Superman Comes to the Supermarket," by Norman Mailer. Esquire, 1960
What it Was: Part psycho-analysis of a country, part political dispatch, Mailer's story about the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles is Esquire's most famous piece of political reporting.
What it Would Look Like Today: A list, destined to be eviscerated by commenters on Digg: "LA. Still Sucks, and 9 Other Things I Learned at the DNC."
"The Silent Season of a Hero," by Gay Talese. Esquire, 1966For more related, and depressing, reimaginings, witness how The Huffington Post would write The Great Gatsby here.
What it Was: Among the best pieces of sportswriting of all time, and proud owner of one of the great Joe DiMaggio-Marilyn Monroe anecdotes:She appeared on 10 occasions before 100,000 servicemen, and when she returned, she said, "It was so wonderful, Joe. You never heard such cheering." "Yes, I have," he said.
What it Would Look Like Today: A video on TMZ, with DiMaggio trying to pick up his luggage at SFO while an orange-tinted intern shoved a camera in his face and faux-politely asked about his marriage to Marilyn. Headline: "Boltin Joe -- DiMaggio leaving Marilyn for Idol runner-up."
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Erik Hayden



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