpo marketing for it. What do the articles say; has anyone read anything of worth in it. I never heard of it but my taste is pretty limited, (new yorker, etc.)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:28 PM on 10/11/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

I bet Bill likes Hillary's picture.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:38 PM on 10/11/2007
- init I'm a Fan of init 2 fans permalink

Something is getting ready to give, big time. Laugh all you like. No nation can continue on with such nonsense. Reading between the lines; we are past the breaking point. Lies and mixed signals is all that is holding it now.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:06 PM on 10/11/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

so true

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:34 PM on 10/11/2007

I think that the reason some commenters here who find the picture of a naked Obama to be more disturbing than that of a naked Hillary is because they secretly find it sexually arousing and need to come out of the closet if they are men.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:21 PM on 10/11/2007

What do you mean? I was thinking Hillary was looking pretty HOT !

Disturbing, please. It's really not them and there aren't showing anything. This could be in a Disney film.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:49 PM on 10/11/2007

I'M SHOCKED THAT HILLARY AND BARAK POSED NUDE,WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO.AT LEAST RUDY HAD THE GOOD SENSE TO KEEP HIS CLOTHES ON ,THEY MUST BE ON SOMETHING,,,

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:58 PM on 10/11/2007

Killary only wishs that her body looked that good. Bill also wishs it too..

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:03 PM on 10/11/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

your name is goldman, consider the source.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:35 PM on 10/11/2007
- Yasmine I'm a Fan of Yasmine 9 fans permalink

That picture was made up. they put the heads on nude bodies.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:12 PM on 10/11/2007

Why do the Democrats have their clothing off? And why does the white guy 3x married, and serial adulterer, who can't get served communion, get to keep his clothing?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:28 PM on 10/11/2007

Because you don't want to see what the white guy is packing, or should I say, what he isn't packing...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:04 PM on 10/11/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

prostrate cancer you have to keep your cloths on.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:36 PM on 10/11/2007

Same ol', same ol'..the women and Black people are objectified, and the White guy gets to keep his clothes on. Who has the power in that picture? Oh, but we have a liberal media problem in this country??

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 PM on 10/11/2007
photo

Good point. Obama certainly is in the subservient position although he is the only one to be eye candy in real life.

The whole thing is really gross, pointless, and crass.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:27 PM on 10/11/2007
- provgrays I'm a Fan of provgrays 29 fans permalink

I preferred the old "Spy Magazine" cover when Hillary was portrayed as a whip wielding domanitrix. That was fun, a bit more subtle and for many, a fun idea about her imagined real life persona.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:00 PM on 10/11/2007
- dora rice I'm a Fan of dora rice 10 fans permalink
photo

I bet. powerful women must intimitate you .

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:37 PM on 10/11/2007
photo

And to think people were outraged when Petraeous was called a betrayor...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:52 PM on 10/11/2007
photo

Indeed.

Especially in light of the fact that he did Betray US.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:28 PM on 10/11/2007
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next › Last » (5 pages total)
Comments are closed for this entry

 You must be logged in to comment. Log in  or connect with 

Connect