If nothing else, Goldstein's article demonstrates plainly that treating such pop-culture burps as anything more than entertainment is futile and a waste of time. Fortunately, the Village Voice does give some editorial space to legitimate issues, such as Sharon Lerner's intelligent article on gender inequity in health-care costs in general and legislation that would require health insurers to cover the cost of the birth control pill in particular. Or the largely anecdotal, but nonetheless poignant writing by Eileen Sutton and Karen Houppert on how laws meant to protect battered women are actually harming them. I realize that such topics aren't quite as reader-enticing as a discussion of the sexuality of an animated character, but they're worth reading. Young people were starved for a smart and vibrant magazine, not another crass promotional vehicle.
Nobody knows why.
Publishing is a business, after all. Speak itself seems to be funded almost entirely by the tobacco industry. Alas, there are no easy answers. You either have to lower your standards or reduce your expectations of success. All rights reserved.