There it is: the first Genre cover under lady-loving EIC Neal Boulton. From what we hear, Boulton and design director Willy Gutierrez have sliced the monthly fag rag into core sections, which will be dominated by sex, fashion, fitness and entertainment.
We spoke with Boulton recently to get his take on the mag’s relaunch. That conversation – and our analysis of Genre‘s new direction – will be published next week. While you’re waiting with bated breath, check out these shots from inside the forthcoming issue, which hits stands September 28th.
Leland Frances
We confess. We didn’t think it possible for any of the mindless fag rags to become any faggier or cheesier or irrelevant, but the new thugs at Genre have proved us wrong. Regardless of what your forthcoming evaluation of what you laughingly call their “new direction” [too much more of the SAME is a better description], we fail to understand why you are giving them free publicity instead of reminding your readers of the allegations that the very rich owner filed bankruptcy to get out of paying various creditors who trusted him.
With the Advocate having imploding into worthlessness given their recent absurd and illogical “heroes” list, gays are now in a virtual intellectual famine for print outlets that might speak to something other than their dicks.
westside
Very nice, very nice. LOVED the old GENRE, I’m sure I’ll love the new GENRE. It’ll be refreshing in the gay market.
Dawster
half naked man? [check]
large fonts? [check]
something about body image? (for men it would be pic of abs or the word “abs”) [check, check]
a number? (cuz all magazine covers have to have a large print number somewhere) [check]
underwear reference? [check]
okay. so… it’s the same old crap that is on EVERY OTHER MAGAZINE from Cosmo to Advocate. bold colors, big fonts, annoying fluff… and a complete lack of content.
lack of content means a lack of power. it may be superficially entertaining… but will it matter – like really matter? i can’t wait to read your review…
westside
Leland Frances what do you want? It’s ENTERTAINMENT. You want news, read Washington Blade, NY Blade, NYTIMES, I don’t know.
About the politics behind the pages…who cares. I love watching movies from Hollywood and I am positive their are shady things going on. Again, it’s ENTERTAINMENT. Mindless entertainment.
Gregg
Genre is fluff to be sure. But I’m liking the new design.
Qjersey
I’m no hippie, but REALLY tired of these fag rags telling us “how to be gay” which basically means being a total consumerist homo who aspires to look like a porn star (and wear clothes you would NEVER see anyone sporting in a gay bar!).
ggreen
Genre is a sign of the times. All the photos are digitally enhanced to a point where they barely even look like humans (Fags love that). All the fluff content can be read during an average bowel movement but is rarely as satisfying. (Fags love that too). The magazine appeals to the viewpoint “I’m entitled and fabulous everyone else sucks†(Fags really love that). Come on folks what would you expect when every gay man you meet thinks he’s Paris Hilton?
Gregoire
Good grief, you people complain too much. Women have dozens of fluff magazines like this. Cant the gays have at least one or two? Can you think of a better magazine suited for doctor’s waiting rooms?
Reader
ggreen – if you are are reading this – then you are a “fag.” Not all of us like Paris Hilton or are suffering from body insecurity – apparently, like you do. Rags do not tell us “how to be gay” Qjersey – they show us how other gay people are living – those outside the confines of your Jersey existence. Mindless yes. These guys are not solving cancer – but what is wrong with a diversion to some of the shit we all live with as gay men and women?
nyboytrbl
ggreen – if you are are reading this – then you are a “fag.” Not all of us like Paris Hilton or are suffering from body insecurity – apparently, like you do. Rags do not tell us “how to be gay” Qjersey – they show us how other gay people are living – those outside the confines of your Jersey existence. Mindless yes. These guys are not solving cancer – but what is wrong with a diversion to some of the shit we all live with as gay men and women?
You go Gregoire!!!
Jack Jett
I dig the design of the cover. It is kind of got a 70’s gay vibe and I am a 70’s sort of hippie.
However, I do wish we could get beyond abs and fashion. The only way you would see someone wearing these clothes is if you were on the set of the photo shoot that day.
Just look at some of the issues discussed on this blog over the last few weeks and you could find more interesting bits to write about.
To some of us, a six pack, is a six pack of Corona, which by the way you can currently purchase at Albertson’s for the same price as a Genre magazine. I saw the ad in the paper and thought it was fucking hawwwwt!
Jack Jett
afrolito
Loving the new layout and design. Genre is, and has always been a fluff lifestyle mag for gay guys. Pure entertainment, and I love it for that reason. My only quibble is the lack of diversity in their use of models, but that’s a widespread problem in gay media…generally speaking.
nyboytrbl
Bravo, afrolito. As a boy of color, I agree. Advocate had a bit of diversity peppered into its 40th Anniversary Cover – but it really had not choice, because there have been minorities that have made a difference. A hot Latino model on the cover of Genre would be SWEET!
eireapparent
It’s great to see so many people agreeing that this shite has grown tedious. Yet still these magazines refuse to listen to their readership, instead choosing to continue down their didactic road to ruin and bankruptcy. They should reflect the consumer not serve as the bitch of corporate ad dollars. I agree with several posters: I’m tired of being told what $300 dollar pair of jeans to waste my hard-earned money on. True, I never bought them but I’m just tired of hearing about it. As far a checking out other rags, they’re all the same now. And if The Advocate gets any thinner, Nichole Ritchie is going to start looking like Oprah. Content belongs to the blogs – print better wake the f**k up.
Qjersey
nyboytrbl…
Jersey bashing is so typical… and juvenile and usually done by people who grew up no where near NYC.
If it weren’t for the invisible state line down the hudson river, North Jersey would be just as much a part of NYC as are the outer boroughs and Long Island.
and yes they are telling us how to be gay, or at least a hot gay.
whywhyzed
Great, another airhead magazine to keep the Gays shopping and obsessing about being imperfect instead of actually trying to get rights… Marriage equality? Who cares? How do my abs look?
“How to drink hard and stay lean”?? Yep – nothing more important than becoming a thin alcoholic – gotta support those bars…
“Get your beads, New Orleans is back”?? Don’t let a little reality get in your way…
And I feel sorry for anyone who needs a magazine to see themselves as a “hot gay”…
designerman
I can’t wait to get my new issue of ‘Ab Fab.’
thequeerest
I’ve seen the actual issue and it’s actually kind of amazing. Boulton comes compeltely clean about his entire life in the editor’s letter and has a hell of alot of positive bold stuff to say about gayness in our country.
womenwhosleepwithneal
Neal Boulton is an opportunist, no, a character actor, who is ‘playing’ the gay community, so that he can claim with yet another successful magazine relaunch to his resume. The truth is that Jann Wenner was not Neal Boulton’s biggest secret, nor is the fact that he sleeps with men, it’s THE FACT that that he continues to sleep with tons of women, as he has throughout his entire marriage. I am only one of many who know. The only thing going for Neal Boulton is that he is a greay lay!
zoeystilllovesneal
you misspelled GREAT. I will second that. He may love men – but he was great with me!
ggreen
Besides looking and acting like Paris Hilton most post Reagan gay guys don’t have the vaguest idea what a man looks like. Most are into “girl on girl†sex because all the men they are used to seeing are the Chi Chi LaRue fembot kind. If six pack abs and a vacant vacuous look were truly the sign of a man there would be no such thing as an “insatiable bottomâ€. The advent of Viagra simply gave some gays another reason to feel superior to others because now they could get a synthetic erection. In reality it gave them the opportunity to be some one that they aren’t (yet again) and to feel bad about who they really are.
hisurfer
I need to get out more. I’ve never met a fag who looks and acts like Paris Hilton. I don’t know what a Chi Chi La Rue fembot is. The only synthetic erections I’ve seen were strap-on dildos at the adult bookstore, and I thought those were for straight guys & some lesbians. I feel so provincial. You must tell us what town you’re from, ggreen. It sounds way freakier than any place I’ve been.
ggreen
Hisurfer: I don’t think it is geography you are lacking, its mental boundaries. One end of your imagination is at “rock†while the other end is at “hard placeâ€.
anthoine
It’s just amazing how easy it is for people to just find joy in putting people down. I know nothing about this Neal guy, but come on, give him a break.
You can criticize him all you want, bitch and moan, but while you’re completely wasting your time trashing him, he’s probably somewhere having a great time, as he should.
Genre looks the best it has ever looked and I have been a reader for the past 6 years. Sure it could be a little better, content wise, but for the first time I can say that a gay men magazine does have the potential, at least visually, to compete with other mainstream magazines. Isn’t anyone proud about that? Talk about self hatred. How can we expect straight people to treat us fair if we ourselves trash each other??? Come on. It’s called constructive criticism.