Actual Scene cover stories or Onion headlines? You make the call.
10 weeks that shook the world
"Billy Frist, M.D.: On the Cutting Edge" (June 25, 1989)
The Scene's official coming-out issue—a big wet kiss to a guy we would light up almost weekly once he became a U.S. senator. Enjoy it while it lasts, "Billy."
"Jim Ridley Talks to Cuba Gooding Jr." (July 18, 1991)
Sole mitigating factor: The occasion was Boyz N the Hood, not Snow Dogs.
"Can Hee Haw Be Saved?" (Oct. 3, 1991)
Another Ridley blockbuster (written with the late Chris Bell), alerting Nashville to a clear and present danger. A grateful city makes this the least-read cover story in Scene history.
"Stalking the Smells of Downtown" (Feb. 27, 1992)
Evidently on Feb. 27, 1992, downtown Nashville stank something fierce. The Scene went searching for the reason.
"The Great, Big, Angry Ladies' Room Toilet Shortage Thing" (Mar. 3, 1992)
Found it.
"Nashville's Incredibly Heroic, Absolutely Amazing and Truly Far-Out Dogs" (June 25, 1992)
Set a high bar for canine reportage, surpassed only by "A Breed Apart: The Poop on Nashville's Most Pampered Pets" (July 31, 1997). By the time readers finished, there wasn't a dry rug in the house.
"Big Hair" (Dec. 3, 1992)
Not as desperate as it sounds. Much more desperate.
"Y2Kitchens of the Superprepared" (Aug. 19, 1998)
The Scene's third cover story in as many years on the predicted Y2K computer meltdown, a looming millennial threat that proved to be the biggest non-starter since the Jupiter Menace. The food angle was novel, though. Remember: you can't have "more" without MRE.
"Is Your Pastor Gay? Does It Really Matter?" (June 19, 2003)
Question #1: Possibly. Question #2: Probably not. Any more questions?
"Ridley's Believe It or Not" (Nov. 11, 2005)
The answer to the question: What happens when a cover story falls through on Friday morning? The solution: a grab-bag of civic arcana emblazoned with a photo of the article's namesake in a wizard's robe. All across Nashville, readers gaze at the cover and arrive at the same thought: Did George Wendt move here?
SAME AS IT EVER WAS
"The Next Big Question: Can Nashville Rock Make It Big?," September 1989
http://nvs.newtimes.com/accessories/images/toolbar-preview.gif
"Tales from the White Collar Recession," April 1991
"Fighting for the Right: The Tennessee Christian Coalition's Agenda of Politics, Power and Prayer," October 1996
"Insufficient Funds: Without More Revenue, What's Bredesen Got Left to Spend?," March 1999
"Black Performers Struggle to Get Their Voices Heard in Country Music," August 1999
"The $500 Million Question: Is a Fancy New Convention Center What Nashville's Economy Needs, or Will We Buck a Nationwide Trend?," October 2003
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
"Belle Meade Country Club Accepts First Jewish Member," May 1991
"John Wilder: His Power, His Persistence (and His Surprising Passion)," June 1995
"2002 Nashvillian of the Year: Pedro Garcia."
Comments (1)
Showing 1-1 of 1
