Written by Sabine Demosthenes
MONTREAL – During the holidays, I was chilling with my furry son Bily and for the first time, I spent the majority of the holidays in front of the tv with my blanket watching a lot of CNN and I will admit I watch a lot of 90’s Days Fiancé on TLC but that’s another story for a different time.
Since maybe 2001, at the back of my mind, I was always it would so amazing to bring back George Magazine that was created by John Kennedy (Jr) and if I could find like a lot of millions and a publisher (I was 21 at the time and full of naivety and full of dreams), we could continue his legacy, especially in 2001 when, our world change forever.
That fateful Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, the world change once again, New York change. This city that John loved so much with all his heart and soul and the atrocities that happen in Washington, in Pennsylvania, in a way, I wished he was still around to see how resilient the New Yorkers were, just like him. I wished we could read his editorial about September 11th and the aftermath of this awful day like the Irak War. I wished we could witness an interview with Barack Obama talking about politics, music, basketball and his dream for the future. At the same time, it would have been cool to read an interview with John McCain and Joe Biden around a beer and a ping pong battle.
George Magazine was way ahead his time. We are always talking about John involvement but George was a clearly more than one man army. It’s was a team everyone at their headquarter had a big part in it. It was teamwork and John as the captain was the leader of this ‘‘avant-garde” boat. The dream team like the 92’s U.S Basketball Team at the Olympic. John, RoseMarie and Matt were different but so alike. With the help of all the collaborators and everyone at George, they manage to create something special that I don’t think the world at this time was ready.
I was 13 years old when George Magazine was released. I wasn’t a very political teenager but I always like History and I was pretty neutral with my thoughts about politics. But I was already in love with Pop Culture. I was eating Pop Culture like I was eating every morning by Cheerio’s cereal with a passion. When I saw the first cover of George Magazine with Cindy Crawford in it, I was like ok the person being this cover is a total genius. I asked my mom to go to the mall so I could see the magazine at a drugstore and read the magazine. I didn’t have enough money (I spend it on another Barbie’s doll at 13… Don’t judge) to buy it and my mom said to me she couldn’t buy the magazine for me since she needs to focus on the grocery and money was a little bit short during that period of time but she promise me, she will try her best to buy me another issue of George when things will be easier moneywise for us. I was disappointed but I understood. And then, I realize I do have a plan. I will go to the library (my favorite place on earth) and I will read George there for free. I told my plan to my mom and she smiles and told me she will still do her best to buy me at least one copy of George.
I was so hooked on George like it was sugar. I told myself when I will be older during school breaks (high schools, college, university), I could work at George by doing photocopies, bringing coffee to the whole team, sharpening their pencils and other kinds of stuff like it. I just didn’t realize I would have needed a working visa in the U.S since I’m from Canada. Oh well, it was my little fantasy when I was thirteen.
In 2017, a part of this fantasy was made possible when I created The Chronicle Blog. The main focus of The Chronicle Blog is to bring up in the same plateforme pop culture, music, sports, social causes and a little bit of politics in the most neutral way with a touch of humor. I told to myself everyone of us can keep the legacy of George Magazine alive in our way.
John had a dream called George Magazine. He made us seeing politics in a different lights. He had collaborators such as Ann Coulter that have a different views about Politics as John that brought something different. And the most important aspect is that we saw that it’s okay to have different opinions but let’s make it work in the most respectful ways, it could work it out. Something that is lacking right now in our society.
“People often tell me I could be a great man. I’d rather be a good man” – John Kennedy Jr
Let’s all be good people especially right now.
Let’s all in our own way continue the legacy of George Magazine.
I promise you I will keep doing it.
Just watch me.