CityBeat changes Savage Love to website-only status

[bwingrave]

One of Cincinnati's alternative newspapers, CityBeat, has recently decided to take "Savage Love", a sex column written by Dan Savage (a gay man), out of the print editions of the paper and leave it on their website. The reason given for doing this is a desire on the part of the paper for increased distribution.

I believe that Kroger may have had a hand in this decision when it kicked the paper out of its local stores a few years ago as a result of a "Savage Love" column deemed offensive to its customers. It remains to be seen whether the chain will allow the paper to be distributed at its locations, now that the offensive column has been removed.

Letters to the editor appear to be uniformly against the decision to take the column out of the print editions.

Your thoughts?

b

http://www.citybeat.com/2003-08-27/letters.shtml
http://www.citybeat.com/2003-08-27/savagelove.shtml

[Sindi]

That sucks, that column is always really funny. I noticed the Subway where I usually pick up my copy of Citybeat stopped carrying them awhile ago but I didn't ask why.

I am surprised the magazine took out the column. I thought that was exactly the kind of thing that Citybeat stood for.

Krogers won't even display Cosmopolitan magazine without a carboard cover blocking the model on the front because someone complained.

[classicgrrl]

that REALLY sucks. fuck krogers! that is a great column...i may have to write a letter in regards to this.

sometimes cincy just drives me nuts with how idiotically backward it is!

[doctort13]

Citybeat is just following the lead of so many other things in Cincinnati, down the @#$! drain.


I'll be glad when I am gone.

It seems as if The Enquirer wants a slice of the "alternative weekly" ad sales pie.

As reported by The Post:
http://www.cincypost.com/2003/08/26/week082603.html

[Juliana]

CB didn't even print the full column anyway. I always check Savage Love at the Onion AV page. This link should work.

Savage Love (http://www.theonionavclub.com/current_savage.html)

I have never really liked CB, but the times I do pick it up, it's mostly for City Life and Straight Dope

[bwingrave]

Here's a followup:

John Fox is CityBeat's editor. He reports that an organization called "Citizens for Community Values" has targeted his paper in a letter-writing campaign. CCV seems intent on removing CityBeat from as many free distribution points as possible. Why? Because of the paper's former inclusion of Savage Love, a frank sex/relationships column written by a gay man.

In last Wednesday's issue, Fox asked readers to write letters in support of the paper. If you appreciate CityBeat's alternative perspectives on Cincinnati, check out the link below and see what you can do to help out.

http://www.citybeat.com/2003-09-24/editorial.shtml

[Bronzetree]

The CCV is an invasive force for evil who should be stopped at all costs. I don't even really read CityBeat anymore (no time), but I'll do what I can to support them. I urge the rest of you to do the same.

[supra-genius]

CCV, the same wonderful people who dont want you to watch "adult" movies in your hotel room, they dont want you to be able to buy fun toys for your bedroom and they definatly dont want you to look at explicit art. I have one question, why does some jackass from Blue Ash want to take such an interest in what I do in my bedroom? Dan SAvage is hilarious and thank god for the Village Voice (http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0340/savage.php) and why you are there, check out Tristan Taormino's column...

[alternachild]

No sex shops in Cincinnati, no porn in hotel rooms, and now this??

*watches us timetravel to the 1950's*

[doctort13]

Perhaps we could convince the Enquirer's hip n' happenin' "alternative weekly" (http://www.cinweekly.com) to pick up Dan Savage?

;)

[Fitz]

the line between liberal and conservative blurs ever more.

when a decision is made to please a minority of people and make them feel "safe" from offensive ideas, opinions and objects then everyone's freedom suffers. jesus on a stick why can't these people just turn the other cheek!

maybe if ads were pulled in response to stupid reactionary decisions like this then the alt weeklys would wake up and actually be alt. but that won't happen, would it?

cincy needs a good, down and dirty, heads banging the head board, scratches down the back, bite marked, hand print on ass f*ck session. either that or just some viagra in the water.