Graydon Carter: Blame Jude Law (and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp…)

Several weeks ago, we noted that Vanity Fair’s newsstand sales were down 22% and we were on the verge of speculating (recklessly, per usual) about which issues did the worst. Today, Drudge reveals:

VANITY FAIR editor Graydon blames the cover models for his magazine’s flagging newsstand sales in a recent interview.

The drop, he said, was the result of three covers in a row featuring men at the end of 2004 — Jude Law in October, Johnny Depp in November and Leonardo DiCaprio in December.

Ask and we shall receive…eventually.

Here are the actual numbers, per publisher’s statement for the last half of the year:

(Month, subscription, single copy sales, total paid)
July – 780,275 – 390,204 – 1,170,479
Aug. – 781,223 – 310,694 – 1,091,917
Sept. – 781,757 – 391,721 – 1,173,478
Oct. – 778,158 – 287,064 – 1,065,222
Nov. – 781,501 – 325,677 – 1,107,178
Dec. – 794,695 – 310,114 – 1,104,809

The moral of the story: placeth thou always women on the cover, lest Jude Law killeth thine magazine.

Related: But the Hollywood Issue sold well! [FishbowlNY]

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