Last week on page 11, as editor I okayed an ad for Creaoke to which some have taken great offense. The ad featured members of a nefarious group and a confederate flag and dealt with their reaction to Condoleezza Rice's appointment to the position of secretary of state. The ad, while visually offensive was a satire commenting on the reaction of a certain undereducated sector of American society to the success of a high-profile African-American woman. The ad went so far as to refer to this group as 'asshole', 'idiot', 'krazy' and 'kousinfuckin''. The ad was in no way meant to promote or defend the beliefs or actions of the group and was only meant to skewer them.
That being said, it was never my intention to cause anyone any kind of mental harm by presenting such imflammatory images in Nightspots magazine.
In my time as editor, I have learned that controversy sells. It gets people talking. I have never in the past shyed away from poking fun at the foibles and idiosyncracies of our community ( Gay, Chicago, American, world, etc. ) . I felt at the time that the ad in question was within that sphere of satire acceptable to ignite conversation. Now I see I was mistaken.
As an African-American male, I too am upset by the group in question and deeply disturbed by their gross history of violence and bloodshed. Had I thought that the ad would have been taken as anything other than the satire it set out to be, I would not have given it my OK.
This will not change my attitude and vision for the magazine as a cutting-edge voice. I will certainly exercise more caution in the future where it comes to such a sensitive subject.
Once again, to anyone I have upset with this matter, I am deeply sorry and hope you will continue to pick up Nightspots. You never know what you'll see!
OK, my Dan Rather moment is over now.
kirk@windycitymediagroup.com