Ain’t it hard to discover that/He ain’t really where it’s at/After he took from you everything he could steal?/How does it feel? – Bob Dylan
I got a message from a colleague who happens to work at an adult trade publication. “This is ripe for your site, Gram,” stated the colleague, attaching several meticulously scanned side-by-side images of the redesigned AVN magazine with Rolling Stone.
“I can’t image the editors at RS – not to mention their legal team – aren’t taking a long hard look at this and deciding how to proceed legally,” the colleague went on. “Borrowing some design elements is one thing, outright duplication is another.”
I looked at the images and was indeed impressed by how well AVN’s designers seemed to be stealing from the best, in the same way I am intrigued by how methodically cross-town rival XBiz has appropriated AVN’s properties, market share, ideas, and former employees for their own purposes (although, to be fair, they modeled their magazine layouts on Variety).
Everyone to whom I mentioned the AVN/Rolling Stone images knew what I was talking about because they’d received them, too. In fact, the side by side photos had been very well prepared for this sort of media dissemination. I had to try to make them look worse just so I could feel I wasn’t being spoonfed a smear story.
That’s all right, though. As long as everyone is having a good time and no one is getting hurt or lied to.
Had AVN existed in 1980, doubtless John and Yoko would have high-tailed it to Chatsworth for this photoshoot and saved the nation a senseless murder.
Forgetting for a moment that I work within the adult industry (many, in fact, say that I am the guiding force behind it, and the inspiration for its raw sexuality) and as sensitive as I am to its many lifts, forgeries, and thefts, I gotta say that AVN’s new magazine design looks awesome.
If I wanted to know about porn and didn’t have access to a computer (according to U.S. Census data, men over 70 are a fast-growing part of the population, and these men would have been in their prime cultural absorption years when Rolling Stone was founded in 1969), I would definitely pick up the new AVN magazine, especially with that sassy whippersnapper Sasha Grey on it.
This is the best shot, I think, in that an Eon McKai movie is reviewed in AVN while people who look like Eon McKai’s impression of himself are profiled in Rolling Stone. I think the world is collapsing on itself.
When I get an e-mail from someone whose intent is to shame, defame, or otherwise injure someone else, I rarely print the story, especially when the Cui Bono? looms so large. But here I figure it’s OK, as long as XBiz doesn’t suddenly look like Spin in its next issue.
Previously on Porn Valley Observed: AVN sends employees, lawsuit to XBiz; Artists become ambitious as porn implosion nears
See also: avn, xbiz
Zounds!
…
I’d be more impressed, though, if they went with Jet’s design, though đ (Hell, it’d probably be a lot cheaper – think of the money they’d save, especially since I can always just read AVN online for free….)
Just demonstrates, once again, how derivative and totally lacking in originality and creativity the industry has become in general (with a few exceptions). Sad.
AVN can certainly do much better that this, and should be held accountable for this potentially legal breach. “Plagiarism saves time.” Their “creative director” should be fired immediately. What a hack.
Oh come on … this looks like a lot of newspaper design I was seeing in the ’80s, fer heaven’s sake. Styles recycle all the time. There’s nothing particularly unique about RS’s designs, they’re pretty boilerplate, except for possibly a trademarked logo font, or something … Was it better when the inside of AVN looked like crap for all those years??
Who said that AVN’s appropriation of RS’ style was a bad thing? It looks great. But, as much as anything belongs to anybody, there is no doubt that that design looks like Rolling Stone. It doesn’t look like Psychology Today or Slate.com or The Weather Channel – it looks like Rolling Stone. And good for AVN, because Rolling Stone looks good. And when I change my site to look more like Watchmen I hope people will be as supportive.
The debate here, although apparently lost on Mr. Hentai, is not whether RS’s design is good or bad, or even unique in any way – but it’s THEIR DESIGN! Come on. Seriously, you don’t see AVN’s blatant plagiarism as simply lazy, not to mention being potentially legally problematic? No self-respecting graphic designer approaches the re-design of a major publication, one with substantial distribution, by first going through his/her favorite magazines to STEAL ideas, let alone an ENTIRE DESIGN, lock, stock, and typeface! And it wasn’t even done with the least degree of irony – or even the industry’s hackneyed reliance on “parody.” This is theft of intellectual property, plain and simple, and it’s indefensible, so spare me the, “What would you rather see…?” Go out and pay for some originality, fer christsake.
I wouldn’t buy an ad in AVN even if they discounted it by half, and I hope that XBIZ kicks their ass all the way across the Valley and back.
And, Gram, did you mean “The Watchtower”? Because I really love those covers featuring Jesus holding a little lamb and beckoning toward the Pearly Gates… (;^)
Actually, thirdaxis and Tonya (same person working at the corner of Highland and Wilshire?) I meant “Watchmen.” That typeface is way easier to steal and I couldn’t begin to master the art of Jack Chick and/or the visionary artists of the LDS cult.
It was pointed out to me recently that people outside of the adult industry who only tune in for porn star news and the occasional business-related snippet couldn’t care less about AVN poaching RS’s style or XBiz poaching AVN’s livelihood (or AVN allowing it to be poached, or whatever). I have to keep that in mind.
(This is “third axis” posting; “Tonya” was someone who forgot to log out previously, and wasn’t involved in this thread – my apologies, Gram*)
I think this is a subject of worthwhile debate: the theft of intellectual property in our industry. This is a very real and present danger to the livelihood of you, me, and every other porn professional – whether they care about it or not (those outside of our industry I’m sure could care less). And it’s one in which an entity like AVN has a major stake! They’ve run several features about this very subject recently. Shouldn’t they be leading the charge to help stop such practices? Instead, they steal – yes, STEAL – an entire design from another major publication. Whatever you feel about that, it’s supremely unprofessional at the very least.
Perhaps it’s just me – I detest thieves, and those who are just too plain lazy to come up with something original and have to resort to stealing the hard work of others. Guess I just have to have bigger balls to stand up for the rest of us! (There’s a gimme for you to riff on*). Incidentally, I do have an absurdist sense of humor about all of this, Gramshocker (that’s one Sharpie in the stink, two in the pink).
Love your show!