The Proof of Men’s Ever-Restless Natures

A popular game at men’s magazines in recent weeks has been musical chairs.

First, a few months after expressing the view that “downtown” (as a state of mind) is dead, Conde Nast editorial director James Truman started to reexamine the focus of Details. Editor in Chief Joe Dolce resigned (when he learned that his job was being shopped to others), succeeded by former Los Angeles magazine Editor Michael Caruso, who hired Robert Newman from New York magazine to be his new design director.

The upshot: Contrary to a belief widely held in publishing circles that Details will tilt toward greater coverage of money and the working life, the magazine for hip young men will continue to celebrate pop culture and cutting-edge fashion, perhaps infusing career issues into the mix. Meantime, comes word that Caruso has lured feminist author Susan Faludi to write for the magazine.

Next, Edward Kosner, one of the best-known editors in magazine publishing, introduced a redesign of Esquire in the June issue, only to be ousted as editor in chief days later amid continuing declines in circulation and the number of ad pages. Hearst Magazines President Cathleen P. Black picked David Granger, who has been executive editor of GQ, to be Kosner’s successor. Granger brought along a GQ colleague, Senior Editor J. Scott Omelianuk, who has become Esquire’s new executive editor.

The upshot: Granger will draw on his solid background--supervision of GQ’s “Personal Best” section (health and fitness) and his discovery of award-winning writers such as Tom Junod (who may follow him to Esquire)--as he forges a sorely needed identity for Esquire. According to Black, the target audience remains 35 to 45.

“I think David will give Esquire some sort of direction,” said GQ Editor in Chief Arthur Cooper. “He went with an idea of what Esquire should be.”

Then, on June 11, Jann S. Wenner reached out to another familiar editor, his former Rolling Stone associate Terry McDonell, and named him editor of Men’s Journal as John Rasmus said he was leaving to pursue the proverbial “other opportunities.” McDonell most recently has been editor in chief and publisher of Sports Afield, adding literary heft and naturalist touches to the century-old hunting and fishing mag. McDonell had been Kosner’s predecessor at Esquire, where he spun off Esquire Sportsman (outdoors) and Esquire Gentleman (fashion), both since discontinued.

The upshot: McDonell is coming in to maintain the adventure and outdoorsy components on which Men’s Journal built a robust circulation since its start-up. In addition, with Wenner hungry for a bigger audience and more ad pages, McDonell will widen the editorial focus by adding journalistic pieces and “a little more irony and humor,” to quote the new boss.

And look for more fashion coverage, too. Although the new June / July issue features a signature image on the cover--a helmeted sextet paddling furiously against a surge of white water--the magazine last week introduced advertisers to its first fashion editor, Laura Harwood.

“Reinventing themselves is what magazines do all the time,” said Amy Andrews, director of print media at Zenith Media Services. “But in terms of reader demand for the men’s magazines--circulation--I don’t know if there’s a huge opportunity for growth.”

Circulation and ad revenue generated by the 14 leading men’s magazines totaled $821.6 million last year, Advertising Age reports this week. The sum represented a gain since 1995 of 2.4%, one of the smallest jumps among the various categories of magazines.

There’s a saturation of print, electronic and interactive media, all competing for men’s time and the ad dollars directed at men. In addition, newer men’s magazines, including Maxim (for regular guys) and P. O. V. (Guy’s Survival Guide), are trying to pick off younger readers. The new Blue (extreme sports and travel, for men and women) goes on sale July 8. Editor and Publisher Bob Guccione Jr., who is selling Spin magazine to Vibe Ventures, says he wants to introduce Gear, for young men, next spring.

The question remains: What do men really want?

“Women,” said Cooper, who has featured the actress Elisabeth Shue and other beautiful stars on GQ covers (with Mira Sorvino scheduled for the August issue).

“Certainly, in the service area, men’s magazines are becoming more like women’s magazines in terms of what goes inside: health, fitness and grooming, for example,” he added. “Service is an important element of men’s magazines. . . . Men also want the best journalism and elegant writing.”

Exploring the ‘Perfect Suburb’: Bernard Lefkowitz’s “Our Guys,” newly published by the University of California Press, may not be the easiest book to find, given its university-press origins. However, over the next few weeks, the book about the 1989 rape in suburban Glen Ridge, N. J., of a young retarded woman by a group of high-school athletes may become one of the better-known titles in circulation.

Sports Illustrated’s June 23 issue will carry a 14-page excerpt, one of the longest in SI’s history. Ladies’ Home Journal plans to run a piece of the book in its August issue.

Lefkowitz, who teaches journalism at Columbia University, covered the trial of the accused as a special correspondent for Newsday. “Our Guys” is subtitled “The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb.”

* Ink will return in two weeks. Paul D. Colford is a columnist for Newsday. His e-mail address is [email protected].

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A Chancy Field

Men’s Mag Scorecard: Circulation 1996 ad pages (compared to 1995)

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Magazine 1996 1995 Change Men’s Health 1,378,817 765 (+18.5%) Rolling Stone 1,298,631 1,825 (-2.4%) GQ 694,543 1,559 (+11.9%) Esquire 651,451 609 (-21.1%) Details 516,409 1,029 (+5.8%) Outside 515,764 1,018 (-5.9%) Men’s Journal 482,964 768 (-9.7%)

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Sources: Audit Bureau of Circulations; Publishers Information Bureau