The Aughts in Review

Atop the heap of retrospectives for the decade that just ended (or didn't) lies this gem from the Magazine Publishers Association and American Society of Magazine Editors. "Covering the Decade in Magazine Covers" is a 10-year recap spoken in through the language of newsstands.

Obvious in this romp is the reliance on celebrity-image-driven design over a thoughtful inspection of the more complex and thought-provoking issues we face. For instance, we happen to think this image does more to capture the entirety of the social climate of the 2000s than any image of, say, Ms. Hilton or Ms. Spears. Yet nothing like it is to be found in the video. Indeed, this retrospective reminds us that the cult of personality dominates over substance on today's newsstand. If magazines themselves are to live to see the end of this decade, perhaps it's time they themselves become a little more substantive.