Conde Nast, etc.

I have a friend here in my ward in Queens who works in the Conde Nast building just across the 43rd Street from me. She and her husband are good people, the kind that make other people better people. You know the kind. Anyways, she works at Vanity Fair (the 22nd floor of the building, for those who care). I think that Conde Nast is such an interesting company because it has its hand in so many cookie jars at the same time. They have magazines that are self-proclaimed competitors like Vogue and Glamour and Vanity fair. They have their own sort of autonomous capitalistic organization within an organization.

I bring up Conde Nast because I subscribe to two publications, both of which cater to men's interests, both of which have a substanital readership, and both of which are under the Conde Nast umbrella. One is Wired, the other GQ. I got both of the latest issues in the mail today, which is always fun, mail. On the cover of each is a picture of a woman. Same overarching idea, of course, that sex sells. But here's where it gets interesting. (Yes, I put in cues like that in hopes that someone will keep reading, not necessarily because it will be any more interesting.)

The GQ cover is a picture of Rachel Bilson (I only know her from Chuck) in a patriotic bathing suit, saluting, because that's what you do when you wear patriotic swimwear. Anyways, it is tactful, but alluring nonetheless. The message is, "Yes I like to dress nice and read about men's fashion, but it's cool because this magazine has a girl on the cover." So there's GQ.

Then we have Wired. Again, a woman on the cover. But this time the message is very different. The featured female is Sarah Silverman. Those of you who know she is know that she ain't in a bikini. She's in jeans and a t-shirt that reads "tech support" across the front and, although she is not saluting, she does have a hand to her head scratching it as if to say, "I am pretending to be thinking about something." Interesting, right? The message here is, "Yes I like to write in my diary in binary code and introduce myself to people by my gamertag, but it's cool because this magazine has a girl on the cover."

I guess the only difference in men is that some like bikinis and others like tech support.