''Esquire'' is an American

men's magazine This is a list of men's magazines from around the world. These are magazines (periodical print publications) that have been published primarily for a readership of men. The list has been split into subcategories according to the target audienc ...

. Currently published in the United States by Hearst, it also has more than 20 international editions. Founded in 1933, it flourished during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

under the guidance of founders

Arnold Gingrich Arnold W. Gingrich (December 5, 1903 – July 9, 1976) was the editor of, and, along with publisher David A. Smart and Henry L. Jackson, co-founder of ''Esquire'' magazine. Among his other projects was the political/newsmagazine '' Ken''. Influ ...

, David A. Smart, and Henry L. Jackson while during the 1960s it pioneered the

New Journalism New Journalism is a style of news writing and journalism, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, that uses literary techniques unconventional at the time. It is characterized by a subjective perspective, a literary style reminiscent of long-form no ...

movement. After a period of quick and drastic decline during the 1990s, the magazine revamped itself as a lifestyle-heavy publication under the direction of David Granger.

History

''Esquire'' was first issued in October 1933 as an offshoot of trade magazine '' Apparel Arts'' (which later became '' Gentleman's Quarterly''; ''Esquire'' and ''GQ'' would share ownership for almost 45 years). The magazine was first headquartered in Chicago and then, in New York City. It was founded and edited by David A. Smart, Henry L. Jackson and

. Jackson died in a

plane crash An aviation accident is an event during aircraft operation that results serious injury, death, or significant destruction. An aviation incident is any operating event that compromises safety but does not escalate into an aviation accident. Pre ...

in 1948, while Gingrich led the magazine until his own death in 1976. Smart died in 1952, although he left ''Esquire'' in 1936 to found a different magazine for the company, ''

Coronet In British heraldry, a coronet is a type of crown that is a mark of rank of non-reigning members of the royal family and peers. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for ''crown'' is used irrespective of ra ...

''. The founders all had different focuses; Gingrich specialized in publishing, Smart led the business side of the magazine while Jackson led and edited the fashion section, which made up most of the magazine in its first fifteen years of publishing. Additionally, Jackson's Republican political viewpoints contrasted with the liberal Democratic views of Smart, which allowed for the magazine to publish debates between the two. ''Esquire'' initially was supposed to have a quarterly press run of a hundred thousand copies. It cost fifty cents per copy (equivalent to $ today). However, demand was so high that by its second issue (January 1934), it transformed itself into a more refined

periodical Periodical literature (singularly called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) consists of Publication, published works that appear in new releases on a regular schedule (''issues'' or ''numbers'', often numerically divided into annu ...

with an emphasis on men's fashion and contributions by

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and exces ...

Alberto Moravia Alberto Pincherle (; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990), known by his pseudonym Alberto Moravia ( , ), was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia i ...

André Gide André Paul Guillaume Gide (; 22 November 1869 – 19 February 1951) was a French writer and author whose writings spanned a wide variety of styles and topics. He was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature. Gide's career ranged from his begi ...

, and

Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and Internationalism (politics), internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentiet ...

. In the 1940s, the popularity of the Petty Girls and Vargas Girls, particularly among the Armed Forces provided a circulation boost, but also proved controversial: in 1943, the Democratic

United States Postmaster General The United States postmaster general (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

Frank Comerford Walker Frank Comerford Walker (May 30, 1886 – September 13, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the United States Postmaster General from 1940 until 1945, and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1943 until 1944. Biog ...

brought charges against the magazine on behalf of the administration of

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, which alleged that ''Esquire'' had used the

US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

to promote "lewd images". Republicans opposed the lawsuit and in 1946 the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

found in ''Hannegan v. Esquire, Inc.'', 327 U.S. 146 (1946), that ''Esquire'' right to use the Postal Service was protected by the

First Amendment of the United States Constitution The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom ...

. During the 1950s, Al Moore replaced Petty and Vargas as the main pinup illustrator for ''Esquire''. Petty illustrated for Esquire from 1933 to 1956, Vargas was hired to replace Petty in 1940 and was active until 1946. Beginning with its second number, a blond, pop-eyed, mustachioed character named "Esky" (created by cartoonists E. Simms Campbell and

Sam Berman Sam Berman (July 27, 1907 – August 11, 1995) was an American caricaturist who between the 1930s and 1950s was one of the country's most notable and influential illustrators. Early career Berman was in high school when he began drawing cartoon ...

), graced almost every ''Esquire'' front page for over a quarter of a century, depicting the refined character of the magazine and its readership, mostly in the form of figurines, although a stylized design of his face would often appear as well (replacing the figurines in the 1950s), and beginning in 1962, this graphic would be featured as the dot on the "I" of the logo until this was changed in 1978. After then, the character would be occasionally revived, most notably during the 1980s and 1990s, a short-lived "Esky" award given to popular rock bands during the 2000s and during Jay Fielden's tenure in the 2010s. Under

Harold Hayes Harold Thomas Pace Hayes (April 18, 1926 – April 5, 1989) was an American journalist and writer best known as an editor for ''Esquire'' magazine from 1963 to 1973. He was a main architect of the New Journalism movement. Biography Born April 1 ...

, who ran it from 1961 to 1973, ''Esquire'' became as distinctive as its oversized pages, helping pioneer the trend of

by publishing such writers as

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

, Tim O'Brien,

John Sack John Sack (March 24, 1930 – March 27, 2004) was an American literary journalist and war correspondent. He was the only journalist to cover each American war over half a century. Biography Sack was born in New York City. His work appeared in ...

Gay Talese Gaetano "Gay" Talese (; born February 7, 1932) is an American writer. As a journalist for ''The New York Times'' and ''Esquire (magazine), Esquire'' magazine during the 1960s, he helped to define contemporary literary journalism and is considere ...

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

, and

Terry Southern Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style. Part of the Paris postwar literary movement in the 1950s and a companion to ...

. In the mid-1960s, ''Esquire'' partnered with

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

to release a series of "Sound Tour" vinyl LPs that provided advice and music for traveling abroad. In August 1969, ''Esquire'' published

Normand Poirier Normand Poirier (1928February 3, 1981) was an American journalist, essayist, and newspaper editor. His name is often spelled Norman Poirier. Poirier is noted as one of the first journalists to report on war crimes on Vietnamese civilians by Am ...

's piece, "An American Atrocity", one of the first reports of American atrocities committed against Vietnamese civilians."Normand Poirier"
. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. February 4, 1981 Like many other magazines of the era, ''Esquire'' shrank from the traditional large-magazine format (about ) to the smaller standard

letter size Letter (officially ANSI A) is a paper size standard defined in ANSI/ASME Y14.1 by the American National Standards Institute, commonly used as home or office stationery primarily in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines, and variably ...

() in 1971. Esquire cover Feb 1961

The magazine was sold by the original owners to

Clay Felker Clay Schuette Felker (October 2, 1925 – July 1, 2008) was an American magazine editor and journalist who co-founded '' New York'' magazine in 1968 and ''California'' magazine (first known as ''New West'') in 1976. He was known for bringing nume ...

in 1977 (although Esquire Inc. kept its name until its acquisition by

Gulf + Western Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. (stylized as Gulf+Western) was an American conglomerate. The company originally focused on manufacturing and resource extraction, but it began purchasing a number of entertainment companies beginning in 1966 ...

in 1983). Felker reinvented the magazine as a

fortnight A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days", since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tides In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is hal ...

ly in 1978, under the title of ''Esquire Fortnightly'', ditching the script logo that had been used (with minor tweaks) since 1933. However, the fortnightly experiment proved to be a failure, and by the end of that year, the magazine lost

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

5 million. Felker sold ''Esquire'' in 1979 to the 13-30 Corporation, a Tennessee-based publisher, which reverted the magazine into a monthly, beginning with the July issue (dated both as of July 3 and 19). During this time, '' New York Woman'' magazine was launched as something of a spin-off version of ''Esquire'' aimed at a female audience. In 1986, the 13-30 Corporation (renamed as the Esquire Magazine Group) launched the '' New York Woman'' magazine as something of a spin-off version of ''Esquire'' aimed at a female audience. The company split up at the end of the year, and ''Esquire'' was sold to Hearst, with ''New York Woman'' going its separate way to American Express Publishing, being published until 1992. The arrival of male-oriented lifestyle publications during the early 1990s and the problems of the magazine industry during the middle of the decade led to a sustained decline in circulation that threatened the future of ''Esquire'', which had relied upon an elegant, highly-literate audience (until the late 1970s, it published a "back-to-college" issue each September, and during the second half of the 1980s it published a year-end register featuring leading cultural figures under 40 years of age) but did not appeal to younger men. David M. Granger was named

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

of the magazine in June 1997, fresh from a six-year stint at '' GQ,'' which he turned around from its fashion-heavy tradition. After his arrival, the magazine received numerous awards, including multiple National Magazine Awards. Its award-winning staff writers include Tom Chiarella,

Scott Raab Scott Raab (born March 21, 1952) is an American nonfiction author and former contributing journalist for ''Esquire''. Early years Scott Raab was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. The Raab family relocated to Los Angeles in 1960, but after his par ...

Mike Sager Mike Sager (born August 17, 1956) is an American author, journalist, and educator. A former ''Washington Post'' staff writer, ''Rolling Stone'' contributing editor, and writer at large for '' GQ'', Sager has been a contributing writer for ''Es ...

, Chris Jones, John H. Richardson,

Cal Fussman Calvin Fussman is an American journalist and author. He is a Writer at Large for ''Esquire'' magazine, known for the What I've Learned column, where he interviews leaders in various fields,"How to do a What I've Learned Interview", ''Esquire'', ...

Lisa Taddeo Lisa Taddeo is an American author and journalist known for her book '' Three Women''. Taddeo's work has appeared in ''The Best American Political Writing'' and '' The Best American Sports Writing'' anthologies. Early life Taddeo was born in Shor ...

, and Tom Junod. Famous photographers have also worked for the magazine, among which fashion photographer Gleb Derujinsky, and

Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and '' Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and ...

. In spite of its success, the magazine under Granger became increasingly criticized for its focus on the so-called metrosexual culture (a criticism he previously had late in his ''GQ'' tenure). David Granger stepped down in 2016, being replaced by Jay Fielden, who revamped the magazine into its more classical up-market style. At the same time, its political coverage became more comprehensive, following a trend among American magazine publications in general. After a series of shake-ups at Hearst's magazine division, Michael Sebastian became editor in mid-2019, reverting to its 2000s-era style. In September 2006, the magazine launched a special style-focused issue entitled ''The Big Black Book'', which beginning in 2009 was published twice a year until the Spring/Summer issue ran for the last time in 2018. In 2010, the June and July issues were merged as were the December and January issues in 2015, and in 2018 the magazine moved to eight issues per year.

Blog

In January 2009, ''Esquire'' launched a new blog—the ''Daily Endorsement Blog''. Each morning the editors of the magazine recommend one thing for readers' immediate enjoyment: "not a political candidate or position or party, but a breakthrough idea or product or Web site." The concept of the "Daily Endorsement Blog" was said to have emerged from ''Esquire''s November 2008 issue called the "Endorsement Issue", in which, after 75 years, ''Esquire'' publicly endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time. The ''Daily Endorsement Blog'' was officially discontinued in April 2011.

Fiction

From 1969 to 1976,

Gordon Lish Gordon Lish (born February 11, 1934) is an American writer. As a literary editor, he championed many American authors, particularly Raymond Carver, Barry Hannah, Amy Hempel, Rick Bass, Tom Spanbauer, and Richard Ford. He is the father of the no ...

served as fiction editor for ''Esquire'' and became known as "Captain Fiction" because of the authors whose careers he assisted. Lish helped establish the career of writer

Raymond Carver Raymond Clevie Carver Jr. (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988) was an American short story writer and poet. He published his first collection of stories, '' Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?'', in 1976. His breakout collection, '' What We Talk About ...

by publishing his short stories in ''Esquire'', often over the objections of Hayes. Lish is noted for encouraging Carver's

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

and publishing the short stories of

Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story author, and writer of a series of novels featuring the character Frank Bascombe. Ford's first collection of short stories, ''Rock Springs (short stories), Rock Springs ...

. Using the influential publication as a vehicle to introduce new fiction by emerging authors, he promoted the work of such writers as

T. Coraghessan Boyle Thomas Coraghessan Boyle (born December 2, 1948) is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published nineteen novels and more than 150 short stories. He won the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1988, for his third novel, ' ...

Barry Hannah Barry Hannah (April 23, 1942 – March 1, 2010) was an American novelist and short story writer from Mississippi.Kellogg, Carolyn (March 2, 2010)"Author Barry Hannah, 67, has died" ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved May 18, 2013. Hannah was born in ...

Cynthia Ozick Cynthia Ozick (born April 17, 1928) is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist. Biography Cynthia Ozick was born in New York City. The second of two children, Ozick was raised in the Bronx by her parents, Celia (née Regelson) and ...

Reynolds Price Edward Reynolds Price (February 1, 1933 – January 20, 2011) was an American poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist and James B. Duke Professor of English at Duke University. Apart from English literature, Price had a lifelong interest in Biblical ...

and William Harrison. In February 1977, ''Esquire'' published "For Rupert – with no promises" as an unsigned work of fiction: this was the first time it had published a work without identifying the author. Readers speculated that it was the work of

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger ( ; January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel '' The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger published several short stories in '' Story'' magazine in 1940, before serving in World Wa ...

, the reclusive author best known for ''

The Catcher in the Rye ''The Catcher in the Rye'' is the only novel by American author J. D. Salinger. It was partially published in serial form in 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its theme ...

''. Told in first-person, the story features events and Glass family names from the story "

For Esmé – with Love and Squalor For or FOR may refer to: English language *For, a preposition *For, a complementizer *For, a grammatical conjunction Science and technology * Fornax, a constellation * for loop, a programming language statement * Frame of reference, in physics * ...

is quoted as saying, "I tried to borrow Salinger's voice and the psychological circumstances of his life, as I imagine them to be now. And I tried to use those things to elaborate on certain circumstances and events in his fiction to deepen them and add complexity." Other authors appearing in ''Esquire'' at that time included William F. Buckley,

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

Murray Kempton James Murray Kempton (December 16, 1917 – May 5, 1997) was an American journalist and Advocacy journalism, social and political commentator. He won a National Book Award in 1974 List of winners of the National Book Award#Current, (category, "Co ...

Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was a conservative British journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romford, i ...

Ron Rosenbaum Ronald Rosenbaum (born November 27, 1946) is an American literary journalist, literary critic, and novelist. Early life and education Rosenbaum was born into a Jewish family in New York City and grew up in Bay Shore, New York, on Long Island. ...

Andrew Vachss Andrew Henry Vachss ( ; October 19, 1942 – November 23, 2021) was an American crime fiction author, child protection consultant, and attorney exclusively representing children and youths. Early life and career Vachss grew up in Manhattan on ...

and

Garry Wills Garry Wills (born May 22, 1934) is an American author, journalist, political philosopher, and historian, specializing in American history, politics, and religion, especially the history of the Catholic Church. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Gener ...

. During the mid-late 1980s, the magazine's June "Summer Reading" issues featured a full-length fiction story accompanied by shorter pieces, all written for the magazine. Although the magazine greatly reduced its fiction content during the 1990s in line with most other magazines, it has nevertheless continued to publish fiction in occasion. Writer

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 30 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also mad ...

debuted in ''Esquire'' in 1993, while

Chris Adrian Chris Adrian (born November 7, 1970) is an American author. Adrian's writing styles in short stories vary greatly; from modernist realism to pronounced lyrical allegory. His novels tend toward surrealism, having mostly realistic characters experi ...

Nathan Englander Nathan Englander (born 1970) is an American short story writer and novelist. His debut short story collection, '' For the Relief of Unbearable Urges,'' was published by Alfred A. Knopf, in 1999. His second collection, '' What We Talk About When W ...

Benjamin Percy Benjamin Percy is an American author of novels and short stories, essayist, comic book writer, and screenwriter. Career Benjamin Percy has published four novels, ''The Dark Net'', ''The Dead Lands'', ''Red Moon'', and ''The Wilding'', as well as ...

, and Patrick Somerville among others have also contributed to the magazine. Other writers who have recently appeared in ''Esquire'' include Ralph Lombreglia,

James Lee Burke James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won Edgar Awards for his novels ''Black Cherry Blues'' (1990), ''Cimarron Rose'' (1998), and ''Flags on the Bayou'' (2024). He has ...

, and

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

The Napkin Fiction Project

In 2007, ''Esquire'' launched the Napkin Fiction Project, in which 250 cocktail napkins were mailed to writers all over the country by the incoming fiction editor, in a playful attempt to revive short fiction—"some with a half dozen books to their name, others just finishing their first". In return, the magazine received nearly a hundred stories.

Rick Moody Hiram Frederick Moody III (born October 18, 1961) is an American novelist and short story writer best known for the 1994 novel '' The Ice Storm'', a chronicle of the dissolution of two suburban Connecticut families over Thanksgiving weekend in 1 ...

Jonathan Ames Jonathan Ames (; born March 23, 1964) is an American author who has written a number of novels and comic memoirs, and is the creator of two television series, ''Bored to Death'' (HBO) and '' Blunt Talk'' (Starz). In the late '90s and early 2000 ...

Bret Anthony Johnston Bret Anthony Johnston is an American author. He wrote the novel ''Remember Me Like This'' and the story collection, ''Corpus Christi: Stories''. He is also the editor of the non-fiction work, ''Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creat ...

Joshua Ferris Joshua Ferris (born November 8, 1974) is an American author best known for his debut novel '' Then We Came to the End'' (2007). The novel is a comedy about the American workplace, is narrated in the first-person plural, and is set in a fictitiou ...

Yiyun Li Yiyun Li (Chinese: 李翊雲 - ''Li Yiyun'') (born November 4, 1972) is a Chinese-born writer and professor who has lived and worked in the United States since entering graduate school. She writes exclusively in English. Her short stories and no ...

Aimee Bender Aimee Bender (born June 28, 1969) is an American novelist and short story writer, known for her surreal stories and characters. She is a 2011 recipient of the Alex Awards. Biography Born to a American Jews, Jewish family, Bender received her un ...

, and

ZZ Packer Zuwena "ZZ" Packer (born January 12, 1973) is an American writer, primarily of works of short fiction. She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, a Whiting Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her book ''Drinking Coffee El ...

are among the notable writers included.

Dubious Achievement Awards

For many years, ''Esquire'' has published its annual ''Dubious Achievement Awards'', lampooning events of the preceding year. As a

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

, the annual article almost always displayed an old photo of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

laughing, with the caption, "Why is this man laughing?" However, the February 2006 "Dubious Achievement Awards" used the caption under a photo of W. Mark Felt, the former FBI official revealed in 2005 to be " Deep Throat", the source for

Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for ''The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the honorific title of associate editor though the Post no longer employs ...

and

Carl Bernstein Carl Milton Bernstein ( ; born February 14, 1944) is an American investigative journalist and author. While a young reporter for ''The Washington Post'' in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward, and the two did much of the original ne ...

to uncover the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...

. The magazine discontinued the Nixon photo in February 2007, referring to a poll stating that

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

had surpassed Nixon as the "worst president ever". A popular running gag featured in the "Dubious Achievements of 1990" edition involved especially egregious achievements headlined with "And then they went to

Elaine's Elaine's was a bar and restaurant in New York City that existed from 1963 to 2011. It was frequented by many celebrities, especially actors and authors. It was established, owned by and named after Elaine Kaufman, who was indelibly associated wi ...

.", referring to a popular restaurant in New York City that closed in May 2011. ''Esquire'' did not publish "Dubious Achievement Awards" for 2001, but resumed them with the 2002 awards, published in the February 2003 issue. "Dubious Achievement Awards" were discontinued in 2008, according to an editor's note in the January 2008 issue, considering that the overabundance of imitators had made the feature superfluous. However, after a nine-year hiatus, the feature was revived in the January 2017 issue with a skewering of 2016 events.

Sexiest Woman Alive

The annual Sexiest Woman Alive feature ran between 2003 and 2015, billed as a benchmark of female attractiveness and consisting of a photoshoot and profile of the winning woman. Originally, it was a part of the "Women We Love" issue that had appeared yearly since 1988 (after being a section of "The Passions of Men" issue, June 1987), being initially titled "Woman of the Year". To build interest, the magazine would do a tease, releasing partial images of the woman in the issues preceding the November issue. By 2007, it had become the dominating story of the issue and to create an element of surprise the hints were abandoned. The feature was criticized for objectifying women. In a ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

'' article following

Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Prolific in Spanish and English-language films, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, a David di Donatello and three Goya Awards. Cru ...

's 2014 Sexiest Woman Alive profile, Katy Waldman called the article the "latest icky entry in the icky genre" and describing it as using "rapt, creepy, overheated language to say practically nothing about his subject, except that she is 'impossibly beautiful,' 'has no physical flaws,' 'looks like a thousand different women,' and 'can be whatever we want her to be.' (So, nothing.)". Waldman said the profiles "traffic in weirdo pious metaphors and exaggerations that aim to winkingly indicate how overcome a guy gets in the face of a gorgeous lady. But they just make men seem like drooling louts."

Awards and honors

National Magazine Awards The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...

International editions

* Esquire Australia (since 2023) * 时尚先生 Esquire China (since 1996) * Esquire Czech Republic (since 1996) * Esquire España (since 2007) * Esquire Germany (from 1987 to 1992, since 2019) * Esquire Greece (since 2002) * Esquire Hong Kong (since 2014) * Esquire Italia * Esquire Japan (from 1987 to 2009, since 2015) * Esquire Kazakhstan (since 2005) * Esquire Korea (since 1995) * Esquire México/Latinoamérica (since 2008) * Esquire Middle East (since 2009) * Esquire Philippines (since 2011) * Esquire Saudi المملكة (since 2021) * Esquire Singapore (since 2012) * Esquire Taiwan (since 2005) * Esquire Thailand (from 1995 to 2018, since 2024) * Esquire Türkiye (since 1993) *

Esquire UK ''Esquire Magazine'' (UK edition) is a quarterly men's magazine originally owned by the '' National Magazine Company'' (since 2011, following a merger, renamed ''Hearst Magazines UK''), a subsidiary of the US-based Hearst Corporation. The first e ...

(since 1991) * Esquire Brazil (since 2025)

Ceased publication

* Esquire Bulgaria (launched in 2014) * Esquire Central America (launched in 2008) * Esquire Colombia (launched in 2012) * Esquire Indonesia (launched in 2007, closed in 2017) * Esquire Malaysia (launched in 2011) * Esquire Nederland (launched in 1990, closed in 2021) * Esquire Polska (launched in 2015, closed in 2019) * Esquire Puerto Rico (launched in 2008) * Esquire Romania (launched in 2007) * Esquire Russia (launched in 2005, closed in 2022) * Esquire Serbia (launched in 2013) * Esquire South America * Esquire Ukraine (launched in 2012) * Esquire Vietnam (launched in 2013, closed in 2016)

References

External links

* (US) * (UK) * (Hong Kong)
C Net News article about the experiment of the ''Esquire'' writer in Wikipedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Esquire (Magazine) Magazines established in 1933 Monthly magazines published in the United States Hearst Communications publications Men's magazines published in the United States Men's fashion magazines Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Literary magazines published in the United States Political magazines published in the United States Magazines published in Chicago Magazines published in New York City Multilingual magazines

History

Blog

Fiction

The Napkin Fiction Project

Dubious Achievement Awards

Sexiest Woman Alive

Awards and honors

International editions

Ceased publication

See also

References

External links