Discussion: TIME magazine covers: US vs foreign editions

Goosey

Ch...

It seems like the American editions are being deliberately dumbed down!

They're ignoring important issues and feeding the US public this watered-down pablum...

I don't get it.

Just a few comparisons...

Onion Girl

Uh.. we talk about the important issues in the world though..
Can't be bothered by that other crap.

Black Beauty

That's really tragic.

It's easiest to control the dumbest, I guess.

Dancehall

The content is almost completely the same.

Whorehaus of Gaga

Shocking

TikiMiss

Well...they're fighting for magazine rack space with The New Yorker and her provocative covers

Tropez

Not really. I have a subscription and it's not like that content wise.

NewRihannaStan

Time still talks about the issues the covers are just different

GreasyBruce

This is the norm, no offense but throughout the world Americans have a reputation for being unintelligent and for lacking sophistication.

That's why even if the content is the same they dumb down the presentation because otherwise they think it will be too complicated. Same reason why they changed the first Harry Potter to "Sorcerer's Stone" instead of "Philosopher's Stone", because UK publisher Bloomsbury assumed American children were too ignorant to know that a philosopher was.

In this case Time Magazine assumed Americans would be more enthralled with mundane topics and catchy taglines rather than serious world events.

Tropez

Quote:

Originally posted by GreasyBruce

This is the norm, no offense but throughout the world Americans have a reputation for being unintelligent and for lacking sophistication.

You're basing that on covers though? Have you opened a US Time magazine? It's the same thing, the covers are that way because there will be dozens of covers at a stand with the same topic. You have to stand out considering the fact that most articles are read online. This thread is a classic example of not judging a book by its cover.

IsidoraMarí

Quote:

Originally posted by GreasyBruce

This is the norm, no offense but throughout the world Americans have a reputation for being unintelligent and for lacking sophistication.

That's why even if the content is the same they dumb down the presentation because otherwise they think it will be too complicated. Same reason why they changed the first Harry Potter to "Sorcerer's Stone" instead of "Philosopher's Stone", because UK publisher Bloomsbury assumed American children were too ignorant to know that a philosopher was.

drag..

Damien M

Lol its called market branding.
They're not necessarily dumbed down, but certain topics, fonts, colors appeal to certain demographics more.
-
They're aware that the average conservative American would shy away from a cover reading ''ISLAM'', while liberal Europe would have no problem with it.
Content remains the same, anyway.

TikiMiss

Quote:

Originally posted by Damien M

Lol its called market branding.
They're not necessarily dumbed down, but certain topics, fonts, colors appeal to certain demographics more.
-
They're aware that the average conservative American would shy away from a cover reading ''ISLAM'', while liberal Europe would have no problem with it.
Content remains the same, anyway.

oh really?

GreasyBruce

Europe is probably the most Islamophobic place in the world though

BnPac

Quote:

Originally posted by CoolestPerson12

You're basing that on covers though?

To be perfectly honest, that is indeed the reputation US Americans have across all Europe, no that I agree. It has nothing to do with this cover.

BnPac

Quote:

Originally posted by TikiMiss

oh really?

He is right though. Whether they agree or disagree, Europeans will always want to get the magazine anyway. And only then will they react either by the negative or the positive. Americans in most case will just not pick the issue at all.

And yes, France particularly is very close -minded towards Islam lately. A shame.

Goosey

Quote:

Originally posted by CoolestPerson12

You're basing that on covers though? Have you opened a US Time magazine?

Yes, I'm basing it on the covers.

The covers are the whole point - why are the covers different for Americans? What's special about Americans?

It's obvious they made the covers focus on mundane, vapid topics so these people will be more likely to buy it:

and that speaks poorly of the nation as a whole.

Damien M

Quote:

Originally posted by BnPac

He is right though. Whether they agree or disagree, Europeans will always want to get the magazine anyway. And only then will they react either by the negative or the positive. Americans in most case will just not pick the issue at all.

Exactly.

-brian

Quote:

Originally posted by Black Beauty

That's really tragic.

It's easiest to control the dumbest, I guess.

Quote:

Originally posted by *****haus of Gaga

Shocking

Quote:

Originally posted by GreasyBruce

This is the norm, no offense but throughout the world Americans have a reputation for being unintelligent and for lacking sophistication.

That's why even if the content is the same they dumb down the presentation because otherwise they think it will be too complicated. Same reason why they changed the first Harry Potter to "Sorcerer's Stone" instead of "Philosopher's Stone", because UK publisher Bloomsbury assumed American children were too ignorant to know that a philosopher was.

In this case Time Magazine assumed Americans would be more enthralled with mundane topics and catchy taglines rather than serious world events.

Quote:

Originally posted by Goosey

Yes, I'm basing it on the covers.

The covers are the whole point - why are the covers different for Americans? What's special about Americans?

It's obvious they made the covers focus on mundane, vapid topics so these people will be more likely to buy it

and that speaks poorly of the nation as a whole.

I'll be back in 5 minutes

-brian

Whoever made this is cherry picking.

http://content.time.com/time/magazin...111031,00.html US cover is about China, the rest of the world is a comic strip character
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...100308,00.html I guess Europe is dumbed down?
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...080825,00.html I guess Asia is dumbed down?

More:
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...090629,00.html
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...110425,00.html
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...110321,00.html
http://content.time.com/time/magazin...101108,00.html

Not to mention, sometimes US-based TIME magazine sends out issues to the rest of the world at different times. Example: http://content.time.com/time/magazin...111114,00.html. The "Why Mom Liked You Best" one in the OP was sent to the rest of the world a month later.