On Nothing Much
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Original January 1941 Holiday Issue
Penultimate October 2009 Issue
Modern Competition from Condé Nast
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Gourmet Magazine Ends As it Lived, Sine Die "To those who would like to share a gourmet's joie de vivre, Gourmet promises a policy dedicated to presenting the unusual in food, its sources, its combination in menus, exciting news of the coteries-that-make-news in diplomatic and society circles, of culinary hobbies and amusements. In short, Gourmet will speak that Esperanto of the palate that makes the whole world kin ... good food, good drink, fine living ... the universal language of the gourmet." -- All quotes are from the Editors' Letter in the premier January 1941 Holiday Issue of Gourmet magazine Magazine publisher Condé Nast announced last week that Gourmet's November 2009 issue, which is at the printers and not yet on newstands, would be its last after nearly 70 years of chronicling what we eat and drink. There are many fine substitutes for Gourmet, even in the magazine world, but it is never easy bearing witness to the end of an enduring cultural icon. "The art of being a gourmet has nothing to do with age, money, fame, or country. It can be found in a thrifty French housewife with her pot-au-feu or in a white-capped chef in a skyscraper hotel. But where it exists, the practitioner of this art will have the eye of an artist, the imagination of a poet, the rhythm of a musician, and the breadth of a sculptor. That is the subtle amalgam of which the true gourmet is compounded." In recent years, the magazine's readership fell below 1 million subscribers. But that is not the primary reason for Gourmet's demise. The magazine's advertising revenues are down 47 percent and its ad pages are off 50 percent as compared to last year (industry-wide, ad pages have declined 22 percent). Worse, the prospects for Gourmet reclaiming its lost advertisers once the economy rebounds remain dismal given the evolving nature of the entire publishing business - fewer aging readers coupled with more online alternatives. The latter includes Condé Nast's own well-trafficked epicurious.com website. "Never has there been a time more fitting for a magazine like Gourmet to come into being. Good food and good living have always been a great American tradition. At our very fingertips in this land of glorious plenty lie an abundance and variety of foods unequalled anywhere. And our native, unquenchable thirst for discovery is now leading us daily into new and exciting channels of exploration in the realm of fine food and drink." Marketers are finding it more effective (both in terms of cost and creating strong impressions) to engage existing and new customers electronically rather than in print. Working against Gourmet, you can find every type of recipe on the Internet, read web-based restaurant and product reviews, and join virtual communities of passionate epicures. What's simultaneously encouraging and sad is that much of this change was made possible by Gourmet in the first place. Since 1941, Gourmet has guided us in what to eat, where to eat, what to look for, what to buy, where to buy it, how to grow it, how to cook it, how to plate it, and how to describe it to others. We are the downstream spawn of a singular creative conceit. "Gourmet seeks to connect this link of a gracious past with the tempo of today, and to initiate a healthy curiosity in those who have heretofore thought of eating as merely the satisfying of hunger. It hopes to start them on explorations into new bypaths of culinary delights, to whet their appetites and excite their senses so that they will strive for broader horizons in their dining and wining adventures - and so that this new enjoyment will soon become a part of their lives." Here's a partial list: Williams Sonoma, regional and ethnic foods, fusion cuisine, organic gardening, locally-sourced foods, artisanal hand-crafted products, Wagyu beef and fatty belly tuna, white plates, fresh herbs, California and Oregon wines, celebrity chefs, kitchen gadgetry, extra virgin olive oil, and confident at-home cooks and sommeliers. Gourmet had a hand in popularizing and mainstreaming all of this - inspiring several generations of gourmands, now known as foodies, in their gastronomic tromps. "To you - A Lover of Good Food - we introduce Gourmet, the Magazine of Good Living." With Gourmet's passing, it now falls on its apostles to carry forward the genetic load. Time to swim upstream. |
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Brian
Lam On Nothing Much is a periodic feature of this website that considers life about us. I wish to thank those of you who are reading these postings and sending me notes of encouragement, gentle criticism, or otherwise. |
