• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 7, 2010

Tiger Found On 'Vanity Fair' Cover

The February issue of Vanity Fair features a cover story on Tiger Woods' sudden fall from grace, including a photo shoot which shows the embattled golf superstar shirtless, pumping iron against a gray concrete backdrop. The photos, taken by Annie Leibovitz back in 2006, are considerably more sensational now, after the revelation that Woods had extramarital affairs with at least 14 women.

The cover story by Buzz Bissinger is a fairly even-handed recounting and analysis of Tiger Woods' remarkable capacity for deception, which took advantage of a credulous public's desire to believe in his perfect image and closed any gaps in the armor (for a time) by telling journalists nothing of import -- and crucially, paying off his many mistresses. But the article won't stir much controversy, as the point it makes is fairly obvious: Tiger Woods lied, for a long time, to many people.

Leibovitz's photos, however, are guaranteed to excite interest with an ambiguity that perfectly reflects the public's ambivalence about Woods. From one perspective, after Woods has been symbolically stripped naked by the media, the shirtless photos could be viewed sympathetically, emphasizing his humanity and vulnerability. At the same time, he wears a troubled expression, which could be interpreted as menacing -- especially given the gritty setting and the flat, bleak lighting of Leibovitz's photos.

And of course, the "raw, never before-seen" photos also have an undeniable sexual aspect, which isn't straightforward, either. They invite viewers (at least straight women and gay men) to appreciate Woods as a sex object -- but with the knowledge that he is, in reality, more predator than prey. By juxtaposing these contradictory instincts in readers -- who are tempted both to objectify Woods and to judge him for objectifying others -- the photos almost seem intended to point out the hypocrisy behind media coverage of his transgressions. Is it possible that, beneath the moral censure, at least some men secretly envy him, and some women envy his mistresses?

Of course, for a celebrity of Woods' stature, the decision to take off a garment is fraught with economic implications. In happier times, he briefly appeared shirtless in ads for Gillette, capitalizing on his sex appeal, almost certainly at considerable cost to the advertiser. Now that he's been dumped by major sponsors, from Gillette to Accenture, the days when he could demand another million for every shirt button must seem like a distant memory.

Hearst Digital Media Offers Online-to-Print Ads

Hearst Digital Media has partnered with Format Dynamics to introduce a service that allows online ads to appear in the hard-copy version of articles printed out by consumers using their home printers. According to Hearst, the "CleanPrint" service, which inserts ads only when an article is printed -- thus targeting those readers the publisher reasons are most engaged with the content -- will first become available for content on the Good Housekeeping Web site, followed by other big Hearst titles like Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Redbook. The service also adjusts the format of printed content and advertising to resemble printed ads in printed magazines.

Multiple Trade Titles Close

The closing of a slew of small business-to-business publications provides evidence that the B-to-B category is still suffering, despite the talk of a broader economic recovery and a possible turnaround in consumer magazines. This week, Reed Business Information gave the ax to the print editions and Web sites of Industrial Distribution, Manufacturing Business Technology and Video Business. The news of the closings follows RBI's attempt to sell off most of its business-to-business publications in 2008-2009, which met with only mixed success. Meanwhile, Penton Media said it is folding American Machinist -- a trade publication that is over 100 years old -- and Welding Design & Fabrication.

Driscoll Leaves Hachette

John Driscoll, the senior vice president and chief brand officer for Hachette Filipacchi's Car and Driver and Road & Track, has resigned his position and is taking a new job as vice president of development for Just Marketing International's motorsports division. He was with Hachette for 15 years.