Why I’m canceling my SI subscription
I am going to let my subscription to Sports Illustrated lapse when it runs out this year. I hope lots of other people will do the same. Like too many other publications, the magazine has become dishonest, dishonorable and even occasionally despicable in its conformist, lockstep left-wing bias. Republican politicians and conservative positions are routinely insulted in articles having nothing to do with either. Yawn-inducing left wing predictability is brought to the discussion of every issue. No SI writer is allowed to disagree with leftism ever. Despite its great photographs and occasionally good athlete profiles, the magazine has remade itself into crap in the name of political conformity.
For me, the Super Bowl issue with its smarmy and poorly reported article on religion in football was the last straw. The article was not an offense to God, it was an offense to journalism. Mark Oppenheimer, a left wing anti-religion writer for the left wing New York Times, among other left wing venues, does the left wing hit job on football players of faith. Not surprisingly, he is also the author of a hagiography of the Christian-bashing gay bully Dan Savage. (This blog has always supported gays and gay rights, but to my mind, Savage has no more place in serious debate than the Westboro Baptist gang.)
Blowback
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Gotta be kidding me…
I’ve subscribed to SI for most of my life, and the only times I’ve briefly canceled it is when the writing/reporting sucked.
One of the reasons I like SI is that it remarkably stays out of politics. The only one time I ever was annoyed with it in a political perspective was a number of years ago they wrote an article about how global warming was going to affect sports, as if global warming is a certainty.
Other than that, I can’t think of anything else they’ve done with a left-wing bias. Then again, perhaps I’m not looking to be offended by someone/something every day?
asc85 on February 4, 2013 at 4:01 PM
Yep. I haven’t had a subscription in years but when I was at the doctor’s office a while back I picked up a copy and was astounded at how liberal it had become. I can’t remember the article I was reading, had something to do with baseball, and somehow they were throwing digs at Romney that didn’t even make sense for the article.
And they had a “climate change” article on it’s impact on sports. I was really put off by it and decided then I wouldn’t be interested in Sports Illustrated any more.
ButterflyDragon on February 4, 2013 at 4:02 PM
if i had a shot for every ‘left wing’ reference in that article…
gatorboy on February 4, 2013 at 4:04 PM
Haven’t read that article yet. I recently re-subscribed to SI though, after letting it lapse for a few years. It’s the only magazine I read now. I find a few more liberal-tilting stories than in the past, but it’s pretty easy to just skip them and get to the better stuff. SI still has the best sports journalists out there, although I wasn’t too thrilled when they hired Pete Thamel from the NYT.
rockmom on February 4, 2013 at 4:05 PM
I never subscribed to SI but I did cancel Scientific American for similar reasons to those given by Klavan. It had reached the point where too many articles seemed to be preaching to a lefty choir.
Catahoula on February 4, 2013 at 4:05 PM
I got rid of Scientific American, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and The Economist for similar reasons over the past 10 years or so.
crosspatch on February 4, 2013 at 4:08 PM
Precious:)
Clink on February 4, 2013 at 4:12 PM
I forgot about that ridiculous article on climate change. I had to read it twice to decide whether or not it was actually a parody. But they did get a mountain of letters from readers complaining about it.
rockmom on February 4, 2013 at 4:14 PM
I think the last time I read SI was when George Blanda was the greatest thing since toilet paper.
Limerick on February 4, 2013 at 4:15 PM
Best part of this article is inspiring the idea of a steel cage match between Dan Savage and the Westboro Baptists.
They deserve each other, for eternity.
somewhatconcerned on February 4, 2013 at 4:19 PM
I really liked Sports Illustrated growing up, because of its in-depth stories on teams, players, & leagues that I couldn’t get from the local sports section. Over time I lost touch with it, when I started getting access to cable sports, and eventually the internet.
As a college student I really liked Rolling Stone and had a subscription, but over time started to see their leftism infecting their coverage. For the first few months I read each issue cover to cover. Eventually I made a decision to let that subscription expire, and I didn’t miss it.
22044 on February 4, 2013 at 4:20 PM
You’ve just described why I longer subscribe to any women’s magazines as well. Left wing crap with Michelle Obama on the cover every other month. I can deal with shallow, just not with stupid.
ktrich on February 4, 2013 at 4:25 PM
I enjoy reading old magazines. The writing is superior. The articles are interesting and informative. Of course, yes, it’s all history. But that’s the point. History is being rewritten.
I have about 60-80 Popular Mechanics.. clear back to early or mid 30′s They are incredible to read. What a contrast on so many different levels compared to anything today. They are filled with scientific inventions and projects going on all around the country as well as in people’s barns and basements.
They are a snapshot of what America used to be. Average people dreaming and accomplishing big things…. on their own!
For instance, very common to find many stories of, say, some middle aged farmer and his son who built their own bi-plane or some guy who build a 10 ft. steam ship model from scratch. something that looks like it should be in the Smithsonian or something… and it’s just every day Americans.
Compare that to a Pop. Mech. today and there’s nothing there. Today you find some military news or some new warship and a few stories on some tech or something.. and that’s it.
JellyToast on February 4, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Sports Illustrated is a Time Warner publication – what more need be said?
Pork-Chop on February 4, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Yes Ktrich -no more fashion magazines for me. They always subtly dig at Republicans. There are so many TV shows I don’t watch for the same reason. The list of actor and actresses I won’t pay to see is so long I never ever go to the movies anymore.
I turned off the halftime-screw Beyonce for her nasty “mittens” comment after the election. Civility is dead.
Ricki on February 4, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Same here. I was a longtime reader of Popular Science, but the greenies have taken over. They just can’t leave well enough alone, can they? Hope they all go the way of Newsweek.
Sir Loin on February 4, 2013 at 4:38 PM
Used to subscribe to 11 magazines per month(!).
Today: Zero.
albill on February 4, 2013 at 4:39 PM
This is what needs to happen.
Boycott and replace. Or takeover if possible.
The media is corrupt.
We need to do the same to advertisers too. It we need to organize this to strengthen the impact.
GardenGnome on February 4, 2013 at 4:44 PM
People say boycotts don’t work but they do. The government believes in boycotts. They threaten them all the time. You don’t do what they want.. they withhold money.
Hollywood used to be as corrupt as it is today back in the 30′s Pre-code Hollywood. It changed when the Catholic church and other churches passed out petitions and pledges… and their congregations signed them “No more movies.” Hollywood caved. Now we think of black and white movies as having some morals.. but that was in response to a public boycott.
JellyToast on February 4, 2013 at 4:51 PM
It’s only going to get worse as the major newspapers continue to shrink. The refugees will flee the sinking ships and take refuge with the most profitable print alternative. Not that it will remain profitable for long…
Kinda the way all the leftists fleeing the wrecks they made are turning Virginia and Colorado blue.
DRPrice on February 4, 2013 at 4:54 PM
After Scientific American printed a delusional article by wind/solar zealot Mark Z. Jacobson, I read a response by the elder statesman of the Canadian nuclear community (it was a private post to an invite only Canadian Nuclear Society e-mail list, I won’t reveal his name but if you’re familiar with the CANDU community, you’ll probably easily guess who it is) wherein he said “Sci-Am needs to change its name to “Sci-Fi”.
Alberta_Patriot on February 4, 2013 at 5:09 PM
I reached this point and came to this conculsion with almost all of media products churned out by The Party’s propaganda machine masquerading as “entertainment”, “news”, and “art” — AKA as the products of CBSABCMSNBCCNNNYTWaPo, Hollywood, etc., and their affiliates and fellow travelers in the industry on the national and local levels.
Most of it is a great big lib and lefty love fest, and it’s becoming incestuous. Even when it’s 95% non-political someone will sneak in political comments that are invariably a left wing talking point or slogan. Not to mention that gutter level “entertainment and art” products appealing to the basest lowest common denominator of the population is assumed to be the new norm. Most of modern American culture, especially pop culture, has become heavily in-your-face politically biased, self-righteous, intolerant, rude, crude, vulgar, vain, and self-centered. To make it even worse, most of it is boring, repetitive, predictable, uncreative, and unimaginative.
The frakin’ lefties and libs cannot resist the urge to make everything political and they cannot control their impulse to constantly make political and/or advocacy statements of some kind.
I avoid such people in RL as much as I can. Why would I want to read what they write and watch/listen to what they produce? It’s all the same predictable crap anyway.
farsighted on February 4, 2013 at 5:50 PM
“Look, Norman! I caught Walter!”
You’re either pulling our legs, or you’re a Leftist yourself. The fact that you don’t realize how political SI has become over the past 20 years would tend to support the latter.
Where were you in the 8 years Chimpy Bush was President? SI “Senior Editor” Peter King regularly lambasted him in his columns.
King also regularly trashes other conservatives. From his “Monday Morning Quarterback” column, March 16 2009:
“Thanks, Ann Coulter, for reveling in the decline of the liberal newspapers. Nice of you to be making the great money you obviously make while hard-working reporters and editors and photographers — from liberal and conservative papers alike — are being put on the street every day. This is a crisis without ideological fault lines, sister. And the New York Times isn’t going anywhere.”
And here’s what King wrote just this morning:
Tweet of the Week III
“Heck of a job, Brownie.”
– @ClydeHaberman, New York Times’ columnist on the Metro Desk, when the lights went down in Louisiana.
New Orleanians knew exactly what he meant. If you don’t, google it.
And longtime SI editor Frank Deford also moonlights-as an analyst for Democrat National Public Radio, where he described Tim Tebow thusly:
“a religious fundamentalist, lightning-rod misfit.”
Thanks for playing!
D-
Del Dolemonte on February 4, 2013 at 5:53 PM
I started that process around 1990. I cancelled my last “weekly news” magazine subscription — Newsweek — in 1992 right after Billy Jeff was elected. That was after the media screeched, screamed, and hand wringed for a year about how horrible the economy was and how much people were suffering. Compare and contrast with how they dealt with this much more horrible economy and the incumbent in the last election year. The difference is stark. The bias and the deliberate MSM propaganda campaign are nakedly obvious.
The Economist went shortly after that. The “don’t bother with it any longer” process has continued, the scope has widened to all media products, and it is still ongoing. Thank God for the internet.
farsighted on February 4, 2013 at 6:15 PM
Not even a free football phone would get me to subscribe to that pap.
JohnTant on February 4, 2013 at 6:20 PM
As a Kentucky fan, I’ve been boycotting that rag since the early 90′s. Their basketball writing comes from the slant that Kentucky can do no right and Duke can do no wrong. Even when players get caught owing tens of thousands of dollars on jewelry…
wildcat72 on February 4, 2013 at 6:28 PM
I’ve told this story before, but it seems so appropriate here.
I used to have a subscription to Men’s Health magazine. Early on during Obama’s first term, they put the bastard on the cover ~ a smoker, on the cover of Men’s Health Magazine!
Did they ever have Bush on the cover? No, of course not, and I don’t particularly care. At least, Dubya was into working out and being fit and hadn’t smoked in decades. But no, let’s put the stoner and the ciggy smoker on the cover of our fitness magazine.
I cancelled my subscription and told them why.
yubley on February 4, 2013 at 6:47 PM
Dad read Pop Mechanics religiously. I used to dream about making everything, and I was just a kid. Now it has an agenda
Look at who writes these mags now. NYC sharpies. Reads more like a shallow web search dump, composed by guys who should be reading, not writing the magazine. Who’s the mechanic?
There is a bunch of new ‘survival’ or ‘homesteading’ type magazines also in the stands. Some of the articles are real. A lot are fake stories about what someone could do, if they learned more somewhere else.
The biggest problem is the lack of interest by the people writing the magazines, in doing true reporting, finding the true experts, and then giving the hard facts.
The self esteem level is so high, I think they don’t know that thinking about doing something, or chewing the fat, is different from having true information to share
We have low-information reporters, today, and they do not see it
entagor on February 4, 2013 at 8:02 PM