Two days ago Conde Nast announced that it would cease publishing Gourmet magazine, and since that time I have been going through various stages of grief.
I was shocked that Conde Nast killed the oldest food magazine in the United States, and I am still in disbelief that they did it without a fight. Are there not other ways to salvage it, such as: increasing subscription rates, changing it to a quarterly publication while gradually increasing its presence online with podcasts. Their argument is that they still have Bon Appetit magazine, but it unfortunately is full of recipes, while Gourmet was so much more than that.
These past couple of days I have been feeling guilty over the past Gourmet issues I have recycled or tossed (after clipping favourite articles and recipes) in the process of moving across North America -- especially the December issues. Now I will be scouring used book stores and online for copies. The December issues were the first I bought off the newsstands and they are what got me hooked.
Anger consumed me yesterday as I found myself phoning Conde Nast to cancel all our subscriptions we still receive from them and asking for a refund on the remainder of my Gourmet subscription. If they cancel Gourmet then they do not deserve our loyalty or our cash. Damn you Conde Nast. I hope your other publications flounder.
Meanwhile, I have been sad these past two days knowing that I will no longer be receiving Gourmet in the mail every month. For almost twenty years I have lost myself inside pages of this magazine reading about fabulous travels, wonderful food, far-off restaurants that I might one day visit, and tantalizing recipes illustrated with photography sure to induce salivation. My favourite issue was always the December issue and I am disappointed that Conde Nast chose to end with the November issue instead of the Holiday issue.
My only hope is that in a few years, long after Conde Nast has forgotten about Gourmet magazine and the brand has dwindled to cookbooks, some small publishing house will have the courage to either revive it in a new transformation or recognize the need for a new magazine that caters to all that is the art of good living.
No comments:
Post a Comment