Speak and others grapple with their demons. Or so it seemed. My response was that advertisers simply put the money where the eyeballs are. Four out of five eyeballs prefer crap to quality.
Advertisers have a job to do.
They want to reach as many eyeballs as possible, and preferably eyeballs that will be interested in what you have to sell. Hence, sports gear in Gear, cosmetics in Cosmo, and so on. If you want to have an intelligent, beautiful publication that's fine. But you shouldn't be shocked if subscription cards aren't overflowing your mailbox and advertisers aren't pounding down your door, wads of cash in hand, no strings attached. But surprise, surprise.