The surreal world of selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door (bizarre story) [View All]

(February 22, 2007 -- 10:22 AM EDT // link)

If you missed it, check out this article in Wednesday's Times on 'mag crews', teams of young adults and teenagers who sell magazine subscriptions door-to-door around the country. It's surreal and riveting -- a mix of Fight Club, Urban Cowboy and pretty much any other dark, sex, violence and drug drenched movie or cultural phenomenon you can think of.

I'm not sure quite how to briefly describe the story. But, in short, it is an underworld of lost or trying-to-escape-bad-homes kids who get recruited into these team of magazine subscription sellers, door to door, as I said. But once there, most seem to be held in a thinly-disguised form of debt servitude and kept in line with routine beatings. The teams are run by contractors of contractors or contractors, so the glitz magazines they sell don't have to dirty their hands with any direct ties to the operations.

If it all sounds too outlandish to believe, that was my reaction too. But it seems to be there right under our noses, unregulated and ignored.

Late Update: Here's a July 2006 story from New Mexico about two guys from a mag crew passing through town who murdered a local in a bowling alley parking lot. Another story here from the Portland Tribune.