I am in the midst of researching the career of Miami Herald Executive Editor Janet Chusmir – who began her career in the women’s pages. She was the first woman in that position at the Herald.

She said that her biggest regret was approving the above Tropic magazine cover – featuring Dave Barry using his middle finger. His boss at the time was Gene Weingarten. He describes the experience below:

“Gene Weingarten: The middle finger made its debut in the late 1970s with this photograph. Papers ran it because it was profferred by the vice president of the United States. You probably haven’t seen another example of The Finger unless you lived in South Florida in the late 1980s.

Miami had just gotten its basketball franchise — The Heat — and the following year it was announced that Orlando was going to get one, too (the Magic.) At Tropic, Tom the Butcher and I decided it would be a swell idea to start a rivalry between the two cities by sending Dave Barry up to Orlando, to do a cover story on our new NBA sister city. The story was going to be masquerading as a friendly little wet-kiss of a story, but in fact would be devastatingly cruel.

When it came time to come up with a cover idea, we all sat around, and eventually someone suggested this: An elegant looking cover with really fancy wedding-invitation type fonts that would say, “Mr. David Barry of Miami, Fla., cordially welcomes the city of Orlando into the fraternity of NBA teams.” And Dave would be on the cover, dressed in a Miami Heat Uniform, and he would be spinning a basketball on one finger.

Yes, THAT finger.

We all thought this was hilarious, but impossible. All except me. I stood up and announced that I would stride right in to the office of Janet Chusmir, the executive editor of The Miami Herald, and persuade her to let us do it. There was much hooting and derision, but I did go, and I did succeed. Janet liked and trusted me, and I framed the decision in complex philosophical terms,references the structure of humor, and whatnot.

We went with that cover.

Not long afterwards, I left The Herald for The Post, and in my exit interview with Janet she told me that in her long and storied career in journalism, that was the only decision she really regretted.”

Below is the original photo that Gene was referencing.

Please follow and like us:

I am in the midst of researching the career of Miami Herald Executive Editor Janet Chusmir – who began her career in the women’s pages. She was the first woman in that position at the Herald.

She said that her biggest regret was approving the above Tropic magazine cover – featuring Dave Barry using his middle finger. His boss at the time was Gene Weingarten. He describes the experience below:

“Gene Weingarten: The middle finger made its debut in the late 1970s with this photograph. Papers ran it because it was profferred by the vice president of the United States. You probably haven’t seen another example of The Finger unless you lived in South Florida in the late 1980s.

Miami had just gotten its basketball franchise — The Heat — and the following year it was announced that Orlando was going to get one, too (the Magic.) At Tropic, Tom the Butcher and I decided it would be a swell idea to start a rivalry between the two cities by sending Dave Barry up to Orlando, to do a cover story on our new NBA sister city. The story was going to be masquerading as a friendly little wet-kiss of a story, but in fact would be devastatingly cruel.

When it came time to come up with a cover idea, we all sat around, and eventually someone suggested this: An elegant looking cover with really fancy wedding-invitation type fonts that would say, “Mr. David Barry of Miami, Fla., cordially welcomes the city of Orlando into the fraternity of NBA teams.” And Dave would be on the cover, dressed in a Miami Heat Uniform, and he would be spinning a basketball on one finger.

Yes, THAT finger.

We all thought this was hilarious, but impossible. All except me. I stood up and announced that I would stride right in to the office of Janet Chusmir, the executive editor of The Miami Herald, and persuade her to let us do it. There was much hooting and derision, but I did go, and I did succeed. Janet liked and trusted me, and I framed the decision in complex philosophical terms,references the structure of humor, and whatnot.

We went with that cover.

Not long afterwards, I left The Herald for The Post, and in my exit interview with Janet she told me that in her long and storied career in journalism, that was the only decision she really regretted.”

Below is the original photo that Gene was referencing.

Please follow and like us: