Rolling Stone RIP

Rolling Stone is an iconic American music magazine, so perhaps it stands to reason that it morphs with the times.

However, this time RS has gone too far.

This month’s cover story is about MTV’s “reality” show ‘The Hills.’ Featured on the cover are the show’s “stars” wearing next to nothing.

What little respect I had for RS went out the window when I saw this pathetic pandering to the dumbing down of America culture.

I, like many music fans, grew up reading RS which was hit or miss even then. The Hunter S. Thompson and Anne Lebowitz days were long gone by the time I became a regular reader.

Some of RS’s top 500 lists are interesting to peruse, and every once and a while there will be a somewhat informative piece of journalism. But all in all Rolling Stone has taken a turn towards placating readers with glossy photos, rather than provide them with informative articles on relevant issues.

The demise of RS can be traced to the 90s when, in an effort to target younger readers, Ed Needham, former FHM editor, was hired.

The difference before Needham’s presence and after is drastic in terms of the content and cleavage in the magazine.

RS has been using the “sex sells” motto for years since then, but apparently editors now think their readers are gullible enough to believe that ‘The Hills’ is a show they “love to hate.”

I’m not arguing that millions of people actually love this show, they clearly do because it is still on TV, I’m saying this story should be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly not RS.

‘The Hills’ has no relevance to music or RS readers. And, even if it sells a million copies, in my mind RS can Rest in Peace.