Not in My Universe

(Apologies to anyone out there who reads IWBYB. Production was stopped briefly due to home computer issues and not, as has been speculated, in sympathy for the Writer's Guild of America. Computer problems now fixed, production has resumed.)

I remember one autumn, back in high school, desperately reaching for cool in the newsstand, when the Generation Next issue of Rolling Stone crossed my eye. It contained barely any copy, but photo after photo of alternative artists like Afghan Whigs, Sugar, PJ Harvey and, uh, Tony Toni Tone. This was a first, early step toward discovering my own aesthetic, though it’s clear now that they were only capitalizing on the alternative nation, growing stronger after the unifying suicide of Kurt Cobain. But, to me, this was like a book of magic. Which is why I can look at the controversial Camel “Indie Rock Universe” advertorial and fondly reminisce about that nearly-15 year old tastemaking issue.
Unfortunately for Camel, times have changed, and they are getting into trouble for their own stupid decision to design their pullout like a high school notebook. Which means doodles. Which means illegal. Cigarette companies are no longer allowed to target children through advertising, and this includes using cartoons, a condition that was likely specifically passed to destroy the phallic-faced Joe Camel character. Now, I don’t imagine a lot of kids read Rolling Stone anymore. I can’t even really imagine who does. But wrapping a cigarette ad around a notebook design seems phenomenally stupid. The cartoons, for their part, big up the irony.
The Indie Rock Universe itself is pretty amazing, in a shallow and random way. Over 200 bands are listed, and it includes everybody who’s anybody in the world of hip music, alongside some pandering crap like Fall Out Boy (actually that whole planet kind os stinks.) I combed the list and Regina Spektor is the only name I couldn’t find on it. And the crazy thing is that Camel has not only opened itself up to liability in every state that carries Rolling Stone magazine. They also didn’t get the artists’ permission to attach them to its product, which could open them up to liability from nearly every act out there (besides Ms. Spektor) that is not making enough money on CD sales anymore. Thank you Big Tobacco!