Screed

McKinsey Consultants Can Eat Dirt and Die

Mara Gay 16 Views Oct 5, 2009
WHO: Lisa Takeuchi Cullen
WHERE: TrueSlant
LENGTH: 187 words
WHERE SHE WROTE BEFORE CONSULTANTS FORCED HER TO TAKE A BUYOUT: Time Magazine
THE ENEMY: McKinsey consultants
WHY: The "twentysomethings with fancy degrees who've never worked a day in the magazine industry -- or any other honest line of work," are ruining journalism
MEMORIES OF CONSULTANTS: "They sat silently in the back row at edit meetings. They held hushed conferences in some borrowed offices. They made a lot of copies. They made a lot of copies. They used a productivity diagram so ridiculous it could have come off the set of 'The Office.' When they had eaten enough donuts, they left a seven-figure bill and instructions to lay off hundreds of people"
WHAT THEY SHOULD EAT INSTEAD: "Dirt"
THE LAST WORD:
There's a special parking spot reserved in hell for McKinsey consultants. The news is just breaking that Condé Nast, the venerable magazine publisher, is shutting down three of its storied titles: Gourmet, Modern Bride and Cookie.

[...]I hope the twerps are happy eating Kraft mac and cheese, wearing ugly wedding dresses and dressing their children in hand-me-downs. Because the editorial talent at those three magazines sure won't be lifting a finger to help them.



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