OK is not OK - not if you want to LIVE

Posted without any comment other than this: READ THE WHOLE DAMN THING. TWICE!

OK is not OK - Grids - SPD.ORG - Grids:
"I understand why editors are making conservative choices. I understand why the editor in the fictional conversation at the beginning of this rant says he wants smiles. It doesn't come from stupidity; it comes from ... well, I think it comes from fear. Stick to what you know. Now's not the time to take chances. Ads are down, subscriptions are down, maybe now is not the time to run that black and white photo essay on Sudan. Maybe we should keep the energy high and run an up! picture instead of that edgy David Hughes illustration. Maybe we should run the layout with lots of fun pictures instead of the quiet, elegant layout with the Dan Winters pictures. Make that hed bigger! I've never understood what the fear was about exactly. Will readers cancel their subscriptions if the magazine runs a black and white Jim Nachtwey photo essay, or an insane Ralph Steadman illustration? And what exactly will happen if there's no eye contact in a turn-page portrait? Will Toyota pull its ads if no one is smiling in a fashion portfolio? Maybe, but I don't think so."