• by Michael Shields , August 5, 2004

Vegetarian Times is set to turn 30 this fall, and it's been showing its age of late. Over the past few years, "the magazine had gotten stale," said Susan Tauster, publisher.

Yet given the increasing popularity of the vegetarian lifestyle, and America's overall obsession with health and weight loss, the longtime hippie bible had untapped potential, said owner Skip Zimbalist.

In view of that potential, Zimbalist's Active Interest Media, which purchased the title last fall, authorized a major overhaul and significant investment in the magazine. The new Vegetarian Times will debut in November with a larger and wider magazine printed on better-quality paper, and will get a cleaner, brighter cover, a new logo, and most importantly, 16 more pages of editorial. "We are taking it from hippie-chick to hip and chic," Tauster said. That's meant expanding the editorial coverage beyond serving just the core reader to please "flexitarians," those who dabble in the lifestyle. Half the readers of Vegetarian Times don't follow a strict vegetarian diet, and many readers are simply looking for healthy recipes.

The magazine will also tackle more "echo issues"--examining businesses and individuals that are working to improve the environment as well as kids' issues, including advice for families that are trying to stick to a vegetarian diet.

Like many other publishers, Zimbalist and his team decided last year to reduce circulation (from 275,000 to 210,000) in order to clear out the less engaged. But with the relaunch, Vegetarian Times will be available to many more new readers, as newsstand distribution will be increased by 100,000 through presence in more outlets. The mag's price will increase, from $3.99 to $4.99.

So far, the moves have attracted some new advertisers, such as Dole, Tauster said.

Organic Style Styles Alanis

On July 29, Alanis Morissette invited Organic Style to give her greenroom at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles a "Green Makeover." The makeover did not mean new curtains, but was rather luxurious. In addition to a relaxation/meditation room created by Gaiam, the makeover included lots of food--naturally raised meats and wild salmon, local organic vegetables and fruits, and organic chocolate chip cookies--all served on biodegradable plates. The Barenaked Ladies, Andy Dick, Debra Messing, Gabrielle Union, and Nia Vardalos were all in attendance.

Morissette graced the cover of Organic Style back in April.

Baby Boomers' Votes Hang in the Balance

The 77-million-strong Baby Boomer generation represents the largest voting block in the nation. An AARP The Magazine survey has found that this group's votes may be the most up for grabs in the upcoming presidential election.

Boomers, AARP has found, are less content with the political status quo than may be commonly believed. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed say that the country needs a new, strong third political party.

The group is difficult to categorize. According to the survey, it holds decidedly liberal positions on some issues (e.g., abortion, gun control, and stem cell research), but some segments endorse conservative values regarding the death penalty, harsher prison sentences, and school prayer.

Boomers are less inclined to consider personality when voting, unlike the generation that preceded them. Boomers are evenly split on whether a candidate's personal qualities matter more to them than his or her positions on key issues, while 62 percent of the 70-plus "GI generation" feel that personal qualities matter most.

"Boomers evidently like their politics a la carte--a position from here, a position from there," said Hugh Delehanty, editor in chief, AARP Publications. "The Boomers' seemingly contradictory ideological convictions make it increasingly difficult for politicians to pin down the demographic."

The AARP The Magazine survey was conducted from a pool of 1,804 Americans split evenly between the Boomer Generation (ages 40 to 57), the Silent Generation (ages 58 to 69), and the GI Generation (ages 70 and older). Some examples of the survey's findings: * 57 percent of Boomers support abortion rights, compared with 43 percent of GIs

* 26 percent of Boomers support gay marriage, compared with only 11 percent of GIs

* 59 percent of Boomers feel that the federal government has a responsibility to provide health care to all citizens, compared with only 48 percent of GIs