Top 10 Favorite Topless Bars

Sorry...I meant Top 10 Favorite "sTopless" Bars.

Actually, I just meant to distract you with something salacious, yet spectacular, yet simplified, to ensure it appeals to your constantly tasked attention and is immediately comforting in how it suggests this post will be bite-sized, most likely painless, and if you're lucky entertaining.

Unlucky you.

I'm actually responding to an email from a monthly arts magazine in which they indicate they're reviving one of their most popular features. Yes, it's a Top {some number here} list of some sort. Mind you, I like Top XXX art lists as much as anyone. In no particular order, some of my favorites include

• Hyperallergic's "The 20 Most Powerless People in the Art World" (see 2011 edition)
• ArtNews' Top 200 Collectors (see 2011 edition)
• Art Review's "Power 100" (see 2011 edition...and how refreshing that number 1 is an artist!)
• Gallerist NY's "The 50 Most Powerful Women in the New York Art World" (see first edition) In fact, Gallerist seems particularly fond of the numbered list format, but then no one is covering the art world as impressively as they are these days.
• Tyler Green's "Museum collection top tens" (see here) (and be sure to catch Green's new series of podcasts beginning this Thursday)
  

But it was the sense that this magazine was reviving a Top XXX list because it had been popular that struck me as noteworthy. At one point they had stopped publishing it (for whatever reasons), and now it's back.

I can't help but imagine an editorial brainstorming session focused on increasing circulation and someone who had resented the cutting of the Top XXX list piece casually (but secretly, somewhat smugly) reminding everyone how it used to help spike newsstand purchases. The popularity of other publications' Top XXX issues surely came up, as did some ideas on how to tweak it so that it wouldn't feel like your grandfather's Top XXX list.

And I guess there's nothing wrong with that. Periodicals can periodically rotate through their greatest hits. There are, for example, only 6 types of articles ever published in most men's health magazines (get killer abs easily, get more sex easily, lose weight/put on muscle easily, dress for success, try this cool new sport you'll probably die doing, and pathetic attempts at interviewing someone).

And yet...reviving a Top XXX list because it was "popular"...ehhh...I don't know...the lack of subtlety there chafes my neck a bit.

Then again, if I'm on the list, I'll immediately forgive all...just saying.