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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Vice Magazine

  
 
Matthew Fluxington
16:31 / 08.07.02
How many of you have read Vice Magazine? What do you think of it?

Personally, I think it crosses the line from 'wink and nod' irony to out-and-out hateful trash. I don't care how much money there is in it, no one under an circumstances should write a magazine from the perspective of an opionated know-nothing slumming faux-white trash urban rich kid hipster drowning in a sea of irony and Pabst Blue Ribbon. It's pure evil. As Todd put in on his LiveJournal, it's "Maxim For Art Students"

Now, I know for a fact that the magazine is intentionally written to be antagonistic and piss people off - still, is that good enough an excuse to publish homophobic, sexist, racist, ignorant writing? Does it really matter that they might NOT actually feel that way?

For a taste of what Vice has to offer, check this out:

The Vice Guide To All Races

Ten Seminal Bands That You Say You Love But Don't Actually Listen To

The Vice Guide to Golddigging
 
 
Shortfatdyke
17:03 / 08.07.02
not so much 'evil' as pointless, i would say. a quick look at the guide to all races and the message board ("billy corgan is an asshole faggot and i want to murder him") was enough to get me yawning. or are they claiming to be 'revolutionary mavericks' as well?
 
 
rizla mission
18:31 / 08.07.02
That "10 Seminal bands" article has predictably enraged me to the extent of yelling "I LISTEN TO 'EVOL' AND THE JESUS LIZARD BEFORE BREAKFAST YOU SMARTARSE FUCKING FUCKS!" at the screen.

Which was probably exactly what they intended, the bastards.

That's got to be some of the snidiest, nastiest, most up-it's-own-arse, faux-trendy music writing I've ever read, which is saying quite something.

So, yeah, looks like pure evil.
 
 
Abigail Blue
19:12 / 08.07.02
...no one under any circumstances should write a magazine from the perspective of an opionated know-nothing slumming faux-white trash urban rich kid hipster drowning in a sea of irony and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Word up, Flux!

I can't stand Vice, for exactly the reasons you've stated, and, for a while at least, everyone around here (TO, not Barbelith) seemed to think that it was the coolest thing ever. I personally think that they're a bunch of juvenile misogynists who wouldn't know humour if it came up to them and shot them in the face...

It warms my heart that the Vice Store is always empty when I walk past it, but I worry that they have customers while I'm not around.
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
19:22 / 08.07.02
An acquaintance of mine worked at the Vice store in lower Manhattan last summer, and it nearly drove the poor guy mad - no one ever went in there, and he had to force himself to not be hostile to the people who did come in.

My feelings about Vice are only intensified by the fact that a number of people who I utterly loathed while I was in school (Parsons School of Design) all work for/shoot photos for/model for that magazine, and it certainly reflects their odious lifestyles, trust me.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
20:52 / 08.07.02
Hey, but you can forgive them a lot for 'Dos and Don'ts', surely?

*deathly silence*

*tumbleweeds*

My theory is, if we're going to have offensively hip fashion.lifestyle magazines that pretend to be radical but really just conform to the dominant ideology of the day, at least let them be open about that. And hey, sfd, they like Skrewdriver, so they can't be that bad, eh?
 
 
lolita nation
03:03 / 09.07.02
i used to work at antique boutique on broadway and all the insufferably snobby fashion people who worked there went nuts when they would drop off the new 'vice.' i mean i don't know if you can judge a magazine by its readership, but every time i ever looked at it, it made me want to not work with those people any more. does that make sense? anyway, i got fired from there.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
08:30 / 09.07.02
I think that Americans *can* claim to like Skrewdriver and sill be presented as essentially part of a mainstream discourse is in itself is kind of fascinating. As is the fact that Rizla was offended not by the advancement of Skrewdriver's charms but by the suggestion that he did not in fact listen to the cool bands he does listen to he does he does he does.

Which probably makes it a draw so far.
 
 
Shortfatdyke
14:02 / 09.07.02
i only found one reference to skrewdriver, but it was certainly enough to have me wishing i'd hadn't flung that e.p. of theirs i had into the rubbish - could've made a new pal there, methinks.

ah well. as i've said before - the internet's accessibility means even idiots can do webzines and the like. i did think about joining the forum, but i rather think it's better to ignore these types; what can one possibly say to them that won't feed into their bizarre idea of being 'contraversial'?
 
 
Shortfatdyke
14:13 / 09.07.02
ah, just checked the site again - the reference i'd seen earlier to skrewdriver was actually in the forum, with a helpful link to an american racist organisation. which was a bit puzzling on its own, but now i see they've listed the band in their 'you should listen to' section.

oh good.
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
15:05 / 09.07.02
SFD, don't you think the online forum is sort of negligable compared to their magazine content? Vice is not really a webzine - it's a print magazine, and they put the content online as well. It's also boutique stores and a clothing line - the magazine is part of their branding exercise.
 
 
Saveloy
15:45 / 09.07.02
Argh, it's World of American Nathan Barley. The dos-and-donts page alone inspires violent fantasies in my brain, so I'm not going anywhere near the rest if it, I'll have an embollism. I think that the 'vulgar-rich-kids-recommending-smart -clothes-in-self-consciously-no-nonsense-(therefore-pretentious-in-a-magazine)-terms' trope is my new least favourite thing in the world. Would you actually go to prison if you found the people responsible and kicked their faces off? What judge worth their salt would convict you?
 
 
Shortfatdyke
16:00 / 09.07.02
flux - i was not aware of the extent of their empire. presumably if they were london based i would wish to chuck bricks at their shop window. i tend to check out forums because it seems to be a good indicator of the readership. and after reading the racial guide i wasn't too inclined to check out too much more of the mag.

so i should amend what i said earlier - they're idiots, but also nasty pieces of work that have a lot of money that would be better spend elsewhere. and their recommendation of a certain book on 9/11 by choamsky is pretty, er, interesting....
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
16:18 / 09.07.02
Sav - yr right about this being like a real-life American Nathan Barley. That's exactly what this is.

SFD - I never really looked at the board til just now, and wow. That's unbelievable. Especially the sex threads - the misogyny and racism in those threads is off the fucking charts.

From the About Vice section of the site, so you can get a better idea of what it is that they do:


VICE ON-LINE:
VICELAND.COM, the on-line wing of the empire, is a non-profit vegan activist site run at a liberal nunnery in northern Vermont. We are against abortion and believe that sexual abnormalities can be cured through rigorous mental training. Vegan activism aside, Viceland.com is the illest place for 21st century culture online. While other sites try desperately to tap into the cool trend of the moment for short-term respect, Viceland.com draws on its three-year relationship with our thousands of loyal readers to create the ultimate virtual haven to watch insane video, read gripping extracts from VICE Magazine, and shop in our streetwear boutique.

With Viceland.com we refused to use our web presence simply to repurpose our magazine content. Rather we’ve created a community for people who share the same desire for cutting-edge music, culture, fashion and multimedia.

To find out more about our curative methods, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Head Nun: Sister Suroosh Alvi
Editorial Nun: Sister Adam Gollner
Intern Nun: Sister Hala Alsalman
All web site inquiries should be directed to wassup@viceland.com


VICE PUBLISHING:
Click Here to Subscribe to Vice
Click Here For the Vice Ad Rate Card
Vice is a free monthly urban magazine that has entered its 5th year of publication and continues to deliver to the tastemakers (like us) who indulge in everything from hip hop and punk to skateboarding and fashion as well as scatology and sexual perversities. Over 100,000 copies are distributed across Canada and the United States, and more recently, in the United Kingdom. Japan will be added in the upcoming months. By offering the magazine for free at key music, fashion and leisure locations, the magazine enjoys a 100% pick-up rate and massive public response. Circulation is expected to reach approximately 350,000 in 2004. By 2010, Vice Industries is expected to take over the world.
All distribution and subscription inquiries should be directed to sarabat@viceland.com.

VICE FASHION:
Retail
Vice’s stores will offer the most fashion forward lines by constantly seeking out the best established and emerging street brands that North America, Japan and Europe have to offer. In September 1999, the first Vice concept store was opened in Toronto’s trendy Queen St. west fashion corridor. The store now features streetwear lines such as VICE CLothing, Fred Perry, Aem Kei and Aem Aya, GSUS Sindustries, Burro, Boxfresh, Built by WEndy, Stussy, and tons of gravis shoes.

In January 2000, our retail division opened up our New York city location with the VICE UK concept store, a mirror-image of the store in London. And most recently, VICE paid homage to its hometown and opened a boutique in Montreal. A classy boutique that doesn’t suck a dick.

Store Locations:


• New York: 100 Kenmare STreet (entrance on Cleveland Place between Kenmare and Broome) New York, New York 10012 P: 212-219-7788 F: 212-219-1097

• VICE Toronto: 383 Queen Street WEst Toronto, Ontario M5V 2A5 P: 416-596-0558 F: 416-596-0448

• VICE Montreal: 58 Avenue Des Pins East Montreal, PQ H2W 1N3 P:514-844-9740 F:514-844-9784

Design
Vice is going to enforce a stranglehold on the future of streetwear. Unlike the brand names you love, this line won’t cost you your mom’s car and will be distributed through Vice’s retail locations as well as international wholesale.
Direct all inquiries to: shanes@viceland.com

VICE TV: THE MISSION
Hold on to your remote controls ‘cause Vice will soon hit a TV screen near you. Though major North American broadcasters are reluctant to do new and innovative shows, Europe is getting more and more daring everyday. The two markets ask for completely different things so Vice has decided to pitch two shows simultaneously. A cheap and easy sell in North America and a large scale show for Europe. The Italians are currently eating out of the palms of our hands.

We’ll keep you posted. Contact gavinm@viceland.com

VICE FILMS
Vice films is a film development and production company that will produce original content for both theatrical and online distribution. Dedicated to 35mm and the digital video format, Vice films will offer the kind of eclectic projects that are defining the future of filmmaking.

Vice films wants to attract writing and directing talent from both inside and outside the industry. In addition to established writers and actors who are restricted by Hollywood production ethos, we want to attract independent and amateur talents with strong concepts and bankable ideas that otherwise lack the resources to realize their visions. All inquiries should go to our main man Eddy Moretti. \

It looks like you do have a Vice shop to throw a brick through, SFD : LONDON
48 Carnaby St.
 
 
Mr Tricks
19:44 / 09.07.02
Sure it's evil... it's VICE!!!

still, the Fashion Do's & Dont's are good for a laugh... as is an ocassional article... otherwise it's eye candy for the advert. design...

who WOULD pay money for it?
 
 
rizla mission
07:08 / 10.07.02
The thing that annoys me most is that they write their stuff in the 2nd person.. if they were informing us of their own wanky opinions, I could live with it, but it's the tone of "aaah, we know exactly what stuff you like..". So .. I can't think of an adequate word at the moment..

Plus it reminds me a little too much of Lee & Herring's 'Ironic Review'..
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
08:39 / 10.07.02
...which is logical if they are taking the piss...

So, what do Vice shops sell, anyway? Just lots of copies of the magazine?
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
12:45 / 10.07.02
See above post for full mission statement. The magazine is never for sale, it's given out for free at strategically chosen shops.

Vice’s stores will offer the most fashion forward lines by constantly seeking out the best established and emerging street brands that North America, Japan and Europe have to offer. In September 1999, the first Vice concept store was opened in Toronto’s trendy Queen St. west fashion corridor. The store now features streetwear lines such as VICE CLothing, Fred Perry, Aem Kei and Aem Aya, GSUS Sindustries, Burro, Boxfresh, Built by WEndy, Stussy, and tons of gravis shoes.
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
12:59 / 09.08.02
Hey everybody, horrible news: Vice is now starting a record label. It won't be an indie though - it's an imprint of Atlantic Records. Their first release will be the US version of The Streets' album. A match made in hell, really. Apparently they deem The Streets far worthier than the "fags" in the Talking Heads...
 
 
Saveloy
14:00 / 09.08.02
South Park has got a lot to answer for, hasn't it?
 
 
illmatic
09:22 / 10.08.02
Bit weak really, The Streets? 22 yr old brummie talking about raves - hardly Skrewdriver is it? Where's the EP of up and coming nationalist bands? Or would that get them in trouble with their advertisers?
I'm late in joining this discussion but I did get given a issue an issue of Vice and I thought it was one of the most odious things I'd ever seen. Mistaken throwing shit around as a radical gesture.
 
  
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