Gawker
So, was Esquire's last-minute inclusion as a finalist in the National Magazine Awards a stroke of luck for the languishing Hearst magazine, or merely the result of a fix? As you might have read, David Granger's men's title, which used reliably to feature in several categories in the magazine industry's annual exercise in mutual flattery, only received a solo nomination for its work in the past year. Mixed Media's Jeff Bercovici explained that even that was a fluke: the nomination was to have been New York's, until the judges realized that the magazine, an awards hog, had naughtily entered material it had already submitted in another category. So, a lucky break. Or maybe not.
We hear the panel planned simply to disqualify New York, and leave four finalists. It was only a last-minute appeal by one of the judges, Rosemary Ellis of Good Housekeeping, that won Esquire a place. And, yup, Good Housekeeping is part of the same magazine group as Esquire, Hearst. It was a generous gesture by Granger's colleague, and her fellow panel members. Esquire is commercially marginal, and Granger seems to have lost the energy he brought to the magazine a decade ago. Hearst tolerates the situation only as long as Esquire, a magazine with a glorious journalistic history, continues to bring prestige to an otherwise humdrum magazine group. There's not much prestige, however, in a single nomination obtained only by such lobbying.
Comments
"Enterted" = Enter Tedsez?
The only thing I looked forward to from Esquire was the annual Dubious Achievement Awards. But then Cracked.com came along and now does the same thing daily.
The nomination is a reported fiction. In fact, they received no nods and currently have an associate editor from WWE Magazine crafting their own "award."
Oooh, now fill the room with smoke and you have intrigue!
@MyCubeHas3Sides: I don't think the omnipresent enter OR exit.
I know there are a lot of folks here who are over Klosterman, but I still look forward to his pieces each month. This month's is a bit serious and doesn't have the usual sarcasm (including footnotes), which seems to be a trend - decreasing humor. Is he getting crotchety? Is he becoming the Emily Gould of Esquire? Can't stomach the (fuck I hate to say it) snark anymore?
@fiveinchtaint: Don't be ashamed to say 'snark'. I feel like Gawker get's the credit for literally inventing it anyhow so why be ashamed?
As for Klosterman, I enjoyed his latest book 'IV', which basically included alot of his Esquire pieces. I think of him more as a philosopher if anything and if he's lacking in humor maybe he isn't getting laid?
Esquire doesn't have the same punch it had even a year ago, but for features and general reporting, they're still head and shoulders above GQ.
@BullfightsOnAcid: They're over as of this year, anyway.
@fiveinchtaint: Tell me about it, I thought April Fool's had come early with him covering The McLaughlin Report last month.
@fiveinchtaint: He's still pretty good, and they've had a couple other good articles in the last 5 or 6 issues (I'm thinking in particular of the one about To Catch A Predator). But they could use some energy.
@Cheap Shot: I hear you, but I still try to avoid saying it at all cost. I had IV and was enjoying it until I left it in the seat back on a flight. It was perfect for a short subway commute.
@Juancho: Yeah that was so dull. He's in a funk. Maybe he needs to go back out on the road with a shitty cover band to recover some edge.
@Go Like Hell Machine: I tend to skip the features in most issues, but the Clooney one was actually pretty good. The guy treats the interview like I would - simply discussing all the rumors surrounding him. He's got great perspective still, and a good sense of humor.
This is only a problem if Esquire wins.
@cassandra: If they win we all lose.
Pretty obvious Esquire isn't going to win this one. Too bad. It's a hell of a lot better magazine than some of the others nominated. Men's Health? Popular Mechanics? Gimme a break. And the New York Times Magazine? It is the single most boring and pretentious "magazine" in the solar system.
Every time I pick Esquire up (like, at the doctor's office) I'm surprised at just how good it is, IN PARTS. There's a whole lot of crap in there, too, but it is one magazine that aspires to Smart, not Intellectual, not Snarky, not Flash. Smart. We do need more of that.
I get the cover art. He's imploding and now we're all supposed to believe it. Except he isn't. At all.
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