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Photoshopped Rachael Ray Cover Goes Viral!
Originally posted March 25, 2011
Hi TAILS Fans–
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and we do love a TAILS cover gone viral!
However, the circulating cover from October 2010, featuring our friend and all-time animal lover, Rachael Ray, was indeed Photoshopped.
We want to assure anyone who has stumbled upon the cover, that the image being circulated is in fact an unauthorized ALTERED cover.
The image posted here is the actual cover that was printed, WITH commas!
We do get the joke, but just want to make sure we set the record straight, for our sake and Rachael Ray’s (and her family and her dog, of course 
)
Thanks!
The TAILS Team
Tagged covers, Humor, photoshop, Rachael Ray
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mattJune 15, 2012 at 2:05 pm
“Rachael Ray Altered Cover” is the url because they are using WordPress and it strips out unneed additional words from the urls automatically. Called ‘slug’ removal. You’ll notice that the neither page title nor the article heading say “Rachael Ray Altered Cover”.
ruth quayleJune 15, 2012 at 11:48 am
I was always taught in English grammar class that comma’s were not allowed next to an and or a but so perhaps you should look to your grammar.
Grammar PolicemanJune 15, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Ruth, they taught you incorrectly. A comma is optional before the ‘and’ prior to the last entry in a comma-separated list. It isn’t necessary but isn’t prohibited. HOWEVER, your use of an apostrophe when you tried to pluralize “comma” into “comma’s” IS a no-no. An apostrophe-s is used to make a noun possessive. You simply add an s to make a noun plural (i.e., “commas” would be correct in the usage you made). Today’s lesson is brought to you by the , and the ‘.
JayJune 15, 2012 at 6:19 pm
I hope not the same teachers who told you that the plural of comma is comma’s.
The use of a comma before “and” in a list is unsettled. Strunk and White say it should be there. I agree.
Reid DavisJune 15, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Maybe so, but the alternative is widely accepted. Using commas prior to the “and” is known as the “Oxford comma” and many copyeditors swear by it.
ValerieJune 16, 2012 at 3:16 pm
That is how we were taught in school, and I’m only 30. I’ll probably include a comma after that second to last item in a list and the “and” before the last item until the day I die.
CindyJune 26, 2012 at 10:43 am
Copy editors in journalism follow the AP Stylebook and do NOT use the serial, or Oxford, comma. Took me some getting used to it in a new job in the government. I love that people feel so passionately about grammar and punctuation! Keep it up!
LePriceJune 14, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Very good response – not taking the viral version too seriously. Now that I saw the photoshopped version, I’m more interested in reading Tails.
MiJune 14, 2012 at 3:38 pm
I will post your response on my FB page, since I posted the erroneous one yesterday.
AbeJune 13, 2012 at 10:01 am
What’s the point of posting this without even giving your readers a clue what the photoshopped cover looks like? Why not post it, too? This is like correcting an error without telling the reader what the error was.
ValJune 13, 2012 at 12:15 pm
It looks exactly the same, except the white print leaves out the two commas, TOTALLY changing the meaning.
Peter Cook - The Rock'n'Roll Business BloggerJune 13, 2012 at 9:31 am
In a similar vein, a comma got me into all sorts of trouble with the media and some rock stars :
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/blogs/peter-cook/musings-peter-cook-rock039n039roll-hr-blogger/all-small-things-getting-your-pr-righ
ReubenJune 15, 2012 at 2:32 am
Ouch!!!
ChrisJune 13, 2012 at 9:20 am
It would have been more believable had the vandals removed commas from the movie title parody. That’s what raised red flags for me.
(Technically the subtitle requires only one comma, after “cooking”, but two is also acceptable.
Congrats, Tails, on a great response, and good luck in attracting new subscribers!
MaxJune 12, 2012 at 11:30 pm
So if this is the actual punctuationally-correct cover, why did they bother to use commas but no period?
EditorJune 13, 2012 at 8:30 am
Although the second part of the headline is a complete thought, headlines do not require periods. If the same copy were used in the the article, the sentence would, of course, require a period.
Nathan GrahamJune 13, 2012 at 9:41 am
It’s pretty rare to see periods on magazine covers.
JeremyJune 13, 2012 at 10:17 am
It’s a subhead, and while this particular subhead happens to be grammatically correct as a sentence, it isn’t presented as one. Look at the head/subhead in the lower right of the cover and you’ll see another example.
PeggyJune 13, 2012 at 12:17 pm
The entire Heading leaves too much to the imagination and comma’s aren’t what comes to mind. Eat, Ray,Love ? Sounds bad already. IMO
Michael MusgroveJune 12, 2012 at 9:35 pm
I thought me and my paper shredder were alone:
Michael MusgroveJune 12, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Would probably be funnier with a link to the photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmusgrove/7367395108/in/photostream
AshleyJune 12, 2012 at 6:38 pm
I love your response to this! Very classy.
Deacon MoralJune 12, 2012 at 4:50 pm
what do you call a cannibal that eats dogs? CANNIREAN.
D HillJune 12, 2012 at 11:40 am
While I’m glad no one lost there job, I was going to apply for one. I’m still available!
D HillJune 12, 2012 at 11:44 am
*THEIR THEIR!! Oh never mind…
Amybeth4June 14, 2012 at 9:38 pm
OMG. Best. Response. EVER. THANK YOU.
Mark BJune 15, 2012 at 10:01 am
Worst job solicitation for a proofreading position ever!
)
ChasJune 12, 2012 at 9:10 am
Commas or not, it’s a poorly written bit of copy. It can almost be read like the altered cover even with the commas.
TshuJune 12, 2012 at 5:28 pm
“It can almost be read like the altered cover even with the commas”
Er, no, because that’s the whole point of punctuation!!!
sara gliddenJune 12, 2012 at 7:53 pm
only if you ignore the commas
really?June 12, 2012 at 10:13 pm
No, it’s not, and no, it can’t. The commas are there. If you choose to ignore them, it’s not because they can’t write, but because YOU can’t read. I could decide that even without an “e” at the end of your name I’m going to call you Chase. See how that works?
ThoperSoughtJune 17, 2012 at 7:41 pm
I think you guys disagreeing with Chas might want to consider another viewpoint.
Can you remember a time when you had to reread something to be sure you understood it correctly? If you’re reading fast, do you catch every single comma exactly as it was intended?
Putting a word derived from a verb at the head of a list, like they did, is asking for trouble. I can’t say they shouldn’t have done it, but where do you suppose the photoshopper got the idea of doing this?
CathieJune 12, 2012 at 7:23 am
I have to say that the goofed up one is WAY more fun!
ThomasJune 11, 2012 at 11:12 pm
Awww, the photoshopped version was far more interesting.
Just Here for NowJune 12, 2012 at 7:55 am
I think so too… some people just can’t take a joke.
Just Here for NowJune 11, 2012 at 10:48 pm
This “correction” is even funnier… “Rachael Ray Altered Cover”… She DID? Why would she do that? LOL
I think you probably mean “Rachael Ray Cover Altered”…
Hahahahahahahaha
Amybeth4June 14, 2012 at 9:40 pm
AHAHAHAHAHA Great answer
AnonJune 11, 2012 at 6:00 pm
It’s good this page is still up since the cover is making its rounds again via Facebook…
geust00001February 9, 2012 at 8:21 pm
O_o ……..
The Tail that wags the dog « Sub StandardMarch 29, 2011 at 5:39 pm
[...] http://www.tailsinc.com/2011/03/rachael-ray-altered-cover/ [...]
A cautionary tail, er, tale « Mighty Red PenMarch 27, 2011 at 5:24 pm
[...] It’s a photoshopped version of the original cover, but kudos to Tails magazine for having a sense of humor about it. [...]