Barack Obama's New Yorker Satire Sells Out On The Newsstand

The controversial July 21 cover of The New Yorker portraying Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a Muslim has been a virtual sellout on newsstands.

In fact, the demand has completely overwhelmed Condé Nast's ability to fill requests for additional copies.

The issue went off sale on Monday and preliminary estimates show single-copy sales surged 80 percent over average weekly newsstand sales, or around 75,000 copies, compared with average newsstand sales of around 43,000.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Bettysdad]

When I saw the headline on the main Media page, I thought it said "Controversial New Yorker Cover Sells Out The Left."

[Phylmom]

Word to my fellow liberals: You now have learned the hard lesson that censors on the right have often had to learn. You try to censor something and you do the opposite.

[livewire19]

Is this yet another inconvenient truth?

[ReelBusy]

My video about this cover is up on YouTube right now.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MgKv9BPhAok

Let me know what think here or there.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Don't quit your day job.

[presto]

This is not a political story. People buy anything they think might be collectible some day. Newspapers on big news days, magazines, or beanie babies. If it might sell on eBay sometime down the line, buyers will line up. It is not making a statement. It's just a baseball card.

[OneLiberalLady]

I tore off my cover and sent it back to the New Yorker, with an explanation:
Got it, just didn't think it was funny (or clear).

[GeorgeKaplan]

Damm those urbane and witty New Yorkers with their clever satire that some do not think is satire... damm them to hell!

Minnie
Dubuque, Iowa

[Oldtimer]

Mission Accomplished. Expect more of same now.

[Cookie100]

Well, they might have sold that one out, but I canceled 3 Conde Nast magazine I receive. Got my refunds yesterday. I doubt I'm the only person who canceled. The customer service department was inundated, and she seemed disgusted by the cover herself. That's the reaction any normal person would have.

[brakmaster]

No it's the reaction you and some telephone jockey had. Don't attempt to speak for the rest of "normal" people. Life is much more diverse than you think.

[Bettysdad]

Contact all the advertisers, and tell them you will boycott their products or services until David Remnick is fired.

[mairs]

It's already being used as an excuse by Republicans when they use attack ads connecting O with bin Laden, extremism, terrorism. The cover failed because it didn't make the connection that this is what conservatives are thinking. "If a liberal magazine can make these connections, so can we" is the new call to arms for his opponents.

[ann1]

It's exactly what they hoped for.

[naijaman]

Wow....America is still sick....

[Bluejay00234]

Well guess they got what they wanted.

[Elrancho]

Of course it would sell out. But what I'd love to know is how many cancellations did Conde Nast suffer as a result of this issue (in addition to mine).

[sclucie]

Of course it sold out. That was the point. Elrancho - I agree. I'd like to know that too. When I sent in my cancellation - which did not mention the offensive cover - I immediately received a long-winded explanation of why it was high art and high satire - both of which I love, and both of which it was not. Satire is grounded in reality - that' why it works.

Speaking of offensive, anyone see Jon Stewart compare Barack Obama to Hitler? I'm not making this up. Anything to bring up those ratings.

[brakmaster]

Yes, Jon Stewart made a serious, researched comparison between Obama and Hitler. It's true. It's like that well-researched comparison between Bush and Hitler, or Gore and the Unabomber. They are super, totally serious comparison sets.

[1differentdrummer]

I've bought my last New Yorker and they've been a favorite for years.

[DAVESEAN]

HATE SELLS.......FELLOW AMERICANS......LOOK INTO YOUR HEARTS

[rwe]

exactly,,, Media maters ,Daily Kos , Move on

[Phylmom]

The New Yorker is the best magazine in the world. It's for smart people. The rest of you, go back to People.

[NoahVail]

Wired is for smart people. The New Yorker is for pompous people.

[sclucie]

probably true. i've never gotten the martini couples cartoon. but i did like roz chast.

on another note: why aren't the blue curtain MS feminists in an uproar over this cover - or for that matter, a single assault against michelle obama? multi-millionaire white women need protection against the media - but any media attacks against black women are just dandy?

[brakmaster]

But the new Wired has a picture of an almost nekkid woman on it! The horror! The horror!

[Bettysdad]

We'll see who's reading Wired in 75 years.

[Bettysdad]

I'll bet you a load of Wired readers thought the cover was true.

[ebanks84]

It's for SNOBS just like you.

[sclucie]

Well, we're those latte-sipping academics, and they lost our subscription. The New Yorker used to be for smart people - now it's clearly about sales. It's owned by CondeNast - which may explain why the profit margin is what is driving them.

[OneLiberalLady]

Many of the SUBSCRIBERS (like me) hated the cover, and some even cancelled their subscriptions (see other posts).

[DEMTRUPATRIOTS]

well..maybe many of the subscribers...like you...should have tried READING the article and not just look at the picture. the article was about how the moronic goobers that vote R see obama