<SPAN class=630250921-01071999>Pokémon: The Foreign Menace </SPAN>
Economist , Nov.
20
The
cover editorial heralds the China-U.S. trade deal as
"a momentous agreement that will vastly improve [China's] economic landscape."
The cover story explains the deal: China will open its
economy to foreign banks, telecommunications firms, carmakers, and other
manufacturers. Ensuing competitive pressures will reshape China's domestic
economy. … A column argues that Pokémania proves globalization is
not a euphemism for Americanization. The United States' embrace of foreigners
such as Pikachu, Harry Potter, and the Teletubbies demonstrates that
globalization is a two-way street.
New Republic ,
Dec. 6
The
cover story explains the race controversy in Decatur,
Ill.: The expulsion of six black students (for fighting at a football game)
that has outraged Jesse Jackson is viewed as an attempt to halt the white
flight that has undercut the city's tax base. … An editorial favors zero-tolerance school rules such as
Decatur's: The rules "effectively combat the greatest crisis in public
education today … the crisis of violence."… An article explains the "constitutional etiquette" of the vice
presidency. Veeps should never malign or crudely distance themselves from their
presidents. In case of assassination or impeachment, the republic needs a
smooth transition of power to the second-in-line.
Vanity Fair ,
December 1999
An
article tells the strange story of Miranda Grosvenor. The homely Louisiana
woman ensnared numerous Hollywood men into obsessive telephone affairs during
the '80s. Stars such as Richard Gere and Billy Joel fell for her
out-of-the-blue phone calls, gossip, and flattery. When men asked to meet her
she stood them up or sent photos of a blonde model. Some of the relationships
lasted years. Quincy Jones invited her to Hollywood, and Joel considered
writing a musical about her.
Talk, December
1999
An
article exposes the National Enquirer 's mob origins. The newspaper was
bankrolled by Mafia loans in the '50s, and gangsters leaned on newsstand
dealers who refused to sell it. When the publisher realized real news wasn't
profitable, he turned it into a scandal sheet. … An item pokes
fun at Hollywood's newest excess: "pity brokers." Talent agencies now offer
"conscience management," helping their celebrity clients pick philanthropic
causes that boost their image and ego.
Forbes , Nov.
29
A
great cover story stunt exposes the impossibility of electronic
privacy. Given a reporter's name, a Web-based "information broker" tracked down
his "base identifiers"--Social Security number, birth date, and address--in
five minutes. Within a week the snoop had discovered his unlisted phone
numbers, bank balances, stock holdings, and salary, as well as the phone
numbers of everyone he calls. To protect your privacy, ask your bank to
restrict access to your records and beg your member of Congress for legislative
protections.
New York , Nov.
22
An item skewers Donald
Trump's Scrooge-like philanthropic record. From 1994 to 1998, the
multi-billionaire gave away only $475,642. Even the Gambino crime family gives
more to local charities.
New York Times Magazine , Nov. 21
The
cover story profiles a day trader who learns his financial fundamentals from
the Web and trusts his "feel" for stocks. If his luck holds (as it doesn't for
most day traders), he could net $85,000 this year. He feels liberated but
"looks like a man hugging a slot machine." … An article
surveys the exploding--er, growing--private plane industry. NASA is advocating
an "Interstate Sky Way" to ease traffic jams. A pair of inventing brothers is
building a Model-T for the air--a $179,400 plane with simplified controls and a
giant parachute for safer crash landings. … An essay explains
why journalists always view politicians "through a dehumanizing prism."
"Visceral loathing" is the only attitude acceptable to the Washington press
corps. Sympathetic reporters--see Sidney Blumenthal--are ostracized. The author
says he has stopped writing about Sen. John McCain because he has become
McCain's friend.
Wired ,
December 1999
An article marvels at
Japan's multibillion-dollar "character-goods" industry. To boost business, All
Nippon Airways painted Pokémons on its 747s and hands out Pikachus to its
passengers. Icons such as Hello Kitty adorn ATM cards, cell phones, and even
condoms. The omnipresence of cute is a symptom of Japan's fetish for childhood.
… An article explains why Al Gore lost the allegiance of Silicon
Valley. Gore promoted the growth of the Internet more than any other figure in
public life, but Bill Bradley spent his sabbatical courting venture
capitalists, and George W. Bush is mobilizing libertarian-leaning e-CEOs. (Read
the Veep's on visiting the Microsoft campus.
Time ,
Nov. 22
The
cover story on Pokémania calls Pokémon a "pestilential Ponzi
scheme" that stokes acquisitiveness and encourages kids to fight. Pokémon's
inventor is a Japanese introvert and ex- Space Invaders addict who
obsessively collected beetles as a kid. (For
Slate
's more kindly
Pokémon assessment click .) … An article says Americans are increasingly angry about the
soaring price of prescription drugs. Seniors are mobilizing, Al Gore is
advertising his opposition to "price gouging," and drug companies are filling
the airways with attacks on Democratic plans to extend Medicare coverage to
prescriptions. … In an interview , Bill Gates vows he will attempt to settle the
antitrust case against Microsoft but insists that he will not give up the right
to bundle programs with Windows.
Newsweek , Nov.
22
The
cover story puzzles over dyslexia. Dyslexics have
difficulty reading because they are unable to break words into their
constituent parts. Research indicates that dyslexia is an inherited
neurological problem. Early intervention and phonics can help dyslexics catch
up. … In an interview , George W. Bush begins to lay out his foreign
policy vision: "[The United States] should not retreat" but should "be humble
in its leadership." … The illustration for an essay on George W. Bush's
intelligence (or lack of it)? A picture of him reading his own recently
published book.
U.S. News &
World Report , Nov. 22
The
cover story claims there is a "cheating epidemic."
Three-quarters of college students and 80 percent of high-school "high
achievers" admit cheating. Online term-paper mills and other high-tech scams
(sending answers by pager) make cheating easier than ever. Character education
could help. … An article follows the Wild Yak Brigade, a vigilante group that
patrols the Tibetan plateau to protect the rare chiru antelope from poachers.
The chiru is hunted for its hair, which is woven into high-priced shawls and
sold to very rich women--often New Yorkers. … A piece describes cost-effective office perks designed to
retain employees. At Gymboree, employees get a recess for hopscotch and a
cookies-and-milk break. Other innovative benefits include: nap tents, corporate
concierges, and summer camps for office offspring.
The New Yorker ,
Nov. 22
The
cartoon issue. A piece explains that the primary purpose of New Yorker
cartoons is to caricature the human condition. Proof: The magazine's archives
contain 381 cartoons of people on psychoanalysts' couches. … An article
argues that Al Gore is his own worst enemy. Gore's best argument for his
candidacy is his formidable experience, yet Gore refuses to run on Clinton's
record. … A profile of Center for Biological Diversity leader Kierán
Suckling details his successful environmental extremism, founded oddly on
abstruse lit-crit theory. As an adherent of deconstruction's "absolute
relativism," Suckling believes in undoing man's dominion over the Earth. Using
the Endangered Species Act, Suckling has sued to halt logging, ranching, cattle
grazing, and construction throughout wide swaths of the Southwest.
The Nation , Nov.
29
The
cover story decries the concentration in media ownership.
Deregulation, privatization, and new technologies allow nine transnational
companies--AT&T/Liberty Media, Bertelsmann, Disney, General Electric,
Seagram, Sony, Time Warner, News Corp., and Viacom--to dominate the media.
Conglomeration encourages cultural homogenization and consumerism. … An
article examines how Time Warner's HBO is behaving abroad.
The company used American-style lobbying to bully Hungary into reversing
Hungarian TV's content quotas. … A piece explains how to sustain independent journalism. Media
pluralism is vital to democracy. Using the Web, alternative outlets can
exchange content with international partners.
Weekly Standard ,
Nov. 22
The
cover story describes the implosion at Hillsdale, the
nation's premier conservative college. Headed by George Roche, Hillsdale
positioned itself as a bastion of traditional values. Roche resigned last week
when the college learned that he had been having an affair with his
daughter-in-law--a fact that came to light after she committed suicide on
campus. Roche's resignation statement read: "We have proven that integrity,
values, and courage can still triumph in a corrupt world." The college refuses
to repudiate its ex-president. … An article calls for an overhaul of antitrust law. The
Microsoft case demonstrates that antitrust statutes punish dominant market
players and should be more laissez-fare. (Read
Slate
's "" on the
Microsoft case.)
