Ahira's Hangar

Now may be I read this all wrong, however, I have verified with the Wood TV website.

Did anyone here know that IASFM is a smut publication? I read at the Internet Review of Science Fiction www.irosf.com website that Wood TV, the 24 hr. local news and weather cable channel in Grand Rapids, MI, ran a story labeling IASFM as a smut publication!! According to the TV news story, this all came about because IASFM was a magazine available through the local school's magazine subscription fund raiser. Ordered by a local student as their own, and then this student's mother happened to review this magazine and the mother was shocked by the content she saw. As this story was aired it was revealed that the magazine drive service company, owned by Reader's Digest, has removed IASFM from their list of available magazines, unclear to me if this was the reason. Furthermore, the TV news story documented one HS principle who decided to remove the magazine from his school library's periodical list. Lastly, according to the TV news story, IASFM is adopting a policy of judging individual stories for their adult content, and then putting disclaimers on individual stories.

Duchess, since you live in Michigan, you know anything about this?

I have one sarcastic question, does the magazine subscription fund raiser company offer Cosmo?? taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 2/26/04 12:22 pm
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It's absurd, but on the other hand, I have noticed that the short fiction mags have been getting a bit more graphic over the last couple of years. I believe the words "spent prick" were used in the last issue of Asimov's I got. Not uncommon to see f*ck these days, either. I'm all for it, but I have noticed. ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two" <i></i>

And IASFM replies to Wood TV Quote:February 18th 2004
Our response to the sensationalized and highly inaccurate news report broadcast by WOOD TV's 24 Hour News 8 on February 12, 2004, stating that Asimov's is full of "stories about sex, drugs, and molestation."
The editorial offices of Asimov’s Science Fiction were contacted two weeks ago by a parent whose child had ordered the magazine through QSP, an agent that sells subscriptions through school fundraising drives. This parent then contacted her local 24-hour news station in Michigan, WOOD TV 24 Hour News 8, which proceeded to run a story last Thursday that was full of distortions, misrepresentations, and omissions. We would like to set the record straight.

When reporter Kristi Andersen called our business offices, our Associate Publisher, Chris Begley, provided her with verifiable documentation that directly contradicts the information provided in her broadcast and print reports. While Ms. Andersen said that she would let us know when the story was going to run and provide us with a way to see it, she never did provide this information.

Reporter Kristi Andersen and the News 8 anchors portrayed the QSP magazine drive as children buying and selling magazines. As a matter of fact, in this fundraising drive, students sell magazines to their family, their neighbors, and their parents’ coworkers. We reviewed the QSP catalog with the reporter and showed her that many of the magazines are for adults, including Esquire, Vogue, GQ, and Elle. As we showed the reporter, the QSP catalog has a section specifically geared to children, and indicates age-appropriate titles. Asimov’s was correctly listed in the catalog, not under "Children," but under "Science/Technology/Environmental." The reporter chose not to include this information in her report, and, in fact, said that we "did not know it was on the school magazine list."

In Ms. Andersen’s report, she stated that QSP dropped Asimov’s as a result of the parent’s complaint and News 8’s subsequent investigation, saying the "magazine has now been pulled from the list," and that "since 24 News 8 started this investigation, QSP has permanently severed its relationship" with Asimov's. In fact, we provided Ms. Andersen with documentation showing that our relationship with QSP ended several months earlier over remit rates (the amount of money the publisher receives from the agent for each subscription the agent sells), not as a result of this incident.

Reporter Kristi Andersen and the News 8 anchors portrayed Asimov’s as a pornographic magazine. They characterized it as "full of sexual content," "an adults-only magazine," and said that it "contained stories about sex, drugs, and molestation." Probably because it doesn’t fit with their one-sided characterization, they did not mention that Asimov’s is a highly respected literary magazine. Its stories have won numerous awards, including at least 40 Hugo awards and 24 Nebula awards. The magazine’s editors have received 17 Hugo awards for Best Editor. Since it was first published in 1977, Asimov's has carried stories by the leading authors in science fiction, including Joan Aiken, Brian W. Aldiss, Isaac Asimov, Gregory Benford, Pat Cadigan, Orson Scott Card, Greg Egan, Harlan Ellison, Karen Joy Fowler, William Gibson, Joe Haldeman, Janet Kagan, James Patrick Kelly, Nancy Kress, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jack McDevitt, Frederik Pohl, Mary Rosenblum, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lucius Shepard, Robert Silverberg, Brian Stableford, Bruce Sterling, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, Kate Wilhelm, Jack Williamson, Connie Willis, and Gene Wolfe. Asimov's consistently provides its readers with quality, thought-provoking fiction.


News 8 should have allowed Asimov’s Science Fiction the opportunity to respond to their characterization of our magazine, and our disappointment in their distortion of the facts is profound. In our opinion, Ms. Andersen and the News 8 channel are not practicing journalism, but sensationalism. They know, better than most, that "sex sells."


taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 2/29/04 8:54 pm
</i>

In a belated answer to your question, Taras, in this part of Michigan we get most of our news from the Detroit, Windsor, Ontario, and Toledo, Ohio TV stations. This is the first I have heard of this...

The southwestern portion of the state has a reputation as being a very conservative area...not really surprising that something like this would originate over there...

I would agree with Syl, as in it would be difficult to imagine that this magazine could be any more sexually explicit than some women's magazines such as Cosmo or Marie Claire or Jane, which give graphic advice and descriptions on specific sexual acts and practices... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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www.asimovs.com/_issue_02...ries.shtml

Ok, the above link goes to a story published in 2001 or 2002 in IASFM Stories for men by John Kessel. This particular story caused an uproar in Seaside, OR. An instructor at Seaside High School was using this story as part of the descretionary reading list for an elective literature class. A mother of one class's students read the story and found the story to be unsuitable for HS students. The parent then presented her case to the HS principal, and the principal after evaluating the situation banned the story from the class's curricula.

John Kessel, who is a faculty member at NC State University, learned of this situation and offered to go to Seaside and talk to the school's faculty, administration and parents about his novella.

To put this situation in Seaside, OR into a truly ironic context, this occured in October 2004 and the principal's decision was made during banned book week.

A version of this message was put on the Watch. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 9/7/05 4:21 pm
</i>

Asimov is a God...ANYONE who has ANY problem with ANYTHING he ever wrote is therefore an agent of The Anti-Christ...end of story.

But, by the way...I don't get Cosmo or Marie Claire or Jane...anyone care to help me out on the graphic advice and descriptions on specific sexual acts and practices.

Just a thought...

Adios
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