Who’s the man behind The Man?

I’m not sure why I felt compelled to comment on this article in the NYT that ran about Dave Zinczenko, the editor in chief of Men’s Health, a magazine that admittedly I’ve never looked at, except to ponder that the covers sometimes remind me more of gay porn than of a health and service mag for straight, health-conscious, weightlifting everymen. I think what annoyed me about it is that more than once, Dave’s colleagues commented that “What he lacks in ability, he makes up for in charm.” Essentially, Dave seems to have made it to the top not based on his editing talent, but more on his charisma, charm, and maybe even his looks (described quite accurately as “handsome middle brother” by the writer).

Now, I’m no head-in-the-clouds idealist about climbing the corporate ladder or that talent is what gets you everywhere. But I guess it’s really only a third of what gets you where you are. I think the other two thirds are ambition and knowing the right people. Maybe I think that because lately I’ve been feeling like a bit of a workhorse at the office and feeling a bit jaded about the whole career thing. And I’ve never been the best networker; in fact, the word alone makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out sometimes. I just don’t feel that I should refer someone whom I’ve just met—and for whom I have yet to make a judgment call on about whether I want to pass along some good karma—for a job.

The other thing that irks me a bit about this article is that Dave pooh-poohs the whole idea of the “celebrity editor,” even though he dated Rose McGowan for two years and he’s appeared on the Today Show 17 times. It’s true the average joe probably doesn’t recognize him when he’s walking down the street, but as long as the important people know who you are, I think it’s safe to say you’ve become a celebrity, albeit a minor one.

I guess the one thing he is good at is being the face of Men’s Health to the cultural zeitgeist, and in the end I suppose that’s what the EIC of a consumer magazine should be. (I highly doubt Anna Wintour sits around pontificating headlines and captions for her photo spreads.) I guess that’s what the senior editors are for—doing the line editing and making sure a comprehensible product is produced for the everyman to read and understand and thank Dave for. I just hope that while they are sitting in Emmaues, Pa., while Dave sits in his Manhattan offices, that they are compensated and recognized for their work.