Aug 30, 2007 12:42 am US/Central
Judging A Book By Its Cover: D Mag Controversy
by Jay Gormley
SOUTHLAKE (CBS 11 News) ―
They say don't judge a book by its cover, but some people are doing just that.
They're upset because they believe that the latest cover of D Magazine paints Southlake as a town full of arrogant snobs.
"If you have it, flaunt it," said one Southlake resident.
The cover reads, their "kids are smarter, stronger, and better looking than yours, and that's why you should hate Southlake."
"The cover is not very flattering," says one Southlake resident. It seems many in Southlake and North Texas feel the same way.
"We're trying to get people to read the article," said Tim Rogers, executive editor of D Magazine.
Even the editors at D Magazine admit the cover is full of irony. But if you read the article, you may have a change of heart.
"I know some of these kids and I know that the town is not like that," said Southlake resident Dianne Kacker. "But reading the whole article you get the true sense of Southlake. But that was a headline that sold the magazine."
Those who have read it say it paints a positive picture of a town with a perfect family environment, great schools, pristine homes, and clean, safe streets.
And a high school football team that may very well be the best in the country.
"I think that sort of 'Pleasantville' perspective that outsiders get when they go to the city is the sort of thing that we tapped into, that nerve that we struck when we said, 'Why you should hate Southlake,'" said Rogers.
But it's the cover that sells magazines, and for this issue, many are offended.
"The first thing that came to mind was disgust. It made me not want to read the article," said Southlake resident Jennifer Johnson. "It made me think they were bashing my town."
The uproar convinced Sprouts Grocery Store to pull the issue from its shelves. A spokeswoman said they still sell the magazine, but it's no longer visible in any of its four stores in North Texas.
The editors at D Magazine said they have received plenty of emails, and they admit 60 percent of them are negative.
The buzz is not all bad for D Magazine. One Kroger in Southlake typically sells around 40 issues a month. The store has already sold 1,000 in one week.
(CBS 11 News)
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