Karlie Kloss Is Bringing LIFE Magazine Back to Life

It's official: Karlie Kloss and Jared Kushner's investor brother, Josh, are expanding their media portfolio. On Thursday, the pair announced that their holding company, Bedford Media, has acquired the publishing rights to Life from Dotdash Meredith more than two decades after it was folded by Time Inc. Life, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter will be relaunched as a print magazine. However, it will apparently also boast a “vibrant” digital and video presence... "While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply inspired by Life's iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity," Kloss said in a statement to the outlet. "We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape," she added. Chaotic media landscape, huh? From where I'm sitting, it doesn't seem all that chaotic for the couple—who've never actually worked in print media—shopping for publications to purchase just for funzies. This is now the second outlet the Kushner-Klosses have acquired. Last year, they bought i-D Magazine from Vice Media and I'll note that most of the editorial staff was reportedly laid off in London this week. Kushner, according to THR, will now act as the magazine's publisher. In his own statement, he said: "LIFE's legacy lies in its ability to blend culture, current events and everyday life—highlighting the triumphs, challenges and unique perspectives that define us." Now, the couple's characterization about Life and its "iconic legacy" is...interesting. Frankly, I'm not certain they're actually familiar with it at all. It's no doubt an iconic brand but since it was first published in 1833, the magazine has featured many a controversial cover. For instance, during the Vietnam War, a photograph of a Vietnamese prisoner with his eyes and mouth taped was chosen for its November 1965 cover. And a different 1965 cover depicted a Vietnam helicopter crew chief, James C. Farley, alongside a pilot, Lieutenant James E. Magel, who was dying beside him. I'm not sure I'd consider the legacy of Life "uplifting" or "unifying" so much as boundary-pushing. But hey, what better salve for a "chaotic media landscape" than yet another half-dead publication helmed by white elites?