I like my pop culture as much as the next guy. And probably a heck of a lot more. So when Giant Magazine debuted a while back, I was pretty thrilled. Though it was a bi-monthly (and, thus, didn’t address the pop culture fix I needed the way Entertainment Weekly did), Giant more than made up for it with a deeper level of detail, the luxury of the every-other-month schedule.
And then they went through some sort of editorial shake-up, which resulted in an entirely new look, feel and focus. I’m sure there was a reason. I’m sure it had to do with money and circulation numbers or some such accounting. I was certain I was going to be annoyed that the magazine I liked had been wiped off the face of the earth.
Here’s the first issue of the new-look Giant (they’re three issues into the re-design now). I would have rebelled against it entirely if not for the words of new Editor-in-Chief Smokey D. Fontaine in his first editorial letter, quoting Editorial Director Scott Poulson-Bryant as saying “hustle is the new talent.”
This, needless to say, is catching some flack from people who are picking the definition of “hustle” that means to con someone. And who don’t like the new-look Giant.
But despite being initially put off by the new design, I read their use of “hustle” in the positive – to act quickly and forcefully, especially in getting things done.
And as evidence that my take is the correct one, their back page feature is titled “Hustle” and subtitled, “How You Can Be…”
So far, they’ve featured Marc Ecko, Dallas Austin, and Stephen Stoute. Would these three ever have crossed my radar otherwise? Doubt it. Am I thankful to Giant for changing their format for this reason alone? Oh my, yes.
The big idea? Look for inspiration in places you aren’t expecting it – places that might even turn you off at first blush. That’s a good place to find ideas that might otherwise have never occurred to you.
