Social and Pop Culture Commentary Gallery was an independent magazine that featured photos taken by celebrities, musicians, athletes, politicians, etc., along with a short story about the person who took them. It was started in New York City in 1968 by art director Marvin Israel and photographers Diane Arbus and Allan Arbus. The idea behind this project was to "capture moments from everyday life" using photography to document social events such as street fashion, music concerts, political protests, etc. In addition to these essays, they also published editorials on topics like politics, science, JFK conspiracies, sexual liberation, and cultural essays on race and government cover-ups—e.g., "The Labels of Bigotry" and exposés on nuclear waste. This made it more than just a pictorial magazine. They wanted their readers to be informed without being distracted by ads or stories about celebrities' lives. For example, their article on JFK assassination theories showed how people's beliefs could change based on what information they had access to. In another piece called "The Labels of Bigotry," they examined why some people were labeled racists while others weren't even though both groups held similar views. One thing that makes this magazine stand out is its use of photo essays rather than traditional text-based articles. While many magazines use photos to illustrate stories, Social and Pop Culture Commentary used them instead of words as the main source for telling its stories. Their most famous issue featured Andy Warhol posing nude in front of an American flag. Other contributors included John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Robert Mapplethorpe, Annie Leibovitz, and Dennis Hopper. It also covered sexually explicit material including drawings by David Hockney, photographs by Helmut Newton, and a story by Norman Mailer titled "Masturbating with My Mother." The magazine was known for featuring black and white photography because it looked better in print, but sometimes used color film when necessary (such as during its feature on Andy Warhol). They didn't shy away from controversial topics either; one issue discussed homosexuality openly at a time when few publications did so. Overall, Social and Pop Culture Commentary was ahead of its time in terms of content and presentation. Its creators believed that readers would be more interested in reading about social issues if they were presented visually instead of through long written pieces. This turned out to be true—the magazine became popular enough that they were able to publish two editions per month until 1974 when it ceased publication due to financial difficulties related to the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal.
This article covers how Social and Pop Culture Commentary Gallery went against the grain by using visual media over written word. The article is well-written and easy to read, which makes it a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about this unique periodical.