Esquire vs. GQ

[21]

What offends me in the fashion spreads is the bizarre pairings, such as this month in Esquire in which the tie costs more than the shoes. The suggestions aren't just useless for us, they are useless no matter how much money you have. In no way does it serve the reader; in fact it gives them the worst possible advice.

The women's mags go a step further: They do a whole spread on what's 'out,' and then ten pages later, there's another spread featuring one of the 'out' items as a 'must have.'

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

What offends me in the fashion spreads is the bizarre pairings, such as this month in Esquire in which the tie costs more than the shoes. The suggestions aren't just useless for us, they are useless no matter how much money you have. In no way does it serve the reader; in fact it gives them the worst possible advice.

The women's mags go a step further: They do a whole spread on what's 'out,' and then ten pages later, there's another spread featuring one of the 'out' items as a 'must have.'

When I was in my 20s, I used to read the women's mags because my brother-in-law read them to "know how they think." Well, it didn't help him because they got divorced and more than 10 years later he still apparently doesn't know "how they think" and is probably doomed to read Cosmo until it falls off. As for me, my wife doesn't read them, so neither do I anymore. I will say the sex stories in the women's mags are hotter than the pathetic ones in the men's mags, although both seem to consider their readers completely neurotic and incompetent in that area.

 

[Flip Wilson]

I read Esquire a few times a year, so when I found a deal to subscribe through Amazon for $10 for two years, I signed up. Looking forward to it, though the wife will not be happy with one more magazine coming into the house.

 

[rockcrit88]

Both magazines are excellent.
Look at the line up of writers at each mag -- Chirs Jones, Charles P. Pierce, Scott Raab, Tom Junod, and the legendary Mike Sager at Esquire. Anything by those guys is ususally worth the price of the mag. My only complaint, too many celebrity profiles. The Ebert piece was an exception.

Having said that, GQ has Charles Bowden, Andrew Corsello, Chris Heath, Tom Carson, Robert Draper and Sean Flynn. Plus, on occasion, horse racing writer John Jeremiah Sullivan.

Almost to close to call.

Both do great long form pieces a lot of magazines won't do anymore.

Esquire wins though, I think, because of Sager and future legend Chris Jones.

BTW -- anybody read the Chris Jones boxing piece in the new ESPN The Mag? "The Substitute."

It's amazing.

 

[Moderator1]

What offends me in the fashion spreads is the bizarre pairings, such as this month in Esquire in which the tie costs more than the shoes. The suggestions aren't just useless for us, they are useless no matter how much money you have. In no way does it serve the reader; in fact it gives them the worst possible advice.

The women's mags go a step further: They do a whole spread on what's 'out,' and then ten pages later, there's another spread featuring one of the 'out' items as a 'must have.'

That's how current and hip they are - by the time you get those 10 pages read, it's back in style.

 

[21]

What offends me in the fashion spreads is the bizarre pairings, such as this month in Esquire in which the tie costs more than the shoes. The suggestions aren't just useless for us, they are useless no matter how much money you have. In no way does it serve the reader; in fact it gives them the worst possible advice.

The women's mags go a step further: They do a whole spread on what's 'out,' and then ten pages later, there's another spread featuring one of the 'out' items as a 'must have.'

That's how current and hip they are - by the time you get those 10 pages read, it's back in style.

So if I read the issue backwards, I can be out of style before anyone realizes!

 

[Songbird]

Hey @Alma, when's that "hard left turn" taking place? lol

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Quite the names on this thread

 

[Alma]

Hey @Alma, when's that "hard left turn" taking place? lol

In culture it's already happened.

Politically, 5-10 years.

 

[Sports Barf]

That jacket looks like it would be a pain in the ash to wear in a snowstorm.

People still read magazines btw?

 

[CD Boogie]

Hey @Alma, when's that "hard left turn" taking place? lol

Nope

 

[typefitter]

Nope

And yet if he were left alone with any of our women for ten minutes, they would be lost to us forever.