There’s some hiring, firing drama over at New York fag rag HX. And this time there’s a tinge of nepotism.
A staffer informs us that mag founder Matthew Bank today sacked designer John Agnesini, the man who’s suing Subway for that whole knife-in-sandwich scandal.
While it’s not unusual for HX to off staffers, the Agnesini firing smells fishier than the rest. You see, rather than hiring a run of the mill designer, Bank instead chose his boyfriend, Peter Hemmel, who recently lost his design director gig over at Glamour.
Himmel, however, will allegedly only occupy the slot for a month.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Disclosure: our editor once worked for HX. And, no, he wasn’t fired.
mindgrapes
i worked there, too, a long time ago. not to bite the hand that fed me, but since they kept cutting my pay until it was almost nonexistent: mb is kind of a scumbag and the office had a sleazy (not sexual sleazy, but just kind of, i don’t know, oily) vibe.
Mary Poppins
Ahhh, figures that fat ass Bank would destroy yet another career, I can guarantee that Agnesini wasn’t even getting paid what he was worth to begin with. They should have fired that nasty infection that sits at the front desk or that kilt-wearing troll that runs the Expo division. That company is nothing but bad news!!
Brian Maroney
So they fired their design guy in NY. Will Dean the design manager in their floundering Boston operation be next? He’s one of the only ones left from when the former In Newsweekly was making money which is more than they can say now.
spider
I use to work for Matthew Bank and I know in one day he eliminated one of his publications and 4 employees with no warning so this comes to no surprise to me.
Tim
I interviewed and was offered a job there over a year ago but—YUCK—what a skeezy skeeavy sleazy vibe. Just no way ever. Couldn’t wait to get the hell out of the door.
Publishing is a nasty biz these days
Does this surprise anyone who knows how cut throat this business has become as the metrics have deteriorated so over the last several years?
Get a job in something with a future, people, because it ain’t in gay rags, sadly.
Hells Kitchen Guy
HX Just hired a real cute guy that is not Matthew’s BF – what a stupid story.
SexintheCity
I have never been to Boston, does the publication there look like HX? Do employees work on both mags? That would be a fun job. So many bitter people out there.
The Receptionist
Lets get one thing clear…John Agnesini aka “Mary Poppins” was fired not because Matthew Bank is hiring his bf, but because John Agnesini is a talentless troglodyte who will never get hired at Martha Stewart! Period. So…BITCH – get on that unemployment line quick and keep counting those weight watcher points! OK?????
retrofit71
What a douchebag Matthew and his boyfriend Peter are.. So, Peter gets laid off from Glamour, and Matthew fires someone at HX so his boyfriend can get a job? Truly a sleazeball move, but not at all surprising.
Infelix
HX, the pieciest of shit of all the piece of shit gay rags. Seriously, the dregs.
The Receptionist
Ok…I was a bit harsh….she’s not talentless! But definitely LAZY…otherwise Matthew would have never have fired him! And just for the record readers….Matthew did not hire his BF!!! And one last bit… he’s doing something right – the company has been in business for 17 years and affords him a very nice lifestyle. Come again??
Not The Receptionist
Lazy is an understatement.
Has she started the fake Craigslist posting like she did when she worked for us? That Mary is a little unstable ya know.
Anyway, as Andrew should know since he’s a former HXer himself, the print industry is a very fluid job market whether you are in sales or production. People get hired to come in and redesign the entire magazine an dpeople get laid off in the process. People can’t sell ads well enough and they get laid off or fired. This isn’t really new news. Just Andrew being a petty little bitch probably reporting what Agnesini told him and being the whore that he is, Andrew just lapped it up like a kitten to a bowl of milk.
So don’t apologize Receptionist. Keep telling the truth.
Dr Jon
I’m just curious, Mary (aka John). Why should they have fired the infection or the troll? Sounds like the only person who destroyed their career was you (since I too am an HX staffer). Sure, the infection can be a little intense sometimes and the troll annoying, but they both work hard at their job and do what is asked of them and more. You were not easy to work with either and all of those lovely Craigslist postings about free beer and free office furniture that you posted weren’t funny either. I guess you want another restraining order against you.
Ass.
Brandon Voss
The new designer is great, and we all really appreciate his positive attitude! And he doesn’t yell at me and tell me that I’m only “in charge of the words” when I give him constructive criticism, so I actually look forward to going to work again! Hope everyone enjoys the ish.
Bastard Step Child
Interesting that Queerty hasn’t posted a retraction that Peter isn’t working at HX and that they were wrong.
Actually it’s not interesting….that would require actual ethics on their part.