Most popular posts of 2019: Lying clickbait exposés, dead pools and hot LFL players

For the fourth year in a row, the most popular stories on Tech-media-tainment were those exposing online content promoters using lying clickbait to attract readers.
In addition to lying clickbait, other topics of interest to TMT readers included celebrity dead pools, LFL player pictorials and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame commentary.
What follows are the top 10 most visited stories on Tech-media-tainment in 2019:

1. Bait-and-switch photos in lying clickbait (Jan. 28, 2019)
2. Top 20 celebrities predicted to die in 2019 (Jan. 1, 2019)
3. Fake Monica Lewinsky photos, fake Old West photos, fake North Korea photos (Feb. 3, 2019)
4. The 10 hottest women in the LFL, 2019 edition (Aug. 11, 2019)
5. 2019 psychic predictions for Donald Trump, Taylor Swift and Apple (Jan. 14, 2019)
6. Rock Hall proposal: 20 for ’20 (Sept. 2, 2019)
7. Pat Benatar leads my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wish list (July 5, 2019)
8. Post-apocalyptic TV shows ready for comeback (Sept. 8, 2019)
9. The 10 hottest women in the LFL in 2019, part 2 (Aug. 11, 2019)
10. 2019 will be big year for plant-based meat, beer-brewing machines and ‘Harry Potter’ mobile game (Jan. 2, 2019)

2020 predictions for media and tech company mergers & acquisitions

Ahead of the new year, analysts and pundits made 2020 predictions for mergers and acquisitions in the media and technology industries. Some are far-fetched “black swans” while others are more rooted in reality.
What follows are a few interesting ones.

MGM hangs ‘for sale’ sign

Staff writers at Variety predicted that movie studio MGM will put itself up for sale in the new year.
“MGM will be on the block as speculation about Apple and Amazon kicking tires on IP assets reaches fever pitch,” Variety said in a Dec. 17 article. “It’s a seller’s market for companies with proven franchises, and MGM controls the rights to no less than James Bond.”

Sony, Lionsgate studios in play

Research firm Strategy Analytics believes Sony Pictures and Lionsgate are likely acquisition targets because they are “now midsized studios in a land of behemoths.”
“Both traditional media companies and undercapitalized and underperforming privately held digital pure plays become logical M&A candidates,” the firm said in its “Media & Entertainment Predictions for 2020.”
The media and entertainment industry has been rocked by major deals in recent years. They include AT&T acquiring Time Warner ($85 billion), Disney acquiring 21st Century Fox ($71.3 billion), Comcast acquiring Sky ($39 billion), CBS re-acquiring Viacom (they split in 2005) ($12 billion), and SiriusXM acquiring the remaining 81% of Pandora it didn’t already own ($3.5 billion).

Smaller streaming video services targeted

Strategy Analytics also believes that many smaller online video services that rely primarily on ad dollars are strong acquisition candidates. They include Tubi, Xumo and Popcornflix. Some of them could be sold at fire sale prices.

Apple seen buying Disney

Year after year, analysts who don’t understand Apple predict that the iPhone maker will announce some huge transformative acquisition. And year after year, they are wrong, because Apple prefers to do smaller tuck-in acquisitions of technology and engineering talent.
What gets their minds racing is the fact that Apple has a huge war chest – $206 billion in cash and securities as of Sept. 28.
Bilal Hafeez, chief executive officer and head of research at Micro Hive, thinks Apple will buy media conglomerate Walt Disney Co. to supercharge its services aspirations.
“While Apple has famously been reluctant to make large acquisitions, perhaps 2020 could see them lose patience and take that path instead,” Hafeez said in Dec. 23 article. “And what better target than Disney? The financials could work. Apple’s market cap of $1.2 trillion dwarves that of Disney ($265 billion). In fact, Apple has over $200 billion in cash on its balance sheet, which alone could almost fund the purchase. The acquisition would give a large library of high-quality content including the Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar properties. It would also give Apple another entry point into the Chinese consumer market.”

Arlo, GoPro get snapped up

Fortune magazine staff writers predict that more small consumer electronics companies will be acquired in the new year, following Google’s planned purchase of struggling fitness device maker Fitbit.
“Action-camera maker GoPro and security-cam maker Arlo Technologies both trade 80% below their IPO prices, with the market valuing each at less than a single year’s sales. Expect both to be snapped up in 2020,” Fortune said in a Dec. 2 article.

Related article:

Year-ahead predictions in technology IPOs and robotics (Dec. 28, 2019)

Photo: Movie poster for upcoming James Bond action movie “No Time to Die.” (MGM)

Year-ahead predictions in technology IPOs and robotics

After sorting through reams of 2020 predictions for the technology industry, I’ve concluded that most are mundane extrapolations of current trends.
For this post, I want to focus on just two subjects: initial public offerings and automation.

Top 5 IPO prospects for 2020

CB Insights reviewed the privately held companies that could go public in 2020. It listed five as its top IPO prospects.
Those likely IPOs include GitLab, a DevOps platform; Snowflake, a cloud data warehousing firm; Credit Karma, a personal finance hub; Unity, maker of a cross-platform video game engine; and Procore, maker of construction management software.

Avoid Airbnb stock, buy Casper stock

Matt McCall, editor of Investment Opportunities, predicted that online lodging marketplace Airbnb will be an IPO to avoid in 2020. He cited “its crazy high valuation and bad customer service” as reasons to stay away.
“On the flip side, mattress company Casper, backed by the likes of Kylie Jenner and Leonardo DiCaprio, should be a big hit,” InvestorPlace reported. “Why does McCall think a mattress company will do so well? For one, he thinks today’s mattress retail environment is filled with scams. Customers often walk out with more expensive mattresses and tons of add-ons they didn’t want. But beyond that, Sleep Number, the last revolutionary mattress company, has been one of the decade’s best-performing stocks.”

Automation will lead to a worker strike in 2020

In its report “Predictions 2020,” Forrester Research forecast a worker strike for at least one Fortune 500 company sparked by concerns about rising automation.
“2020 marks a significant year for the future of employment,” the research firm said. “Automation will change the composition of the job market and raise global economic issues of income distribution and wage stagnation.”
Forrester said automation will replace 1.06 million jobs from cubicle, coordinator, and function-specific knowledge worker personas in 2020. This will be partially offset by an increase of 331,500 jobs that require “require intuition, empathy, and physical and mental agility.”
“Anti-automation backlash will cause a PR nightmare for at least one Fortune 500 company,” Forrester said. “Folding automation into the enterprise will not be without backlash: Unsurprisingly, employees are wary of automation. Very few firms have invested in prepping employees for the future of work — what it means to be working with, alongside, and potentially for automation. We expect a major strike will cause a PR nightmare for at least one Fortune 500 company.”

Photo: ABB robot working in a warehouse. (ABB)

2019 magazine covers in review

Here is a roundup of my stories on memorable magazine covers and magazine trends in 2019.

Magazines that ended their runs in 2019 (Dec. 14, 2019)

Notable new magazines in 2019: Bumble Mag, Netflix Queue, Staples Worklife (Dec. 15, 2019)

Nude celebrities on magazine covers in 2019 (Dec. 16, 2019)

No shirt, no pants, no problem for 2019 magazine covers (Dec. 18, 2019)

The wackiest Donald Trump magazine covers of 2019 (Dec. 22, 2019)

The most controversial international magazine covers of 2019 (Dec. 23, 2019)

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2019 (Dec. 26, 2019)

Related reading:

2018 magazine covers in review (Dec. 23, 2018)

Photo: Model Claudia Schiffer on the August cover of Vogue Italia (top); and the August cover of Fotografe Melhor from Brazil.

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2019

After reviewing the most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2019, it’s time to recap the most controversial U.S. magazine covers of the year.
What follows is a group of magazines that triggered, outraged and upset readers for various reasons.

Social media goes nuts whenever celebrities don’t stay in their lane. Social justice warriors and societal snowflakes lose their shit whenever a celeb looks like they’re borrowing their look or style from another group’s culture.
Kim Kardashian West was accused of “blackfishing” with her darkened skin tone on the winter cover of 7Hollywood magazine. Blackfishing is darkening one’s complexion and changing hair styles to pretend to be of African-American descent for social media purposes.
Other critics cried cultural appropriation or accused her of blackface.
(See articles by NBC News, BuzzFeed, WTOP, Insider, Harper’s Bazaar, Mirror and ScreenRant.)

Actress Jennifer Aniston faced a similar backlash for her October cover of InStyle magazine. She was accused of blackfishing for her ultra-tanned skin.
(See articles by Los Angeles Times, NBC News, the Grio, Celebrity Insider, the Tab, the Hollywood Reporter and Cosmopolitan.)

Memphis Magazine halted distribution of its September issue after its cover illustration was perceived as racist. Critics said the caricatures of two black mayoral candidates reinforced demeaning tropes. (See articles by WREG and the Commercial Appeal.)

Conservative Christians were outraged by Parents magazine featuring a gay couple with their children on its cover for the first time. The men and their two toddlers were on the cover of the February issue.
(See articles by LGBTQ Nation, Towleroad, Friendly Atheist, Yahoo Lifestyle, Pride and MarketWatch.)

The mayor of Dearborn, Mich., stopped distribution of a historical magazine paid for by the city after it published a cover story about Henry Ford’s history of antisemitism. Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly also terminated the contract of The Dearborn Historian magazine editor Bill McGraw.
(See articles by Columbia Journalism Review, Cleveland Jewish News, Deadline Detroit and the Daily Mail.)

Time magazine was accused of manufacturing news with its June 24 cover story about the impact of climate change on Pacific islands. The cover showed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres standing in thigh deep water on the coast of Tuvalu with the cover text “Rising Seas. Fleeing Residents. Disappearing Villages. Our Sinking Planet.”
The article said the island nation is sinking when scientific studies indicate that it’s not. (See article by the Daily Caller.)

Rolling Stone magazine’s March cover story was derided by conservatives as partisan wish fulfillment. The cover featured four Democratic congresswomen with the title “Women Shaping The Future.”
(See responses to the cover on Twitter and articles and comments on Breitbart and the Daily Mail.)

In June, Rolling Stone magazine got people talking with its cover of singer Halsey showing her unshaven armpits.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Celebrity Insider and Fox News.)

Esquire stepped on a hornets’ nest by releasing a cover story on a white boy’s struggles during Black History Month. The article for the March cover was titled “An American Boy: What it’s like to grow up white, middle class, and male in the era of social media, school shootings, toxic masculinity, #MeToo, and a divided country.”
(See articles by the New York Post, Daily Mail, CBS News, Chicago Tribune and the Guardian.)

Failed Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke kicked off his campaign with a cover story in Vanity Fair magazine. He later said he regretted doing so because it reinforced the perception of his “privilege.” The cover photo evoked a similar cover by Time magazine featuring a soon-to-be-president Ronald Reagan.
(See articles by Quartz, Washington Examiner, the Hill and USA Today.)

Liberals freaked out when WholeFoods Magazine named U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky and Senate majority leader, as its “2019 Person of the Year.” Then they learned that trade magazine WholeFoods (no space) is not affiliated with upscale grocery chain Whole Foods Market. The magazine gave McConnell the honor for his work to legalize hemp.
(See articles by AdWeek and the Blaze.)

Readers felt a cover story in The Washington Post Magazine dated March 10 glamorized and fetishized guns. (See article in the Washington Post.)

Singer Nick Jonas faced a backlash for appearing on the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine for the September-October issue. Fans said he’s a role model who shouldn’t be promoting smoking.
(See articles by iHeartRadio, Yahoo Entertainment, Teen Vogue, Fox News and the Independent.)

Paper magazine disturbed readers with its latest cover featuring comic actor Pete Davidson as a dickless Ken doll.
(See articles by Cosmopolitan, InStyle and ET.)

The most controversial international magazine covers of 2019

Several world leaders took offense at foreign magazine covers in 2019, causing international rows.
What follows is a list of the most controversial international magazine covers of 2019. In addition to politics, other hot-button issues hit by contentious covers included race, sex and religion.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan filed a legal complaint in Turkey over the cover story in the Oct. 24 issue of French magazine Le Point, which described him as “The Eradicator.”
The magazine’s cover used a photo of the Turkish leader giving a military salute, with a tagline that reads, “Ethnic cleansing, Ergodan style,” and a second tagline that asks, “Will we let him massacre the Kurds (and threaten Europe)?”
(See articles by Bloomberg, the Daily Mail, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press.)
Last year, Erdogan criticized a cover story by Le Point that labeled him a “dictator.”

The May 20 international edition of Time magazine caused a firestorm by labeling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “India’s divider in chief.”
(See articles by Gulf News, India’s Business Today, Outlook India and the New Indian Express.)

Slovenian liberal political weekly Mladina magazine caused a stir when it depicted Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban giving a Nazi salute on the cover of its March 22 issue. (See article by Fox News.)

Serbian weekly magazine NIN removed a cover photo of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić from its Nov. 28 issue after receiving harsh criticism. The photo, which showed the president at an arms fair, could have been an invitation to kill him, critics said. The picture showed a gun pointed at Vučić. (See article by Balkan Insight.)

A Chinese embassy magazine aimed at promoting China’s ties with host country Myanmar sparked anger with a cover that imposed Chinese architectural features on the country’s famed Mandalay Palace.
The June issue of China Today magazine, a bimonthly journal published in Burmese, showed the 160-year-old Mandalay Palace, with a reflection in its famed moat of a Chinese-style palace and bastion. (See article by Radio Free Asia.)

Britain’s Daily Telegraph issued an apology after publishing a cover story in its magazine about U.S. first lady Melania Trump, saying it “contained a number of false statements.” It also paid “substantial damages” to the first lady, including her legal costs. The Jan. 19 cover story was titled “The Mystery of Melania.”
(See articles by Fox News, CNN and BBC.)

French magazine Paris Match was mocked for its July 4 cover photo that showed former French President Nicolas Sarkozy towering over his wife, former supermodel Carla Bruni. Sarkozy is 5 feet 5 inches tall while his wife is 5 feet 9 inches tall.
(See articles by Fox News, France 24, the Guardian and the Telegraph.)

In March, the Insurance Institute of Ireland pulled their members’ magazine after a controversial front cover was slammed as racist and insensitive.
The cover of the quarterly magazine carried the headline “The Dark Side of Insurance” and referred to the rise in cyber risks. The cover illustration showed thieves with dark purple faces stealing phones, money and passwords from a woman with a pink face and blonde hair.
(See articles by the Irish Independent and the Times.)

The April 16 issue of Football France raised hackles with a cover illustration showing star players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo passionately kissing. (See articles by RT and Marca.)

In August, German Jews accused Der Spiegel of spreading anti-Semitic stereotypes with the cover of its historical issue. (See articles by the Times of Israel and Forward.)

Harper’s Bazaar Australia came under fire for its December issue titled “A celebration of Australian beauty.” The cover photo showed five thin, white models. Critics said the magazine showed a lack of diversity.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and Stuff.)

Singer Rihanna was called out for “cultural appropriation” for her cover shoot for August issue of Harper’s Bazaar China. Rihanna posed in traditional Chinese clothes for the magazine.
(See articles by CNN and Page Six.)

This month, a woman with a 17-year-old daughter with autism slammed a U.K. supermarket for selling a magazine that claimed autism can be cured. Get Well magazine touts “Alternative treatments proven to work” and had a cover story titled “Reversing autism.” (See articles by Good to Know and the U.K. Independent.)

In August, then 17-year-old pop singer Billie Eilish blasted Nylon Germany magazine for a cover illustration that showed her bald and topless. The magazine pulled the cover after the stinging criticism.
(See articles by Dazed, iHeartRadio, the Guardian and People.)

The student magazine of the University of Otago in New Zealand, Critic Te Arohi, saw Facebook ban its April 7 cover for violating its community standards around nudity. The cover of its annual “Sex” issue featured 24 naked students. (See article by Stuff.)

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo stirred controversy with a graphic cover cartoon to mark the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The cartoon showed a vagina with a soccer ball entering it. A caption accompanying the cartoon read: “We will be munching on this all month!”
(See articles by Reuters, RT and Canoe.)

The wackiest Donald Trump magazine covers of 2019

Recently impeached President Donald Trump was a frequent cover subject for magazines in 2019. He was cast mostly in a negative light.
Trump was on no fewer than 116 magazine covers worldwide in 2019, as of Friday.
What follows are some of the zaniest magazine covers depicting the 45th president of the United States.

Note: Check out this gallery of Donald Trump magazine covers on Flickr.

No shirt, no pants, no problem for 2019 magazine covers

While some magazine covers seek to titillate consumers with nude celebrities and models, other seek the same effect with partially clothed subjects.
This year saw a host of models flashing their bare boobs and buns on magazine covers. Of course, they covered their modesty mostly with their hands or see-through clothes.
Elle had a topless Gisele Bundchen on the cover of its July issue.
British Vogue had a topless Kate Moss on the cover of its May issue.
Vogue Brazil had a topless Gigi Hadid in fishnet stockings on the cover of its September issue.
Maxim Australia had a topless Olivia Caneva on its August cover.
Maxim in the U.S. had a topless Georgia Fowler on its March-April cover.
Maxim Russia had model Erika Herceg in a see-through lingerie top with possibly no bottom.
Daily Front Row magazine had a topless Josephine Skriver on its July 18 cover.
Factice magazine featured a topless Belle Lucia on its summer 2019 cover.
Actress Bella Thorne showed her nipples while wearing a shear top on the Sept. 18 cover of L’Officiel Italia.
Tennis great Serena Williams mooned the camera for the August cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

Note: This is one of a series of articles looking at noteworthy magazine covers of 2019.