Yes. For real.

Click here to read Nat Ive’s piece from AdAge.

Just the facts on this one.

(image via Splash)

George Carlin, the comedian best known for his groundbreaking routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television,” died Sunday at the age of 71 of heart failure.

In 1978, the Carlin’s court battle over his 7 words routine went all the way to the Supreme Court.

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Starbucks has faced its share of trouble over the past year including earnings drop and customer sales declining.

“In a perverse way,” says Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks, “if someone said to you, ‘You hoped this would happen?”

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This issue of NY Magazine is the best summer kick-off cover yet.

Above is the faux shot of John McCain and Barack Obama on the beach doing the now famous fist bump.

Fortunately, NY Magazine kept John McCain fully clothed.

Unfortunately for Barack Obama, those are not really his abs.

Let the summer campaign begin!

Related: Other Great New York Magazine Covers

NY Magazine Covers Hillary Clinton’s Defeat

NY Magazine Features Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe

NY Magazine’s Famous Eliot Spitzer Cover

Related: John McCain and Barack Obama Covers

U.S. News & World Report: Who Can Keep America Safe?

The Economist

The wife of Sen. John McCain — Cindy McCain scores her first MAJOR cover.

Thoughts?

Will this type of exposure help Cindy? According to a Newsweek Poll, 33 percent view Cindy favorably, compared with 49 percent for Barack Obama’s wife Michelle Obama.

Check out Michelle Obama’s Newsweek cover here.

(Newsweek)

Michelle Obama’s Close-up

“Our audience doesn’t care that celebrities are just like us,” says Scott Donaton, publisher, Entertainment Weekly.

They want us to focus on what makes them special. Everything we do will enhance that. So our photo section is being relaunched with our design changes.

The name is changing from “The Scene” to “First Look.” We’re getting rid of any pictures of celebrities outside of what they do as performers.

The section will have all-exclusive photography, and it will all be character- and performance-based. This is what our audience enjoys most from us, and we’re going to give them more of that.”

When is all this happening? Issue 1001.

(Source: Advertising Age)

Well - I’m starting to think NOT!

With this cover, she continues to use photo shop to the extreme.

And I think that sets a bad example for women all over the country - it’s making them feel they need to be skinny!

There is no way her waist is that size right now.

I’d love to see the original pic. Wouldn’t you?

Pasetsky’s Cover Critique

I’m totally mixed on this cover as you can tell - and that doesn’t happen often.

On a positive note, it is dramatic and you have Jamie storming off.

(With Star’s recent track record of using photos to misrepresent cover lines, this is probably a photo of Jamie Lynn heading to a 7-11 to get a Big Gulp. Yum! That sounds refreshing right now.)

Jamie Lynn is also due any second so the timing is good - even if the story isn’t true.

Why don’t I like it?

I’m not so sure that the reader is that vested in a Jamie Lynn wedding. If she doesn’t marry this guy (yes his name is Casey), will anybody REALLY care?

And there’s the problem with this cover.

Bottom line: Uncertain

UP NEXT: LIFE & NO STYLE

Pasetsky’s Cover Critique

Speaking of retreading old stories, here’s the brand new issue of In Touch.

Have you seen this story before?

Yes, so have I.

And do you want to know why you are seeing this cover right now?

I’ll let you in on a little well-known secret.

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