Morbid Major Magazine Song

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A musical list of the names of defunct magazines.

(To the tune of I Am a Very Model of A Modern Major General by Gilbert & Sullivan)
By Bill Dyszel
The many paper publications writers once were writing for
Have mostly disappeared and left a handful all are fighting for
They went by names like Mirabella, Cosmo Girl, and Living Well
Amazing Stories, Omni, and Organic Style and Mademoiselle
And Spirit of Aloha, which you may perchance have read in flight
And also Windows Sources, HomePC, Musician, Cue and Byte
And 7 Days and Audio, and Quick and Simple and Cachet
And, PC Magazine, but no understood that anyway.
When Budget Living says they’re broke, you know conditions aren’t so nice.
And don’t forget Success, whose claim to fame is that they failed twice.
McCalls, Industry Standard, House & Garden all have gone away
And Rosie sank as fast and deep as Underwater USA.

When Country Journal, Harper’s, Jewish Woman, Coronet and Mode
Have followed New Age Journal as they all were flushed down some commode
When Blueprints future plans have all been relegated to the past
And National Lampoon will surely not be who is laughing last.
When Women’s Sports and Fitness, Golf for Women, Gusto, Sync and Spy
Are only sold along with Lifetime at that newsstand in the sky
All writers start to fear that their careers are headed for the drain
A lot like Talk and Child and Life and Look and Lear’s and George and Jane.
The experts all are telling us that in our brave new century
There’ll be new opportunities exciting and adventur-y
But to a freelance writer none of this may seem too funny,
Cause you know the next to go will close up shop and owe you money.

(Created for the 60 Anniversary of the American Society of Journalists and Authors)

Duration : 0:2:34


[youtube EjlvYOmXLc8]

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13 Responses to Morbid Major Magazine Song

  1. arsenal22960 says:

    better to laugh …
    better to laugh than cry… says one Photoshopped out of existence. brilliant.

    so, we’re supposed to take the laptop into the lavatory, now?

  2. cinemasolo says:

    Thanks for …
    Thanks for commenting. You’re right – it’s sad, especially for all the people who worked at those magazines. It’s a really tough haul for them.

  3. coloraturaLinda says:

    As a fellow …
    As a fellow freelance writer, I found this entertaining… but with a sad truth behind it all.

  4. cinemasolo says:

    Thanks, it’s …
    Thanks, it’s definitely gallows humor. I wish another kind were available. -bd

  5. cinemasolo says:

    Ain’t no ‘splainin’ …
    Ain’t no ‘splainin’ this stuff! Thanks for watching! -bd

  6. cinemasolo says:

    Me too! Hang in …
    Me too! Hang in there! -bd

  7. cinemasolo says:

    Why bother? They’re …
    Why bother? They’re exterminating themselves.

  8. JPSensei07 says:

    YES! magazines need …
    YES! magazines need to be exterminated

  9. AttractionsMagazine says:

    So sad. I hope ours …
    So sad. I hope ours is never added to the list.

  10. scrbblr says:

    Yeah, I too noticed …
    Yeah, I too noticed the mistaken inclusion of Harper’s. Funnily enough, it’s the one title I wish WOULD go out business, but it’s supported by lefty foundation money. That’s one way magazines may cling to life.

  11. bfwebster says:

    As a writer, I find …
    As a writer, I find this both very funny and very painful, which I’m sure was the intent. Great, great song and video. ..bruce..

  12. cinemasolo says:

    Good catch – I …
    Good catch – I should have said “Harper’s Weekly,” a different publication which has come and gone from time to time since the 19th century, but is currently gone. I put up the wrong cover. I’ll fix that in the director’s cut.

  13. SubmarinerAndroid says:

    Harper’s didn’t go …
    Harper’s didn’t go out of business.