Social Cache.
A Nemo blog. Dealing with uncommon cents.

Back in 2006, Vanity Fair ignited an uproar with its cover featuring the naked duo of Scarlett Johansson and Kiera Knightley getting cozy with a fully clothed Tom Ford, who was about twice their age. Though the photo was beautifully shot by Annie Liebovitz, many were left wondering why Ford got to keep his clothes on.

Now comes word that the infamous cover has been spoofed by Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. Though, it’s not in the way that you would think. The guys are posed provocatively in similar positions as Johansson and Knightley, but they aren’t naked at all. Instead, they’re sporting flesh-toned bodysuits.

These guys are funny and nearly everyone featured on the cover shoot has had scenes featuring some degree of nudity in their films. Though this cover is a spoof, it’s not a very good one. Why do the guys get to stay covered up? Was the magazine afraid to show a few naked overweight men or was it up to the guys to make the decision? Do you think that there’s a double standard?

It seems like nobody has had the backbone to stand up and admit that American Vogue has lost its luster….until now. Last week, Cathy Horyn finally took the reigns and called out the stale magazine in The New York Times.

Headed by Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for the last 20 years, the pages of Vogue feel out of touch and lacking the spark that made the magazine legendary when compared to its rivals. A near-constant rotation of the same old faces on the covers (including Gisele, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman and Sienna Miller) makes you wonder if you saw the same exact issue a year ago.

Interestingly, part of the reason that Wintour has survived this long at the helm is no doubt due to her knack for keeping luxury advertisers onboard and forking over the big bucks. Her authority, knowledge and commanding presence are convincing enough to those who haven’t found the same success with their luxury goods online.

Whereas other magazines are attempting to reach out to average readers, Vogue dedicates entire pages to socialites that have no relevance and offers downright hilarious tips on dealing with the recession like featuring a $975.00 sewing kit.

Vogue needs a jolt and a freshening up, with or without Wintour.

What’s your take on the current state of American Vogue? Does it still matter?

Whereas devotees of fashion once staked out the newsstands to get their latest fix of the freshest magazines, a new movement has been rapidly gaining momentum over the last few years. Online publications designed to imitate their glossy counterparts are popping up and now receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors each month.

While fashion folks are still faithful to their printed publications, the ease and low cost of constantly updating an online version with fresh content in our blog obsessed, 24/7 society has become increasingly important. Additionally, now that many consider social networking to be a cornerstone of human interaction, most of the newer online magazines have the added advantage of allowing people to comment on articles and connect in forums. The letter to the editor page that traditional magazines employ at the beginning of each issue now seems stale in comparison.

Online magazines are now trying to draw a line in the sand between themselves and blogs by focusing on premium photography, full length articles, and high end fashion with information and direct links to the designers.

The traditional magazines have always done a fantastic job of offering many of the quality elements that their online counterparts are now just perfecting such as beautifully photographed spreads and in-demand designer items. But, now that they’ve caught up in their appearance and offerings, major advertising revenue is coming into play. And, many companies love the prospect of advertising within an online publication because the rates are often less than half of the cost to grace the pages of traditional glossies (which can run $60,000 to $100,000 for a single page).

As online publications continur to raise the bar on quality and gain more advertising dollars in the process, the mainstays of the print world will have to tighten their budgets. After all, they are the ones that have to worry about rent, the cost of paper and printing, employing a roster of regular staff members and delivering the magazines to newsstands every month.