"The cover of Mojo, that was good for us"
About this Quote
A four-word shrug that doubles as a mission statement: Meg White treating media attention like a weather report. "The cover of Mojo" isn’t framed as triumph, validation, or a long-deserved coronation. It’s "good for us" - practical, plural, almost managerial. In a culture that expects rock stars to either preen or complain, White opts for the tone of someone watching the machinery from a slight distance, acknowledging the lever that got pulled.
The intent feels deliberately narrow. She’s not mythmaking; she’s pointing to publicity as infrastructure. Mojo, as a tastemaker magazine with real weight in early-2000s rock culture, functioned like a stamp that could translate underground credibility into broader attention without smelling too pop. Saying it was "good" keeps the heat low, dodging the narrative of desperate striving that journalists love to hang on bands, especially ones packaged as raw, authentic, and retro.
The subtext is also about control. The White Stripes were famously allergic to overexposure and explanation; White’s minimalism protects that posture. It’s an admission that press matters, but not an invitation to psychoanalyze it. The "us" matters, too: a quiet insistence on bandhood in a story often tilted toward Jack White as singular auteur. She’s locating herself inside the win without asking for a solo spotlight.
Contextually, it captures a moment when print magazine covers still moved markets. White’s understatement doesn’t diminish the milestone; it punctures the melodrama around it. The coolest part is the refusal to perform cool.
The intent feels deliberately narrow. She’s not mythmaking; she’s pointing to publicity as infrastructure. Mojo, as a tastemaker magazine with real weight in early-2000s rock culture, functioned like a stamp that could translate underground credibility into broader attention without smelling too pop. Saying it was "good" keeps the heat low, dodging the narrative of desperate striving that journalists love to hang on bands, especially ones packaged as raw, authentic, and retro.
The subtext is also about control. The White Stripes were famously allergic to overexposure and explanation; White’s minimalism protects that posture. It’s an admission that press matters, but not an invitation to psychoanalyze it. The "us" matters, too: a quiet insistence on bandhood in a story often tilted toward Jack White as singular auteur. She’s locating herself inside the win without asking for a solo spotlight.
Contextually, it captures a moment when print magazine covers still moved markets. White’s understatement doesn’t diminish the milestone; it punctures the melodrama around it. The coolest part is the refusal to perform cool.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
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