Newsweek Isn't That Into Customers, Doesn't Apologize for Coat Hanger Cursor

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Last updated on August 24th, 2012 at 05:08 pm

Yesterday, Sarah Jones reported on Newsweek’s day of the coathanger cursor.

Apparently some moron at Newsweek was reacting to the Huffington Post’s use for the coat hanger which was intended to illustrated the inevitable results of the Republican Party’s inclusion of a constitutional ban on abortion in their Party Platform. According to Mashable:

The front page of The Huffington Post was taken up by a large image of a coat hanger late Tuesday morning to illustrate two stories — first this, then this one — related to the proposed ban.

“We thought it was powerful,” founding editor Roy Sekoff said of the decision to use the stock image. “It’s saying that this is the inevitable consequence of this kind of policy.”

Newsweek reacted to Huff Post by changing their moustache cursor to a coat hanger because nothing is funnier than sending women back to the days of back alley abortions and coat hangers right. Obviously, someone’s intelligence and compassion quotients measure in single digits.

There was an understandable backlash to Newsweek’s twisted idea of humor.

“I hope this guy gets fired,” one follower wrote. “Tasteless,” wrote another. “Congratulations: you’ve insulted, offended, and devalued half the human population with your pathetic attempt to be clever,” chimed a third.

The problem, said many, was Newsweek‘s attempt to transform the coat-hanger from a disturbing image (HuffPo‘s use) to a humorous one (Newsweek‘s).

So what does Newsweek do? Well, I’ll give you a hint: they didn’t fire the person responsible. They decided against apologizing to their customers, let alone women in general. They didn’t even off an apology of the “if we offended anyone variety”. In short, they didn’t do a thing. It seems they are even denser when it comes to back alley abortions and coat hangers than the Republican Party. And that isn’t saying much.

There is something interesting about Newsweek’s approach to customer service One would think that an American publication would make subscribing to the publication easy, such as doing so on line, such as including the United States in the “choose your country” section on its subscription page. Okay, it may not be the smartest marketing move, but here’s the weird part about customer service for U.S. customers at Newsweek’s website.

If you somehow saw something resembling humor or good taste in celebrating coat hangers, good luck subscribing or for that matter, if you wish to manage your subscription in any way, like perhaps unsubscribing.

Upon seeing that the United States is excluded, someone who may want to subscribe would take the take the natural next step which is to follow the link for if your country isn’t listed here leading to the link for the U.S. and Canada.

One would think that will send you to another page, to subscribe as they do for Asia or Latin America But, Newsweek has a special treat for its U.S. and Canadian customers, instead you’ll find yourself staring at Niall Ferguson’s widely debunked anti-Obama article on the Daily Beast.

Newsweek – US & Canada …. www.newsweek.com

Is this more Newsweek “humor”?

Newsweek admits that they don’t even have a factchecking department and now we know that they also aren’t that into customer service, feedback or women’s lives.