Hubbry Logo
Graydon CarterGraydon CarterMain
Open search
Graydon Carter
Community hub
Graydon Carter
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Graydon Carter
Graydon Carter
Graydon Carter
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Edward Graydon Carter, CM (born July 14, 1949[not verified in body]) is a Canadian journalist who was the editor of Vanity Fair from 1992 until 2017.[1] He also co-founded, with Kurt Andersen and Tom Phillips, the satirical monthly magazine Spy in 1986.[not verified in body] In 2019, he co-launched a weekly newsletter with Alessandra Stanley called Air Mail, for "worldly cosmopolitans".[not verified in body][2]

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Carter was born in Toronto on July 14, 1949.[citation needed] At age 19,[3] after high school in Trenton, Ontario,[citation needed] Carter spent six-months at Symington Yard, in Winnipeg,[verification needed] working as a railroad "groundman, at $2.20 an hour" (rather than as a higher paid lineman, as he "had a fear of heights").[need quotation to verify][3]

Carter attended the University of Ottawa, and Carleton University, but did not graduate from either school.[4][better source needed]

Career

[edit]

TCR and Time magazine

[edit]

In 1973, Carter co-founded The Canadian Review (TCR), a general interest monthly magazine.[4] By 1977, TCR had become award-winning, and the third-largest magazine of its type in Canada.[4] Despite its critical success, TCR was bankrupt by 1978.[citation needed][4][failed verification]

In 1978, Carter moved to the United States and began working for Time magazine as a writer-trainee, where he met Kurt Andersen.[citation needed][4][failed verification] Carter spent five years writing for Time on the topics of business, law, and entertainment before moving to Life in 1983.[citation needed][4][failed verification]

Spy magazine

[edit]

In 1986, Carter and Andersen founded Spy,[citation needed][4][failed verification] which they ran for part of its 12 years[when?] before its ultimate end of publication in 1998.[citation needed] In this period,[when?] he was also an editor at The New York Observer.[citation needed]

Vanity Fair magazine

[edit]
Carter in a publicity shot for Vanity Fair

Carter took the helm of Vanity Fair from Tina Brown (who left for The New Yorker),[5] by invitation,[citation needed] Carter becoming editor of Vanity Fair in July 1992.[1] Carter's Vanity Fair combined high-profile celebrity cover stories with serious journalism.[according to whom?] He had an often idiosyncratic personal style,[5] as depicted in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, a book by former Vanity Fair contributing editor Toby Young.[full citation needed] (In a 2008 film adaptation of that book, Jeff Bridges played a character based on Carter.[6][dead link])

On September 6, 2017, Carter announced his departure from the editorship of Vanity Fair in interview with The New York Times, where the date of actual departure was unspecified, but where he stated he would be on a "garden leave" until the end of 2017.[1][needs update]

Vicky Ward (Farmer sister) controversy

[edit]

In a 2015 The Daily Beast article,[7] former Vanity Fair journalist Vicky Ward wrote that she had interviewed the family of two young sisters (later identified as Annie and Maria Farmer) and discovered credible reports of molestation amidst a 2003 profile assignment on financier Jeffrey Epstein. The allegations were—Carter claimed in communications with David Folkenflik of NPR—removed from the profile as they did not meet the magazine's legal threshold for publication at the time.[verification needed][8][9]

Air Mail newsletter

[edit]

In 2019, Carter co-launched a weekly newsletter with Alessandra Stanley called Air Mail.[10][2][11] In 2025, Air Mail was acquired by Puck. As of October 2025, Carter was believed to be leaving Air Mail as part of the deal.[12][full citation needed]

Other enterprises

[edit]

In 2009 Carter and Jeff Klein became partners in the Monkey Bar, a New York City bar and restaurant eatery with a history dating to 1936. Both men sold their interest in the property in 2020.[13]

As of this date,[when?] Carter was a co-owner, with his third wife, Anna Scott,[verification needed] of The Waverly Inn in the West Village.[14]

Books authored

[edit]

Carter wrote What We've Lost, which was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, September in 2004, which has been described in review as a comprehensive critical examination of the Bush administration.[15]

He published his memoir, When the Going was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines, in March 2025.[16]

Theatrical and film productions

[edit]

Carter was a producer of I'll Eat You Last, a one-woman play starring Bette Midler, about legendary Hollywood talent agent Sue Mengers. The show, directed by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello, opened at the Booth Theatre in New York City in April 2013,[17] and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on December 3.[18]

Carter has co-produced two documentaries for HBO, Public Speaking (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese, which spotlights writer Fran Lebowitz, about Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub,[19] and His Way (2011),[20] which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy.[citation needed] He also was a producer of Chicago 10, a documentary which premiered on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival in early 2007.[citation needed] He was also a producer of Surfwise, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007,[citation needed] and Gonzo, a biographical documentary of Hunter S. Thompson directed by Alex Gibney.[citation needed]

Carter was an executive producer of the award-winning film, 9/11, a film by Jules and Gedeon Naudet about the September 11 terrorist attacks, which aired on CBS.[citation needed] He also produced the documentary adaptation of the book The Kid Stays in the Picture about the legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans,[citation needed] which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and opened in theaters in July of that year.[citation needed] (In 2012, Carter had a minor role in Arbitrage.[citation needed])

Awards and recognition

[edit]

Accolades during his tenure at Vanity Fair (from 1992-2017[1]) include his having won 14 National Magazine Awards and being named to the Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame.[21]

In 2017, Carter was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "contributions to popular culture and current affairs as a skilled editor and publisher".[22]

Carter received an Emmy Award for his film 9/11,[when?][citation needed] as well as a Peabody Award for the same.[when?][citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]
Carter and his wife Anna Scott in New York City in 2010

As of 2010,[needs update] Carter had been married three times.[23] His first wife was Canadian; the two "met and divorced in his 20s" when Carter was still in Canada[23] (before his move to the United States at the age of 28[24]). His second marriage, to Cynthia Williamson lasted 18 years,[23] and they had four children, Ash, Max, Spike, and Bronwyn.[23][24]

Carter and Williamson separated in July 2000, and in 2003 Carter began dating a British woman, Anna Scott.[23] Carter married Scott in 2005; as of 2010, they had one child, a daughter, Isabella Rose.[23]

In a 2003 interview, Carter described himself as a libertarian.[25]

Carter splits his time between Greenwich Village and Roxbury, Connecticut.[26][27]

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Graydon Carter

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Edward Graydon Carter (born July 14, 1949) is a Canadian-born American , editor, and publisher, most notable for his editorship of Vanity Fair from 1992 to 2017, during which the magazine gained prominence for its mix of , celebrity profiles, and cultural critique. Born in , , Carter grew up in a middle-class family and began his career in Canadian media before moving to the , where he worked at outlets including Time and . Carter co-founded the satirical magazine Spy in 1986 with , which targeted New York City's media, business, and social elites with irreverent exposés and coined terms like "short-fingered vulgarian" to mock , foreshadowing later media animosities. At Vanity Fair, he oversaw influential stories on topics ranging from Hollywood scandals to political figures, boosting circulation and establishing annual events like the Oscar party as cultural fixtures, though the publication's focus on elite access drew critiques for prioritizing glamour over depth amid broader media shifts. After departing Vanity Fair, Carter launched Air Mail, a weekly digital emphasizing curated and lifestyle content, reflecting his adaptation to post-print media landscapes.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family

Edward Graydon Carter was born on July 14, 1949, in a middle-class suburb of , , . His father, described by Carter as charismatic yet capable of cruelty when drinking, worked in government service, possibly as a with postings abroad that included time in and during Carter's years from ages one to six. Carter's mother, Margaret Kelk, came from a more refined background as the daughter of a soap executive raised in Toronto's upscale Forest Hill neighborhood; she encouraged her son's artistic interests, including sketching as a "gifted Sunday painter" herself. Growing up in fostered an "outsider perspective" for Carter, marked by early "instructive failures" that he later credited with steering him toward journalism, amid a middle-class environment where he found escape in magazines and the cultural pull of nearby America. The proximity to the U.S. border exposed him to American media influences from a young age, nurturing an interest in and despite the domestic tensions from his father's occasional drinking.

Education and Early Influences

Carter attended Carleton University in Ottawa after being rejected from its journalism program due to insufficient high school grades, enrolling instead in general studies but departing after approximately two years without earning a degree, which he later described as resulting from a broader disinterest in the rigors of formal academia. He had previously spent time at the , pursuing architecture briefly before abandoning that path owing to weaknesses in mathematics and engineering, further underscoring his aversion to structured technical or academic disciplines. These "instructive failures," as Carter termed his Ottawa experiences, contrasted sharply with the self-directed path that propelled his eventual rise in , where institutional credentials proved less essential than innate and adaptability. Lacking a university credential, Carter cultivated his journalistic instincts through voracious, informal reading of newspapers and , including influential American publications that modeled narrative flair and cultural commentary, fostering an early satirical sensibility unburdened by pedagogical constraints. Initial forays into media in involved low-level roles that provided practical exposure to newsroom operations, sharpening basic reporting and editing skills amid the city's modest press ecosystem, though without the benefit of supervised training in sourcing or verification protocols. This autodidactic approach, while enabling rapid entry into the field, left gaps in formal instruction on journalistic ethics or methodical investigation, areas where Carter's later editorial choices relied more on personal intuition than institutionalized standards. Key early intellectual influences drew from British satirical traditions, evident in the irreverent tone that would define his work, alongside American exemplars of bold, personality-driven reporting that prioritized punch over procedural orthodoxy. These elements—absorbed through print media rather than coursework—laid the groundwork for an editorial style emphasizing wit and cultural dissection, yet they bypassed systematic grounding in evidentiary rigor or balanced inquiry, traits not emphasized in his formative, unstructured pursuits. Such influences, while catalyzing Carter's distinctive voice, highlighted a reliance on experiential trial-and-error over academic frameworks, a pattern that persisted amid his ascent despite the field's evolving demands for verifiable depth.

Early Career in Journalism

Entry into Media

Carter entered journalism in Canada during the early 1970s, co-founding The Canadian Review in 1973 shortly after dropping out of the ; the magazine earned awards within four years for its content. In 1978, seeking broader opportunities, he relocated from to and secured an entry-level position at Time magazine as a writer-trainee, marking his transition to American media. At Time, Carter served as a for approximately five years, producing articles on , , and topics, often in a floating role that exposed him to various editorial processes. His contributions to the magazine's page showcased an early penchant for light, celebrity-focused reportage over rigorous investigative work, with his humorous, incisive prose helping him cultivate visibility and relationships among elite journalists despite lacking headline-grabbing exclusives. This period at Time Inc. immersed him in the era's culture, characterized by generous expense accounts and informal networking in a pre-digital landscape. By 1983, Carter advanced within Time Inc. to Life magazine, where he continued honing skills in feature writing amid the publication's emphasis on photography and cultural stories, further solidifying his foothold in New York media circles through persistent, if unflashy, professional output. These initial roles underscored a scrappy trajectory reliant on adaptability and stylistic flair rather than inherited connections or institutional prestige.

Co-founding Spy Magazine

Graydon Carter co-founded Spy magazine in 1986 with , both recent alumni of Time magazine, and publisher Tom Phillips, raising approximately $1.5 million in startup funding to launch the satirical monthly based in . The first issue appeared in October 1986, positioning Spy as a sharp critique of culture, , and media, with a tagline emphasizing "fun, funny, fearless" content that blended humor, investigative reporting, and mockery of elite pretensions. Under Carter's co-editorship, Spy gained notoriety for its biting caricatures and exposés, particularly targeting figures symbolizing excess like real estate developer , whom the magazine repeatedly labeled a "short-fingered vulgarian" in print and illustrations to highlight perceived and insecurity. The publication skewered New York's obsessions with wealth, status, and corporate power through features like lists of "Separated at Birth" lookalikes and investigative pieces on business hypocrisies, establishing a style of adversarial that Carter described as an "antidote" to the era's greed and overstatement. Spy cultivated a among urban intellectuals for its unsparing takedowns of power brokers, but it faced persistent financial challenges despite advertising from brands drawn to its irreverence. The magazine ceased in 1998 after over a decade of operation, having never achieved widespread commercial viability amid rising production costs and a niche readership. Carter's editorial emphasis on provocative "hit pieces" helped define his early persona as a gadfly against establishment excesses, though the outlet's focus on high-profile conservatives like Trump drew ongoing engagement from its subjects.

Leadership at Vanity Fair

Appointment and Initial Struggles

In July 1992, Si Newhouse appointed Graydon Carter as editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, following Tina Brown's departure to The New Yorker. Carter, known for his irreverent work at Spy magazine, inherited a staff skeptical of his outsider status and history of mocking prestige publications like Vanity Fair itself. The office atmosphere was described as "funereal" and "poisonous," with Brown loyalists exhibiting hostility and subversion toward the new editor. Carter faced immediate "hazing" from insiders, including staff revolts and rumors of his impending dismissal circulated by tabloids like the 's Page Six even before his first issue. Advertisers, particularly in luxury sectors, reacted with revolt, wary of Carter's Spy-era snark and pulling back support amid predictions of failure from media observers. Early efforts to enforce editorial discipline—such as banning overly florid terms like "boîte" or "tome"—met resistance, exacerbating tensions between Carter's vision for blending substantive journalism with glossy appeal and the inherited culture prioritizing spectacle. The first two years proved "pretty dreadful," with persistent industry ridicule and operational instability; Carter eventually dismissed three resistant staff members after this period to shift the office dynamic. These challenges underscored the risks of installing a satirical outsider at a Condé Nast flagship reliant on advertiser goodwill and highbrow credibility.

Transformation and Key Achievements

Under Graydon Carter's editorship from 1992 to 2017, Vanity Fair transformed into a commercially viable and culturally influential publication by prioritizing high-production-value features that merged glossy aesthetics with journalistic depth. Carter invested in extravagant photo shoots and expansive editorial budgets, fostering an environment of creative ambition that distinguished the from competitors and attracted top talent. This approach yielded rapid financial turnaround, with the publication achieving substantial profitability by 1994. Key metrics underscored the magazine's ascent: circulation expanded markedly from under one million in the early , supporting increased ad pages and revenue streams tied to its aura of exclusivity. The title amassed 14 during Carter's tenure, including two for General Excellence, reflecting excellence in , , and reporting. Carter's innovations, such as the annual "New Establishment" list launched in the mid-1990s, further elevated Vanity Fair's profile by cataloging rising influencers in technology, finance, and media, thereby reinforcing its role in defining contemporary power dynamics and bolstering advertiser interest through perceived prestige. In recognition of these accomplishments, Carter was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame in 2014.

Notable Stories and Editorial Style

Carter's tenure at Vanity Fair saw the magazine publish signature long-form pieces that blended investigative elements with narrative storytelling, exemplified by Dominick Dunne's serialized coverage of 1990s Hollywood murder trials, including the 1993 Menendez brothers case and the 1995 proceedings. Dunne's reports, often drawing on personal vendettas and insider access from his own social exile, detailed courtroom drama and celebrity fallout, such as the Simpson trial's racial and media dynamics, which captivated readers and foreshadowed tabloid-style justice scrutiny. Extending the satirical edge from his Spy magazine days, Carter personally authored editor's letters and essays lampooning Donald Trump, reviving the 1980s "short-fingered vulgarian" moniker in 2015 and portraying Trump as an emblem of crass ambition in a 2016 piece titled "Donald Trump: The Ugly American." These writings prioritized vivid character sketches over empirical policy dissection, sustaining a decades-long personal feud that highlighted Carter's preference for cultural caricature. The editorial approach under Carter favored expansive, anecdote-laden profiles—rooted in traditions—over rigorous data aggregation or statistical analysis, as evidenced by the magazine's reliance on contributors like for immersive, personality-driven narratives. This style produced sympathetic rehabilitations of entertainment figures alongside adversarial takedowns of political outsiders like Trump, reflecting a selective lens stronger on glamour-industry excesses than on broader policy or economic critiques. Such pieces, including pre-#MeToo accounts of Hollywood power imbalances through Dunne's trial dispatches (e.g., Phil Spector's case involving abuse allegations), influenced cultural discourse on celebrity but remained episodic rather than systemic.

Other Professional Ventures

Film Production Roles

Graydon Carter's film production roles centered on documentaries exploring media insiders, cultural icons, and journalistic figures, often drawing from his Vanity Fair network to secure access and narratives reflective of elite entertainment circles. His output remained selective, with fewer than ten credited projects, prioritizing low-risk adaptations of biographies and memoirs over original fiction, which bolstered his reputation as a tastemaker bridging print and screen. A pivotal early production was The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), where Carter served as producer alongside directors and ; the film adapted Hollywood executive Robert Evans's autobiography, tracing his tenure amid the 1970s era, and garnered praise for its candid portrayal of industry excesses. Later efforts included Chicago 10 (2007), an animated documentary on the 1968 Democratic Convention trials that premiered at Sundance, and Surfwise (2007), profiling surfer Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz's unconventional family life. Carter co-produced HBO documentaries Public Speaking (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring essayist Fran Lebowitz's monologues on New York intellectual life, and His Way (2011), a profile of producer Jerry Weintraub that earned an Emmy nomination for exceptional merit in nonfiction. In 2015, he executive-produced Everything Is Copy—Maya Deren, Nora Ephron, Susan Sontag, directed by Jacob Bernstein, which examined three women's creative legacies through Ephron's lens, emphasizing adaptation from literary sources. These works underscored Carter's preference for biographical formats that mirrored Vanity Fair's long-form profiles, enhancing cross-promotional ties without dominating his editorial duties.

Launch of Air Mail and Post-Vanity Fair Activities

After departing Vanity Fair at the end of December 2017 following a 25-year tenure as editor, Graydon Carter co-founded the digital newsletter Air Mail with , a former New York Times reporter. The publication launched on July 20, 2019, as a weekly dispatch described by Carter as "the weekend edition of a nonexistent international daily," curating eclectic global stories in , culture, and lifestyle for an audience of affluent, cosmopolitan readers. Air Mail operates on a subscription model priced at approximately $500 annually, emphasizing ad-free, in-depth content over algorithmic , with contributions from established journalists and a focus on narrative-driven reporting. By September 2024, Air Mail had grown to 500,000 subscribers, reflecting sustained appeal amid the shift to digital media, though Carter has expressed reservations about the broader erosion of print journalism's standards. The newsletter has featured critical coverage of high-profile figures, including skeptical pieces on Meghan Markle, such as a March 2025 issue describing her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan as "god-awful" and low-stakes, and earlier articles questioning her public narrative and legal battles. This editorial stance aligns with Carter's long-standing preference for irreverent, elite-oriented commentary that challenges prevailing cultural orthodoxies, positioning Air Mail as a selective alternative to mainstream outlets prone to sensationalism or ideological conformity. In parallel, Carter has maintained involvement in New York City's restaurant scene, having owned or co-owned establishments like the Waverly Inn since 2006, the Monkey Bar (acquired in 2008 and later sold), and the Beatrice Inn (purchased in 2012 and sold in 2016). These ventures, frequented by media and entertainment elites, serve as social extensions of his curatorial influence. He continues to contribute occasional columns to Air Mail and other outlets, often reflecting on journalism's evolution. In March 2025, Carter published the memoir When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last of Magazines, co-written with , which chronicles his career highs while mourning the decline of print media's pre-digital vitality, attributing it to technological disruption and diluted editorial rigor.

Personal Life

Marriages and Family

Carter's first marriage occurred in his early twenties in to a French-Canadian woman he met while working; the union lasted three years and ended in . His second marriage was to Williamson, which endured for 18 years and produced four children before their in 2000. The children include son , a ; son Max, who worked at auction house; and son Spike, who attended . Carter married Anna Scott, a British editor, in 2005; the couple has one daughter, Isabella Rose, born around 2009. In interviews, Carter has portrayed himself as a devoted , often prioritizing time at home with his wife and children over social engagements. Despite his prominence in elite media circles, Carter and his family have largely avoided public scandals, maintaining a degree of privacy regarding personal matters.

Lifestyle and Residences

Carter is recognized for his distinctive white hair and penchant for formal attire at high-profile , including tuxedos at galas and parties he hosted during his Vanity Fair tenure. He gained prominence for orchestrating the annual Vanity Fair Oscars party, which began in the mid-1990s after he was excluded from a and evolved into Hollywood's most exclusive gathering, drawing hundreds of celebrities, industry leaders, and A-listers without a VIP section to maintain an egalitarian facade. These exemplified the opulent media culture of the 1990s and 2000s, featuring lavish setups in venues like and emphasizing Carter's role as a tastemaker who curated attendee lists meticulously. His residences reflect an affluent, peripatetic lifestyle centered on New York City and its environs. Carter maintains a duplex in Greenwich Village, filled with eclectic objects from his career, including editorial artifacts and personal mementos that underscore his editorial legacy. In 2019, he and his wife purchased a two-bedroom co-op at 40 Fifth Avenue for $3.4 million, adding to his portfolio of Manhattan properties. Previously, he resided in the Dakota building during the 1990s, a historic co-op known for its celebrity residents, and owned a townhouse at 22 Bank Street in the West Village before selling it. Outside the city, Carter owns a home in Connecticut, acquired amid the 1987 stock market crash and later featured for its lakeside appeal reminiscent of his Canadian roots, serving as a retreat that contrasted urban intensity with rural tranquility. Carter's entertaining extended beyond Oscars bashes to intimate media gatherings and post-event dinners, often at his homes or favored venues, reinforcing his status in elite circles where excess—such as bottomless expense accounts for shoots and travel—mirrored the era's print journalism extravagance, though now viewed as emblematic of an unsustainable model amid digital shifts.

Controversies and Criticisms

Jeffrey Epstein Reporting Allegations

In 2003, journalist Vicky Ward was assigned by Vanity Fair to profile financier Jeffrey Epstein, resulting in the March issue article "The Talented Mr. Epstein," which highlighted his investment career, connections to figures like Leslie Wexner, and enigmatic background without addressing allegations of sexual misconduct. Ward later alleged that her original draft included on-the-record quotes from two Epstein victims—Maria Farmer and her sister Annie—who accused him of sexual abuse, but editor Graydon Carter ordered their removal after Epstein visited the Vanity Fair offices and expressed sensitivity about references to "young women." She claimed the edits softened the piece, portraying Epstein as a mysterious but legitimate power broker rather than a potential predator, and attributed the changes to Epstein's influence over Carter, whom she described as having a "bromance" with the financier. Carter has consistently denied spiking the allegations due to external pressure, asserting that Vanity Fair's legal and teams determined the claims did not meet publication standards, as Ward's sources were unnamed publicly at the time, Epstein denied the accusations, and the reporting devolved into unsubstantiated "he said, she said" without corroboration sufficient for libel protection. He emphasized that the magazine prioritized rigorous verification over unvetted victim statements, noting that similar caution applied to other high-profile stories, and recalled no direct intervention by beyond standard subject access. Ward countered that Carter initially approved the victims' inclusion and only reversed course post-Epstein's visit, framing it as a failure of editorial backbone in access-driven where elite relationships could prioritize flattery over scrutiny. The dispute resurfaced in July 2019 following 's federal arrest on sex-trafficking charges, with Ward reiterating her claims in and other outlets amid #MeToo reevaluations of media lapses, prompting scrutiny of why early red flags on went unreported despite Ward's efforts. Carter reiterated his position in contemporaneous interviews, pointing out that no lawsuit ensued from the victims or Ward, and that Vanity Fair later pursued aggressive exposés on predators like , suggesting the edits reflected evidentiary shortcomings rather than systemic suppression. Empirically, the incident underscores tensions in , where reliance on powerful subjects for cooperation may incentivize softer coverage to preserve future access, though without independent verification of Ward's draft or internal communications, the edits remain contested as either prudent or undue deference.

Accusations of Bias and Elitism

Critics have accused Graydon Carter of exhibiting a pronounced bias in his editorial choices at Spy magazine and Vanity Fair, particularly in the disproportionate scrutiny applied to right-leaning figures such as Donald Trump compared to left-leaning ones during the Clinton era. Under Carter's co-founding and early editorship of Spy from 1986, the publication repeatedly mocked Trump, famously dubbing him a "short-fingered vulgarian" in a 1988 issue and featuring him on multiple covers with satirical barbs that portrayed him as emblematic of 1980s excess. This tone persisted into Carter's 25-year tenure at Vanity Fair starting in 1992, where Trump remained a frequent target of derision, including in Carter's own 2016 editor's letter labeling him "The Ugly American" amid his presidential campaign. In contrast, Vanity Fair's coverage of Clinton administration scandals, such as the Monica Lewinsky affair, was framed more as cultural spectacle than unrelenting takedown, with Carter later reflecting on it alongside the O.J. Simpson trial as a defining 1990s story without the same level of personal vitriol directed at Trump. Conservative commentators have argued this disparity reflects a broader coastal elite worldview under Carter, one dismissive of heartland perspectives and prioritizing mockery of perceived populist threats over equivalent rigor toward establishment figures on the left. Carter's publications have also faced charges of , rooted in their reliance on opulent production values sustained by luxury advertising revenue, which critics contend fostered overly cozy relationships with high-society subjects at the expense of unflinching journalism. Vanity Fair under Carter commanded advertising rates exceeding $100,000 per page in the and , enabling budgets for single-issue photo shoots and features that could reach into the millions, including lavish expenses like chauffeured cars and five-star accommodations. This model, while profitable, drew accusations of prioritizing glamour—through features on Hollywood and fashion elites—over gritty investigative depth, as access to advertisers and profile subjects potentially tempered critical edges; for instance, pre-#MeToo exposés on Hollywood's internal hypocrisies were rare, with Carter personally banning from Vanity Fair events in the early for rudeness to staff rather than pursuing allegations of systemic abuse. Such decisions, right-leaning observers note, exemplified a normalization of progressive cultural biases in media, where liberal-leaning institutions like Hollywood received softer treatment until external reckonings forced change, underscoring a preference for insider access over outsider accountability.

Public Feuds and Media Clashes

Carter's feud with Donald Trump originated in the late 1980s at Spy magazine, where he repeatedly mocked Trump as a "short-fingered vulgarian" in a running gag that highlighted Trump's physical appearance and perceived vulgarity, prompting Trump to retaliate with personal insults and threats of lawsuits. This animosity persisted into Carter's Vanity Fair tenure, with Carter publishing pieces that ridiculed Trump, leading Trump to dub him "Dummy Graydon" and criticize him publicly on social media; Carter responded by framing and displaying Trump's tweets in his office. The rivalry, characterized by ad hominem barbs rather than policy disagreements, resurfaced in Air Mail, Carter's post-Vanity Fair newsletter, which featured essays questioning Trump's fitness for office as early as October 2017. Upon succeeding as Vanity Fair editor in 1992, Carter faced resistance from Brown's lingering allies, creating a "poisonous" office atmosphere marked by internal sabotage and leaks to tabloids predicting his imminent failure. This interpersonal friction extended to advertisers, who revolted against Carter's early provocative covers and editorial shifts, viewing them as risky departures from Brown's formula and threatening to pull ad dollars amid the magazine's startup struggles under his leadership. Simmering professional rivalry with Brown persisted, exemplified by competitive bidding for stories like the 1999 JFK Jr. profile, which Carter secured after Brown's deadline lapsed, though he publicly downplayed any "blood feud." In the 2020s, Air Mail under Carter published sharp critiques of Meghan Markle, including a 2021 review dismissing her children's book The Bench as rhythmically deficient and story-poor despite commercial success, and later pieces labeling her public endeavors as "cringe"-inducing or out of touch, such as analyses of her projects and lifestyle brand launches. These satirical takes, emphasizing personal quirks over broader context, provoked accusations of elitist snobbery from Markle supporters, who framed the coverage as unduly harsh and classist. Carter's hands-on, directive editorial approach at Air Mail—mirroring his Vanity Fair style of overriding contributors for tone—fostered internal frictions, though no major staff departures or public emerged. Such clashes reinforced Carter's persona, allowing him to position himself against figures and media norms, yet they strained relationships with potential collaborators and drew rebukes for prioritizing over verifiable critique, with Carter issuing no retractions despite factual pushback in targeted cases.

Legacy and Impact

Influence on Print Journalism

Under Graydon Carter's editorship of Vanity Fair from 1992 to 2017, the magazine pioneered a hybrid format blending celebrity profiles with investigative reporting, leveraging high-profile contributors like Annie Leibovitz for visually opulent features that elevated its cultural prestige. This approach drew on New Journalism traditions while emphasizing narrative-driven storytelling, which attracted advertisers in luxury sectors and subscribers seeking aspirational content. The strategy proved commercially viable in the pre-digital era, with Vanity Fair achieving profitability by 1994 through lavish production values and exclusive access. Carter's tenure garnered significant industry recognition, including 14 for Vanity Fair, underscoring peer acclaim for its editorial excellence amid a competitive landscape. However, this acclaim masked underlying fragilities in the model: heavy reliance on from high-end brands and costly visual elements like expansive photo shoots rendered the publication vulnerable to economic shifts. Post-2008 data reveals the broader magazine sector's circulation plummeting, with single-copy sales declining 11.1% in the second half of 2010 alone and ad pages in news magazines dropping 19% in 2008, 26% in 2009, and 20% in 2010—trends exacerbated by digital disruption that print-dependent formats struggled to counter. Critics have argued that emphasis on narrative flair over data-heavy fostered a "vibes"-oriented that prioritized stylistic allure, influencing successors but contributing to print's diminished objectivity and adaptability. While the model sustained Vanity Fair's dominance during print's twilight, its ad-centric luxury focus accelerated vulnerability to online alternatives, as evidenced by industry-wide circulation halving in many segments by the mid-2010s and Vanity Fair's own post-Carter sales drops signaling the unsustainability of such high-overhead operations without diversified revenue. This causal chain—lavish production fueling short-term prestige but eroding long-term resilience—highlights how innovations, though influential, epitomized print 's pre-digital hubris rather than a for endurance.

Cultural and Broader Media Effects

Under Carter's editorship of Vanity Fair from 1992 to 2017, the magazine exerted significant influence on perceptions of "New Hollywood," emphasizing a polished, affluent aesthetic through annual Hollywood issues featuring candid celebrity profiles and lavish photo shoots that blended glamour with insider access. This approach helped elevate the publication's cultural status, with initiatives like the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party—launched in 1994 and attended by A-list stars—becoming a staple event that reinforced Hollywood's self-image as a nexus of power and celebrity, drawing over 1,000 invitees by the 2000s and generating widespread media coverage. However, this focus on high-society aesthetics drew critiques for prioritizing superficial allure over substantive analysis, arguably desensitizing audiences to celebrity scandals by normalizing gossip-infused narratives as legitimate journalism. Carter's editorial stance also intersected with political discourse, particularly through early and persistent mockery of Donald Trump—originating in Spy magazine's 1980s depiction of him as the "short-fingered vulgarian" and continuing in Vanity Fair pieces that highlighted his personal excesses, such as a 2016 essay labeling him the "Ugly American." This prefigured broader media polarization by framing Trump as a cultural pariah among elites, yet it amplified divisions primarily within coastal media bubbles without demonstrably causing shifts in policy outcomes or voter behavior, as Trump's 2016 electoral success reflected deeper socioeconomic grievances rather than reactions to individual editorial jabs. While Vanity Fair under Carter mainstreamed long-form profiles that occasionally pierced celebrity veneers—contributing to public awareness of issues like Hollywood's underbelly—its legacy includes the entrenchment of gossip-as-journalism, which critics argue eroded distinctions between verifiable reporting and anecdotal sensationalism, fostering a tabloid-lite sensibility in prestige media. The magazine's cultural cachet endured initially, with circulation stabilizing around 1.2 million subscribers by the mid-2010s, but relevance waned post-2017 under successors, evidenced by a reported deep drop in single-copy sales and overall print advertising revenue amid broader industry shifts to digital, underscoring the ephemeral nature of such glamour-driven influence.

Recent Memoir and Self-Reflection

In March 2025, Graydon Carter published When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines, a memoir co-written with James Fox and issued by Penguin Press, which nostalgically chronicles the pre-digital era of print journalism from the 1980s to the early 2000s. The book details the abundance of resources at publications like Spy and Vanity Fair, including lavish photo shoots and unlimited expense accounts that enabled in-depth reporting, such as the multimillion-dollar investigation into the Lloyd's of London insurance crisis. Carter admits to the era's excesses, including a hazing culture at Vanity Fair involving pranks on new staff and the intense focus on figures like Donald Trump, whom he first mocked in Spy magazine as the "short-fingered vulgarian" in 1988, initiating a decades-long public feud. In promotional interviews, Carter defended the high costs of that period as essential for fostering creativity and quality, arguing that such investments produced culturally influential work amid abundant advertising revenue before the internet's disruption. On CBS's Sunday Morning on March 23, 2025, he described his Vanity Fair tenure as a time when editors shaped pop culture through tastemaking, while expressing regret over print's decline without issuing apologies for editorial biases or elitist tendencies. Similarly, in a PBS NewsHour appearance on March 25, 2025, Carter reflected on the "golden age" of magazines, lamenting how digital fragmentation eroded gatekept, elite-driven narratives in favor of algorithmic, audience-driven content. Carter positions himself in the and subsequent discussions as an observer of media's structural transformation, from a centralized, resource-rich model controlled by a few tastemakers to a decentralized digital landscape of newsletters and social platforms. He contrasts this shift with Air Mail, the curated digital weekly he co-founded in 2019, which maintains a print-like rigor as a subscription-based holdout against commoditized online media, even after its September 2025 acquisition by Puck. These reflections highlight causal factors like the 2008 recession and technological disruption in ending the print era's dominance, without retrospective disavowals of past journalistic choices.

Writings and Bibliography

Books and Memoirs

Carter authored What We've Lost: How the Bush Administration Has Curtailed Our Freedoms, Mortgaged Our Economy, Ravaged Our Environment, and Damaged Our Standing in the World, published in September 2004 by Knopf. The book compiles essays and commentary critiquing the administration's policies on , economic management, environmental regulation, and foreign relations, arguing that these actions undermined U.S. democracy and global position. In 2006, Carter co-edited Spy: The Funny Years, an anthology marking the twentieth anniversary of the satirical magazine Spy, which he co-founded. The collection features selected articles, illustrations, and reporting from the publication's 1986–1998 run, highlighting its irreverent exposés on power, celebrity, and media. Carter's 2025 memoir, When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines, co-written with James Fox and published on March 25 by Knopf, recounts his experiences in print journalism, including tenures at Time, Life, Spy, The New York Observer, and Vanity Fair. Drawing on personal anecdotes, it emphasizes the lavish, influential era of mid-20th to early 21st-century magazine culture, with accounts of editorial decisions, celebrity interactions, and industry excesses prior to digital disruption.

Selected Articles and Contributions

Carter's contributions to Spy magazine, which he co-founded in 1986, included satirical profiles that exemplified the publication's irreverent style, particularly those lampooning Donald Trump starting in the late 1980s. A notable 1988 piece coined the term "short-fingered vulgarian" to describe Trump, initiating a series of mocking features that scrutinized his business persona and public image through the 1990s. These articles, spanning over a decade, highlighted Trump's casino ventures and media appearances with pointed humor, contributing to Spy's reputation for deflating celebrity excess. At Vanity Fair, where Carter served as editor from 1992 to 2017, he authored annual editor's letters introducing the "New Establishment" list, a ranking of influential tech and media leaders that began in the mid-1990s. For instance, the 2014 introduction reflected on two decades of the feature, emphasizing shifts in power from traditional industries to Silicon Valley disruptors. The 2015 edition spotlighted Mark Zuckerberg on the cover, with Carter's preface analyzing the "everything bubble" in innovation and finance. These pieces, produced yearly through the 2010s, blended analysis with subtle satire on elite networks. In the 2020s, Carter has continued his writing through Air Mail, the weekly he co-founded in , where he pens columns offering cultural observations and global commentary in a satirical vein. His output across these platforms, from Spy's punkish takedowns to Fair's polished dissections and Air Mail's dispatches, underscores a career of over four decades marked by witty critiques of power and celebrity.

References

  1. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/graydon-carter-reflects-on-the-golden-age-of-magazines-in-when-the-going-was-good
  2. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/03/24/when-the-going-was-good-graydon-carter-book-review
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/25/graydon-carter-editor-vanity-fair
  4. https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/authors/edward-graydon-carter-net-worth/
  5. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/graydon-carter-on-life-when-the-going-was-good/
  6. https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a63903760/graydon-carter-memoir-magazines/
  7. https://yalereview.org/article/burrough-vanity-fair-graydon-carter
  8. https://www.spd.org/print-is-dead-long-live-print/graydon-carter
  9. https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/4165/
  10. https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/manhattans-most-powerful-7298058.html
  11. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/graydon-carters-vanity-fair-ottawa-failures
  12. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/graydon-carter-toques-riches-story-080057419.html
  13. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/graydon-carter-s-toques-to-riches-story-began-with-instructive-failures-in-ottawa/ar-AA1EWTKd
  14. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/vanity-fair-editor-keeps-the-the-curious-airline-passenger-in-mind/article21835867/
  15. https://www.city-journal.org/article/graydon-carter-vanity-fair-memoir-when-the-going-was-good-review
  16. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/media/graydon-carters-varied-interests-and-influence.html
  17. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3374049/graydon-carter-memoir-vanity-fair-history-magazines/
  18. https://www.alainelkanninterviews.com/graydon-carter/
  19. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/21/graydon-carter-writer-interview
  20. https://airmail.news/issues/2025-3-29/my-adventures-in-journalism
  21. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/style/graydon-carter.html
  22. https://metropolismag.com/programs/spy-magazine-1986/
  23. https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/graydon-carter-interview/
  24. https://www.kurtandersen.com/spy-magazine
  25. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/10/graydon-carter-donald-trump
  26. https://www.npr.org/2016/03/07/469209254/decades-later-spy-magazine-founders-continue-to-torment-trump
  27. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/02/19/spy-magazine-to-fold/31570da8-a41b-4c0d-bbbe-37ad2c600541/
  28. https://www.vulture.com/2011/04/digging-into-the-archives-of-spy.html
  29. https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2015/08/spy-vs-trump-the-best-donald-trump-moments-from-spy-magazine-1986-98.html
  30. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/graydon-carter-vanity-fair-editor-book-excerpt.html
  31. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/13/business/the-media-business-vanity-fair-is-hot-property-but-profit-is-open-question.html
  32. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/09/business/at-vanity-fair-successor-finds-his-footing.html
  33. https://www.asme.media/graydon-carter-elected-to-magazine-editors--hall-of-fame
  34. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/10/graydon-carter-new-establishment
  35. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/08/graydon-carters-dominick-dunne-tribute
  36. https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/799ea4e5-899e-4546-8719-dabfc483541d
  37. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/06/when-the-going-was-good-by-graydon-carter-review-all-the-fun-of-the-fair
  38. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/08/marie-brenners-dominick-dunne-tribute
  39. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/10/graydon-carter-on-donald-trump
  40. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/03/how-donald-trump-became-the-short-fingered-vulgarian
  41. https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/dominick-dunne-after-the-party/umc.cmc.6xk65hnnplx45wzd4a3pp6kcf
  42. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/graydon_carter
  43. https://www.fandango.com/people/graydon-carter-101611/film-credits
  44. https://www.focusfeatures.com/the_kid_stays_in_the_picture
  45. https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2000/01/bio-graydon
  46. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/graydon-carter/umc.cpc.6cltuuo587syp0vpx6egvsngz
  47. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/media/graydon-carter-vanity-fair.html
  48. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/style/what-is-graydon-carter-doing-now.html
  49. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/graydon-carter-air-mail-newsletter-review-essay/
  50. https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/air-mail-graydon-carter.php
  51. https://airmail.news/
  52. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/business/media/air-mail-sale.html
  53. https://airmail.news/issues/2025-3-15
  54. https://airmail.news/issues/2021-7-17/meghan-markle-backbencher
  55. https://airmail.news/issues/2020-10-3/suits-yourself
  56. https://ny.eater.com/2025/4/2/24399123/graydon-carter-eater-interview-memoir-2025
  57. https://archive.nytimes.com/dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/graydon-carter-buying-monkey-bar/
  58. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736963/when-the-going-was-good-by-graydon-carter-with-james-fox/
  59. https://www.nydailynews.com/2000/12/01/editor-tastes-loneliness-of-long-distance-dad/
  60. https://observer.com/2010/06/graydon-carters-better-half/2/
  61. https://www.ft.com/content/d670cc00-ea69-4933-98c6-e8f91934b03f
  62. https://observer.com/2010/06/graydon-carters-better-half/
  63. https://www.facebook.com/CBSSundayMorning/videos/graydon-carter-a-life-in-print-and-style/3116527808504721/
  64. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/inside-vanity-fair-oscar-party-legacy-book-excerpt-1236309529/
  65. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/fashion/Graydon-Carter-vanity-fair-oscars-party.html
  66. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/inside-graydon-carters-downtown-nyc-duplex
  67. https://streeteasy.com/blog/graydon-carter-co-op-40-fifth-avenue/
  68. https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/graydon-carter-new-york-apartment-dakota-building
  69. https://www.corcoran.com/nyc/press-mention/display/44426
  70. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-28/graydon-carter-s-golden-age-of-magazines-was-outrageously-expensive
  71. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303
  72. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/business/media/vicky-ward-jeffrey-epstein-vanity-fair.html
  73. https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/why-didnt-vanity-fair-break-the-jeffrey-epstein-story
  74. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-i-dont-believe-graydon-carter-scrubbed-jeffrey-epstein-story-1223529/
  75. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/19/magazine/graydon-carter-jeffrey-epstein-vanity-fair.html
  76. https://wwd.com/business-news/media/feature/graydon-carter-jeffrey-epstein-profile-vicky-ward-accusations-1203224153/
  77. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/22/753337520/why-the-media-didnt-pay-much-attention-to-jeffrey-epstein
  78. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/22/753390385/a-dead-cat-a-lawyers-call-and-a-5-figure-donation-how-media-fell-short-on-epstei
  79. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/08/spy-vs-trump
  80. https://gothamist.com/news/graydon-carter-slams-trumps-carny-act-in-searing-vanity-fair-column
  81. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/06/graydon-carter-oj-simpson-trial-monica-lewinsky
  82. https://slate.com/culture/2025/03/graydon-carter-book-vanity-fair-editor.html
  83. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/business/media/conde-nast-magazines-vogue-vanity-fair.html
  84. https://www.thewrap.com/former-vanity-fair-editor-says-harvey-weinstein-was-rude-to-staff-and-banned-from-everything/
  85. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/graydon-carter-memoir-weinstein-epstein-gwyneth-paltrow-1236167991/
  86. https://www.imdb.com/news/ni60632976/
  87. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-and-vanity-fairs-graydon-carter-have-been-feuding-decades-661450
  88. https://airmail.news/issues/2021-1-23/the-view-from-here
  89. https://nypost.com/1999/07/22/tinas-talk-trumped-vanity-fair-gets-jfk-story-after-browns-deadline-exclusive/
  90. https://airmail.news/issues/2021-6-12/the-bench-strikes-a-bum-note
  91. https://airmail.news/issues/2025-8-30/the-duchess-of-cringe
  92. https://airmail.news/issues/2025-3-8/not-our-jam
  93. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/04/06/graydon-carter-interview-canada-trump-00272641
  94. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141599/bio/
  95. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704388504575419202376842786
  96. https://www.statista.com/chart/1498/ad-pages-sold-by-news-magazines/
  97. https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/02/18/media-mystery-once-hot-vanity-fair-has-had-a-deep-drop-in-single-copy-sales-since-new-editor-took-over
  98. https://www.cnbc.com/2008/08/13/magazine-industry-continues-publishings-nosedive.html
  99. https://www.amazon.com/Vanity-Fairs-Hollywood-Graydon-Carter/dp/067089141X
  100. https://newrepublic.com/article/154100/making-sense-donald-trump-petulant-presidency
  101. https://www.politico.com/media/tipsheets/morning-media/2017/01/morning-media-graydon-no-talent-carter-talks-trump-meetingcable-news-musical-chairsaj-daulerio-bares-all-001187
  102. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/style/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html
  103. https://cjr.org/feature/vanity_fire.php
  104. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/business/media/vanity-fair-next-editor-graydon-carter.html
  105. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/books/features/graydon-carter-when-the-going-was-good-vanity-fair-b2723248.html
  106. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/puck-nears-deal-acquire-graydon-carter-air-mail-1236368845/
  107. https://www.amazon.com/What-Weve-Lost-Democracy-Hardcover/dp/067931332X
  108. https://books.google.com/books/about/What_We_ve_Lost.html?id=U-zdD4yBi48C
  109. https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Funny-Years-Graydon-Carter/dp/1401352391
  110. https://www.amazon.com/When-Going-Was-Good-Adventures/dp/0593655907
  111. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/graydon-carter-new-establishment
  112. https://airmail.news/graydon-carter
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.