To the surprise of no one who has read it in the last few years, Gourmet Magazine is soon to be tossed out with the kitchen scraps of the Conde Nast empire.
The other group of people who aren’t struck with incredulity over this development are gourmets everywhere, who have watched its steady decline under editor Ruth Reichl as she systematically de-boned this periodical of everything that ever made it special.
Sometime during her recent tenure as editor-in-chief, the achingly sensitive and insufferably sensual Reichl forgot the name of the ‘zine, and decided to aim it at the Rachel Ray crowd…and liberally season it with some Berkeley-style proselytizing.
Between the odd-ball articles, awful photography, hideous graphics (good luck finding where the features began and the ads ended), and abandonment of that je ne sais quoi that made us love it so for thirty years, we were relieved to hear the news…
We suppose Reichl will now have to go back to completing her ten-volume autobiography that gastronomes everywhere are awaiting with bated breath.
For an alternate viewpoint from Reichl’s friend and colleague Corby Kummer click here. Although we at ELV must question if the normally keen-eyed Kummer has been reading the same, boring, poorly laid out, dumbed-down (the recipes), but still pretentious (the articles), ‘zine we’ve been seeing for these past five years.
Gourmet Magazine (1940-2009) R.I.P.
I agree and disagree.
I actually didn’t see a problem with Gourmet tackling the undeniable politics of food. La Vida Locavore has been tackling the effects of climate change, corporate monopolies, health care politics, and more on what we eat for some time now, and it’s a shame that more mainstream food publications haven’t really talked about what’s behind what we eat.
Still, I agree with you wholeheartedly on the recipes. Last time I read Gourmet, I had to check the front cover again to make sure I didn’t pick up “Everyday Rachael Ray”! Hell, some of those recipes can even qualify as “Semi-Homemade by Sandra Lee”!
As Beyonce might sing, a food ‘zine with a big ego should have what it takes to back it up. It’s sad to see Gourmet collapse over identity confusion.
I wish more food periodicals would have more such “oddball” articles.
the wify subscibes, so i guess we are stuck with bon apetite only now…
Glad to see it go under. Why would I want to read the equivalent of a Michael Moore liberal scold in a food magazine?
Joe-
Maybe because we really are what we eat? Maybe because ethically grown food just tastes better? Maybe because gourmands benefit from better quality food? Just a thought. ;-)
I agree w/ Joe. I remember reading my parent’s Gourmet mags in the 60s – 70s… It was a fantasy of sophisticated eating and world travel. I’ve been a subscriber since I had my first job and was able to afford it. But the pretentious liberal nagging of the last few years w/ Ruth Reichl at the helm was too much. I skipped more articles than I read. Sadly, it won’t be missed.