12 newyork| november11–24, 2019
[email protected].
Orgo tonymag.comtorespondtoindividualstories.Comments1 ForNew York’slatestcoverstory,
OliviaNuzziembeddedwithformer
vi ce-presidentJoeBiden’spresidential
ca mpaignto understandhowhis bidcan
se emsimultaneouslyso formidableand
weak(“TheZombieCampaign,”October
28 –November 10 ). JournalistWaltMoss-
bergwrote,“Thisis a wonderfularticle...
th atpullsoff a rarejournalisticfeat:telling
yo u thebadnewsabouta flawedcandidacy
whilesimultaneouslyevokingsympathyand
respectforthecandidate.”TaffyBrodesser-
Aknerof theNewYorkTimesco mmented,
“OliviaNuzzi’s so-close-you-can-feel-his-
hot-breathprofileofJoeBidenis beautiful,
intimate,empathetic,brutal,honest, and
revelatory...Andsheneverevengotan in-
terviewwithhim.”As expected,manyin
Bi den’scamptookexceptionto thestory.
His deputycampaignmanager,KateBed-
ingfield,tweeted,“IfN ewYorkMagazine
thinkswe aredoingit wrong,we aredefi-
nitelydoingitright.”Otherswhohave
workedwiththeveeppraisedNuzzi’sanaly-
sis.DavidAxelrod,Obama’schiefcampaign
st rategist,whoexpresseddoubtsaboutthe
Bi dencampaign’sviabilityto Nuzzi,tweet-
edthatshe“capturesboththeprodigious
st rengthsof @JoeBiden—hisextraordinary
humanity,empathy,andpersonalconnec-
tionw/people—andtheobviousweaknesses
th at worryhis supportersandencouragehis
ri valsfor thenomination.”Andon thepod-
castPod SaveAmerica,DanPfeiffer,an-
otherformerObamasenioradviser,saidthe
“s torywasa phenomenalpieceof cam-
paignjournalismthatreallygotatthe
coreof thecampaignitself...andwhoJoe
Bidenis ina waythatI thoughtwasnu-
ancedanddeepandveryfair.”
2 In “What’s Left of CondéNast?”
(October 28–November 10),ReevesWiedemanprobedthefutureoftheglossy-
magazineempire.Thehost of theNewYork
TimespodcastTheDaily,MichaelBarbaro,
calledit “fantasticmediareporting.”And
journalistChristopher Hookstweeted,
“Theuniversalmillennialexperienceis
thatofinheritingdepletedandpast-their-
primeinstitutions.”Severalreadersfo-
cusedonRadhikaJones’sroadbumpsin
succeedingGraydonCarteratVanityFair.
PhillipPicardi,theeditor-in-chiefofOut
magazineandformerheadofTeenVogue,
tweeted,“ThecriticismslodgedagainstVF
orRadhikaJonesaretroubling,mostlybe-
causethey’reoftennotgettingclockedfor
whatthey are:elitism,racism,misogyny...
CondéNasthasmanyissues, butthose
problemsreallyliewithinthismaddashto
makemoneyafterdecadesofwasteful
spendingbehavior,anda lotofgoodedi-
tors(whoarenow, forthefirsttime, wom-
enofcolor)aregoingtobeblamedpub-
liclyforaproblemtheydidn’t create.”
TylerMcCall,editorofFashionista,replied,
“She’s beendoingsomeofthemost inter-
estingthingsI’veseenatVFinyears! It’s
reallyunfortunate peoplearen’t seeingand
appreciatingthat.”Othersinmediacircles
relishedtheinfightingoverthecompany’s
snacks.ReporterRosieSpinkstweeted,
“HonestlyI wouldreadthousandsmore
wordsaboutCondéofficesnackdrama.”
Added@mvonsteen,“Therewasa time
where,whilemaking$8/hr.withlittle
overtime,usfashionassistantswouldin-
halecupcakesoff thefreetableinsteadof
eatingmeals.”3 tha^ Meter exploredwhat
oks former FirstDaugh-
ter ea (“Chelsea,Lately,”
October 28–November 10). TamiSaw-
yer, a county commissioner in Tennessee,tweeted,“I lovehow you have continuously
definedyourselffor yourself, Chelsea,
whilestillbeinga voice for so many.” Oth-
erschafedat thespeculation thatClinton
mighthaveassumed a role in her mother’s
Cabinet.MotherJones’s Patrick Caldwell
wrote,“Thishypothetical is both far too
plausiblefor what a Clinton presidency
wouldhave been like, and another rea-
sonwhyHillary wasn’t a great candidate
for2016.” And Molly Mulshine asked,
“Why can’t the beneficiaries of nepotism
just be happy with the money? Why do we
also have to care about their hopes and
dreams?” @ alisonrachel highlighted the
photograph of Clinton in New York with
her children: “It’s kind of infuriating when
these magazines and newspapers don’t ac-
knowledge the nanny who is clearly in the
photograph and helps make all things pos-
sible.” @melbuns added, “I’d liketo see a
Senator Chelsea Clinton. She’s astrong,
smartwomanlikehermother.”4 In an excerpt from his forthcoming
The Book of Eating: Adventures in
Professional Gluttony, New York’s food
critic Adam Platt recalled his Waspy New
England family’s relationship to food and
dining throughout his childhood (“Learn-
ing to Eat Like a Food Critic,” October
28–November 10). Steven Erlanger, a cor-
respondent for the New York Times, called
the story “a lovely, funny memoir of his
family and their relationship with food
(and drink).” Lauren Kane of The Paris
Review wrote, “Really exceptional food
writing this week.” Former New York editor
Jon Gluck wrote, “Come for the photos of
baby Platty, stay for the evocative and
transporting storytelling.”It held on to its glossy illusions
most magazine longer than
But now, two companies.
Si Newhouse died years after
Carter left), Anna (and Graydon
a new CEO from Wintour and
San Francisco, Roger Lynch,
are mapping out a future they
By REEVES WIEDEMANcan afford.
Illustration by André Carrilho38 What’s Left of Condé NastOctober 28 November (^102019) ®
Condé Nast, After the Fall / Ch elsea Clinton, Today / And Ad am Platt, Consummate Wasp
How Is This Guy Still Winning?
BIDEN:JOE
SoTr umpformidablerisked
impeachmenttostophim
Soevenweakhis
staffentirelydoesn’t
By Olivia Ntrust himuzzi