Dirty Dishes	Dirty Dishes Archive

Oh dear. The folks at (yet to be published) Arrow magazine have announced a name change (but they didn't say what lawsuit prompted it). The "pro-commitment" rag is now to be known as Hero, "a more powerful name," according to editorial director Paul Horne.

Hero won't be "sexcentric," warns Paul. "You won't see a bunch of naked men and tacky ads in Hero. This is a gay magazine you can show your mother." (Dawn's mom enjoys a comp subscription to The Guide, so it is possible, Paul, to show your mother magazines with naked guys and "tacky" ads-- that is, if you have balls....)

View our poll archive

Paul boasts that turning away sex-related ads was a "risk" (huh?) that "paid off" (and isn't that what it's all about?) by luring corporate ads to their slick, if emasculated, pages. The usual cabal of neoconfag strait-wannabes are touted as contributors. Too bad Roy Cohn remains unavailable for an "Inside the Beltway" round-up of political gossip ("This week, we chat with the Human Rites® Fund's Liz Birch-- 'Liz, that's an intriguing last name....'"). And while we'll also miss "A G-Man's Fashion Tips for Big Girls" by J. Edgar, there is to be a "technology" section "showcasing cool new gadgets" (but, not, presumably the latest in anal beads, stainless steel balls stretchers, or his-and-his tit clamps-- think of Mom!)

Included in Hero's breathless PR are testimonials from publications and individuals-- odd, since the magazine hasn't even settled on a name, much less published an issue. "A mix between Entertainment Weekly and Vanity Fair," promises GloRadio, praise faint enough to be deemed damning. "If you want to know where the gay and lesbian civil right movement is headed, take a look at [Hero]," says the San Francisco Chronicle, an admonition that could be construed as lament rather than cheer.

Dawn is reminded of the late great Boyd McDonald's observation that "publications that specialize in reviews of paintings-- like The Advocate-- and the ballet, the theater, the books-- no matter how lovely their reviews are-- those are shallow publications. They have nothing to do with basic homosexuality." And, no doubt, that's just why Paul's mom likes them so much....