Us Weekly Palin Cover Causes Scandal? Maybe Not... UPDATE

***UPDATED 9/5, 3 PM***

A well-placed source at Us Weekly tells Huffington Post that since Wednesday, there have actually been a little more than 1,000 cancellations. However, there have also been a little more than 1,000 bonus subscriptions from supporters of the magazine, without any efforts on the part of the magazine to gain subscribers from the controversy.

"In the end, it's a wash, but encouraging to see how involved the readership is in the election," the source says.

The Palin story also drove Usmagazine.com's third highest day of traffic in the site's history.

Previously, MSNBC Scoop gossip columnist Courtney Hazlett reported that Us was losing between 5,000-10,000 subscribers after the controversial "Babies, Lies, and Scandal" cover:

Three celebrity weeklies -- OK!, People and Us Weekly -- featured Sarah Palin on their cover, but one of those magazines is reportedly losing subscribers because of it.

Us Weekly, which unlike People and OK!, chose a rather caustic cover line ("Babies, Lies and Scandal") is said to have lost thousands of subscribers in just the first 24 hours following the printing of the issue.

"I'm hearing it's 5,000, maybe more," says one well-placed source in the industry. Another source claimed that as many as 10,000 readers have already cancelled their subscriptions. A spokesperson for Wenner Media, which publishes Us, says "it is completely false that we are losing 10,000 subscribers." As for the 5,000 estimate, the spokesperson only said "that is false, too," but wouldn't comment further.

Related: Palin Cover Story Writer's HuffPost Blog: "I'm Voting For McCain"
Related: Sarah Palin Gets Cover Of Us, OK! Magazines

Comments

[frankel1205]

I bought five copies of this week's US magazine and "left" them at manicure shops and the hair salon, where they are sure to get very read by women clients. This election will be about who's got the balls, blood, and guts to stand up for this country and fight back by NOT voting for McCain/Bush!! We cannot take another four years of this unholy mess!! How hungry do we have to get? How many houses have to be foreclosed? How many bankruptcies have to be filed? How many bridges have to collapse? How many cities have to drown? How many jobs have to be lost? How many sick and suffering have to go without doctors? How many banks have to fail? How many soldiers have to die?
JOHN MCCAIN IS TRYING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE HE WILL CHANGE THIS COUNTRY. HE CAN NEVER CHANGE IT BECAUSE HE IS A REPUBLICAN!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT VOTE FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF BUSH/MCCAIN!!

[DAVESEAN]

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story

[Yudit]

I am at a loss with all this talk of the surge.....­..Isn't that like patting yourself on the back for closing the barn door after the horse got away?

[dutchess2]

the Surge was two pronged... our guys would beef up the military action, the Iraqis would use the time
to reconcile their religious and personal differences for the good of their nation and establish a government with equal rights and assets for all...

We did our part, but the Iraqis did not...

Now McCain says the surge worked... and its a lie... it did not work, the Iraqis are NOT stepping up to the plate to get control and maintain it with equity and justice for all.

So the surge has failed, it cost the US several billion in dollars, and another 1000 in lives..
and McCain is such a foggy old codger he lies and thinks no one will notice.

[Sloane7]

I made a point of buy both US Weekly and National Enquirer this week. I know! But I need to support the Palin investigations since McCain is trying so hard to stop them.

[LemonMeringue]

I did too, and if they are going to uncover and print the Truth that the MSM won't touch, I will pay much more attention to them in the future!

[Bitsko]

It felt so good to walk into my local pharmacy the other day and see the cover of this magazine on display! The cashier and I got into a quick discussion about it and within a half a minute everyone within earshot was chuckling and joking about Gov. Palin's troubles and what a phony she was. But I live in New York City, where she's not going to garner many fans.

[eknowles]

This is crazy that's going on about the Palin's. She had to agree to the picture being taken; maybe even money was paid. Ididn't hear the family complaining about the caption on the cover; where is their rage?I also find it terrible that her 4month old child is being dragged around to all day and late night events. I'm a mother of four chlidren (my youngest is now 36 years old). A young child needs to be put on a schedule for sleeping and eating habits. Other leaders of countries have children and you never see them constantly parading them around to public affairs. There is a time and a place for everything. It's not so much about Sarah as it is about her husband also. Where's the parenting skills of that household. The public will understand if the baby is not available to attend all of the affairs.

Furthermore, this family Sarah and Todd reminds me of Elizabeth and John Edwards. They knew the issue with their 17 year old daughter. Like the Edwards, it didn't matter that McCain's campaign have to deal their problem. If McCain also knew about the daughter, it proves that he too is selfish and will do and use anybody to get elected. History is going to record this as the biggest skam ever used to get a USA President elected. In the movie, I think Jacqueline Smith should play Sarah.

[happycat]

I live in NYC also. Luckily most people here can see through Palin's s**t eating grin.

[Mercurial]

Its more like a grimace...­.

[PaxChristi]

Can you hear me now: How the Democratic Party saved the American Constitution and our beloved Republic from the GOP scoundrels, Or We can't hear you: How the Bush administration with sycophants like John (the Bush hugger) McCain tried to destroy America by being a Palin in our arses.

The saga continues.­.. You write the final chapter.

[Bitsko]

Good point, but I do seem to remember that Jimmy Carter was a big fan of C.I.A. covert ops, and that for years the conservative democrats didn't do much to stop the destruction of the unions, excepting to help their more corrupt leaders. Folks who worship Al Gore today also forget he was considered a right-wing democrat, like Clinton.

[JamesWisdom]

I feel sorry for people that actually get upset because they don't want to hear anything negative about the one they support. Sike, what a bunch of idiots. If facts came out about someone I supported that showed them in the light not the one they want to stand under, I rather know then to vote for someone I thought I knew.

[going2ireland]

Unfortunately, this country is made up of a large population of idiots who only want to hear what they WANT to hear and won't have anything to do with anything/anyone who says otherwise.

[IslandGyal]

People PLEASE register to vote before October 3rd. If possible request an absentee ballot and vote EARLY. I am not taking any chances with the republican this year; they like to disenfranchise voters, especially minorities.

So, if you don't have to deal with them on November 4th do NOT!

In Maryland you can request an absentee ballot. The deadline is October 28. PLEASE, vote and vote early!

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2007_English_InternetVRA.pdf

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2008_Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf

[progressivelady]

I will spread the same post, and help stop mess-iah sara

[cminmd]

I thought they often only counted absentee and provisional ballots if the election is close? Not that I think it matters- MD will go Obama. MD may go republican, but we would never go theocratic. I do think that if your state does early voting- that is counted normally.

[progressivelady]

cancelled my subscription, The Right has been saying for 30 yrs. woman can't have it all, and now they have found Sara The Messsiah, More hypocracy , Ironic

[FaceYourFears]

Whatever

[ricitizen]

Wake up: One Heart Beat Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfv0rE-m9g

"There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w&eurl=http

[rasquache]

Obama says families are off limits, but somethings about the whole thing really bug me and I just want to make 2 points before we render the Palin's back their privacy under the RNC spotlight.

1. Single mother teen pregnancy is not something any political party should be touting. It is a problem in this country that I want my politicians addressing and working to end. I have heard no one say anything about this! Teen mothers and their children get a rough shot at life and this pregnant daughter presents a chance to highlight a national problem that can happen to anyone. But that's not what is happening. Instead, come January we could be watching Palin in the White House becoming a proud 44-year-old grandmother. Hurray!

2. Sarah Palin, opposes a woman's right to choose, opposes Sex ed that would talk about that little devil named contraception, and believes that if families were more religious America's social problems would be solved. Then a startling teen pregnancy has hit her family and her views are so narrow and myopic that she can't even see her own hypocrisy. And that type of close-mindedness is NOT THE CHANGE WASHINGTON NEEDS.

[Ashera]

Fox News is just another crying, lying, idiotic news media who really doesn't care about the truth! Only how they can spin it!

But, once in awhile (not often) we need a reality check on what they make those who believe it and how they think.

Thanks for the laughs Fox News! Don't worry we don't believe what we hear or read on your station!

From the Real Thinkers in the World!

[Yesnik]

Fox News does this type of journalism all the time.

Read the idiotic scrolling banners running across the bottom of your TV screen.
They are often very rude and misleading comments.
Just do a search and you will find many cruel headlines they have done.

It's all meant to get attention and it works.

[janicegwashington]

AN IMPORTANT OPINION FROM GLORIA STEINEM: WRONG WOMAN, WRONG MESSAGE

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story