Page 6 HIGH GEAR MAY 1981

ADVOCATE brags in New York Times

By Louise

Treasured by connoisseurs of unintentional humor and unintentional self parody are examples of The ADVOCATE, "America's Leading Gay News Magazine," taking itself very seriously. The cause of much mirth and merriment recently was a full page ad which The ADVOCATE ran in the April 13 issue of the New York Times. (It appeared on page 40 of the Mid-West Edition). Printed in very large type at the top of the ad is the question, "Why should a gay magazine buy this $18,000 page in The New York Times?"

The answer which the ad gives is, "To give you straight talk about the gay consumer. There's an enormous amount of money in the gay market and it's available to smart advertisers in The ADVOCATE.

The basic theme of the ad is that gay people should be

regarded chiefly as being conspicuous consumers.

"Who is the ADVOCATE reader?' is the next question the ad asks. The answer given is that he is someone who is a caricature of those individuals regularly seen in "Who reads Playboy?" ads.

Says the ad about the ADVOCATE reader, "He's a lot like the two executives featured on the right." (There is a photograph of two men in dark suits in the middle of the ad.) "They're ADVOCATE Editor Robert I. Mc Queen. (right) and Publisher Peter G. Frisch.

"McQueen is 38, has an annual household income of $45,000, purchased 30 books last year, consumed $50 in wine a month, spent $1200 in camera equipment, acquired a $1700 stereo

system, entertained at home or out 14 times a month, and travelled to 5 cities across the coun-

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try. His education includes two degrees and graduate school. He frequents a gym, plays with a Yamaha CS-50 music synthesizer and composes on his Knabe piano.

"ADVOCATE Publisher Peter Frish is 35, has an annual household income of $50,000, and along with the other members of his household, owns a Jaguar XKE, a Honda Accord, and a Fiat station wagon. Peter is a First Class commuter visiting New York and Los Angeles monthly. To stay in shape he skis, swims, and is a regular at the Body Center, a Nautilus fitness center with clubs in four cities. He shops at Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bergdorf's. He holds a Master's Degree and subscribes to Time, Architectural Digest, Interview, Advertising Age, and The Wall Street Journal.

"Like most of the 350,000 readers of The ADVOCATE, Frisch and McQueen are male, affluent, and have an appreciably larger than average disposable income."

That some readers of The ADVOCATE might be female, and that gay people in general

degrees suggests also having an intellect, but with the instances mentioned here one wonders if the graduate degrees held are being held for ransom.)

Disregarded by The ADVOCATE, in having this ad run, are the hostile attitudes already faced by many gay people in various areas where The New York Times is distributed.

The ADVOCATE forgets or deliberately ignores the fact that a major component of anti-gay hostility is envy: Many non-gays dislike gays, and frequently hate them, because they think that being gay automatically gives some people material advantages which they do not have.

A tendency towards gross materialism and blatant consumerism is common throughout most of contemporary American society. It is certainly not something which is unique to people who are gay.

The ADVOCATE does not seem to have considered that a large portion of its readership and would-be readership might be turned off by a full page ad in The New York Times which tells the general public that having a tendency towards gross mate-

and some ADVOCATE readers in rialism and blatant consumerism

particular might have souls, intel-

lects, and feelings, are things evidently regarded by The ADVOCATE as not being worth mentioning.

(Usually holding graduate

makes gay Americans different

from everybody else.

The ad goes on to describe a survey taken of ADVOCATE readers last November.

The ad, which has a coupon at

the bottom, says that along with The ADVOCATE's latest readership research data, it will send "advertising professionals" a free copy of the current issue.

The ad does not mention The ADVOCATE's famous pink section of personal classified ads, copies of which would be included with what is sent to "advertising professionals" if these people are sent copies of "America's most prestigious gay magazine" which are complete.

"Yes, you can take us seriously," says the subhead over the final sentences of the

ad's text.

These sentences read as follows:

"There are not many specialized publications that would spend $18,000 for this page in The New York Times. And there's only one gay magazine with the money and stature to make this $18,000 investment pay off.

"The ADVOCATE. We're the

national gay magazine you can take seriously."

Without experiencing any great discomfort gay people generally accept the fact that in the United States money speaks.

There are probably more than a few American gays, however,

who have been wondering if it is always necessary for money,

when it comes in contact with the ADVOCATE, to always be screeching and prancing.

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