People Looks to Capitalize on Newman Death

Perhaps it’s because his death hit closer to home than other celebrities (I live in Westport, Connecticut, just a few short apple tosses from his farmhouse, and worked at the local playhouse the summer he starred in “Our Town”). Perhaps it’s because his philanthropic food company has raised more than $250 million for charities. Perhaps it's because he was simply a good guy.

But People’s announcement that they are putting together a 96-page book about Paul Newman, slapping it with a $12 cover price and rushing 450,000 copies to newsstands leaves a sour taste in my mouth (not unlike, you might say, Newman’s Own Virgin Lemonade, which is lip-puckeringly sweet—just how Newman liked it).

A spokesperson for People confirmed that the book is for-profit and pointed out that the magazine has a long history of publishing tribute books—Johnny Carson and Princess Diana, to name two.

I realize that publishing is a business, and deaths—however tragic—represent an opportunity for magazine publishers to capitalize on newsstand sales (see: Heath Ledger, and People’s related cover coup). Both People and Entertainment Weekly are devoting their covers to Newman (EW, in a relatively classy move, going with no cover lines), hoping to equal the success they had with Ledger. (People sold 1,816,546 single copies, 20 percent more than its 1.51 million average, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations; EW sold 54,641, 36 percent more than its average.) And I'm sure, in terms of tributes, this one will be top-shelf.

But to publish a special book about an actor who devoted most of his own second act to the community, to sick kids, to others, and not make it even partially charitable smacks of desperation—a money grab at best, and a manipulative tabloid move at worst (People confirmed that the book had been in the works before Newman passed on).

Note to People: maybe pay a little less for those Clay Aiken pictures next time and you won’t have to do stuff like this.

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By Dylan Stableford --

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How about...

Submitted by Mike of Montana on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:47.

...giving the proceeds (all or a part, I don't care) to charity? Newman would've like that, eh? Plus, it'd help People's image among the literati amongst us.

Boycott

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 16:00.

Just don't buy it - they'll get the message. Also tell your friends not to buy it and circulate this information.

start a boycott group..

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 16:30.

on facebook...spread the boycott and I bet People will change their tune or just donate directly to Paul Newman's charity http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/

Newman

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 09:48.

People loved the guy. Let 'em have a book to remember him by. The media profits by people's lives so why is it wrong to profit by their deaths? Only if you think death is bad does it look like a problem. But remember what Whitman had to say about death: "What do you think has become of the young and old men? What do you think has become of the women and children? They are alive and well somewhere; The smallest sprouts show there is really no death, And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it, And ceased the moment life appeared. All goes onward and outward, and nothing collapses, And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier." (Song of Myself). So cut People a break. Newman is alive and well somewhere.

Newman

Submitted by Brick Pollitt on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 10:10.

You lost me at "lip-puckeringly sweet"

Money is what makes it

Submitted by Gavin on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 19:19.

Deal with it. Life goes on. People will buy it like they buy everything. Like sex, death also sells.

show me the money!

Submitted by bill on Fri, 10/10/2008 - 12:53.

Dylan just curious, what percentage of your earnings a year do you give to charity?