Essay 1629

Change happens in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Ebony magazine has new blood. This month, Harriette Cole was named Ebony’s creative director. Cole is an etiquette advisor and author, currently writing a syndicated column for the New York Daily News. “What we have to do is get that younger reader to pick [Ebony] up,” said Cole. “Is it relevant for the younger reader? I would say yes, but when you go to the newsstand and have 100 titles to choose from, what are you choosing? We need to redesign.” Although Johnson Publishing Company, which publishes Ebony and Jet magazines, is headquartered in Chicago, Cole will work from New York. Vice President and Editorial Director Brian Monroe was hired last August by Johnson Publishing Company President and CEO Linda Johnson Rice. “[Ebony and Jet] have been successful for 60 years in the Black community, but in the last decade or so, they’ve gotten a little bit stagnant,” said Monroe. “The [February issue of Ebony] exemplifies where we’re headed. We are going to be newsy and timely, but we also want to be fun. … You’ll be seeing a lot of changes over the next 12 months. Black America is ready for a new Jet, a new Ebony.” Hey, Black America’s been ready for quite some time. The question has always been: Is Johnson Publishing Company ready?

• Mickey D’s has allegedly concocted a trans-fat-free oil that the company feels works with its World-famous french fries. Secret tests were conducted last summer, and the fast feeder is allegedly supplying about 1,200 restaurants with the amazing oil. However, company officials said it won’t go global until early 2008. “We don’t want to jeopardize the iconic nature of the french fry, which is so important to our brand,” said McDonald's chief executive. “Yet we have a responsibility to serve the best french fry … that balances between value and nutrition.” Of course, Mickey D’s will define the balances on its own dubious scales.

• A blogger in China sparked huge reactions when he called for Starbucks to shutter its restaurant in the Forbidden City, Beijing’s imperial palace. A Starbucks statement insists the company “appreciates the deep history and culture of the Forbidden City and has operated in a respectful manner that fits within the environment.” The blogger, who is actually surprised over the furor he created, said, “This is not an issue of nationalism. The message I am trying to send is about preservation of our national heritage. I am totally in favor of globalization. And China is in favor of globalization.” The Starbucks will probably be replaced by a McDonald’s.