November’s GQ is the first full issue to be edited by publishing’s
enfant terrible, James Brown, and, at first glance, the magazine seems
to have changed very little. It’s a men’s magazine that still talks
about fashion, grooming and all those issues that appeal to 20- to
40-year-old men, although this issue uses bold orange type to tempt the
readers in.
Little difference? Yeah, right! Take a read and you’ll soon discover
that GQ’s editorial now has a completely different feel. Like a teenager
who has finally lost his virginity, the magazine seems to have gained a
new edge with wit and verve. Articles with such titles as ’Up shit
creek’ and ’There’s a lot more to Colombia than meets the nose’
exemplify this new attitude. As you work your way through the magazine,
small temperature changes seem to jump out at you, and the readers’
letters reflect the harder, more cynical and funnier slant of the
editorial.
Comparing this month’s edition with that of December/January 1989 -
Michael Heseltine on the cover with the line ’On the road back to power
with Britain’s beautiful boy’ and no babes to be seen - reveals just how
different the new GQ is from its previous incarnation.
If you consider the ground covered by men’s magazines over the past few
years, it’s hardly surprising that GQ has decided to finally acknowledge
the prevailing trend, especially with Brown at the helm. With the advent
of the New Lad’s successor - Millennium Man, who likes football, beer
and women but who can also appreciate culture and the finer things in
life - you have to say things look rosy for GQ and men’s magazines in
general.
