
Graydon Carter is currently promoting his new memoir, When the Going Was Good. It’s largely about his time as Vanity Fair’s editor-in-chief and what the media/magazine business was like in the glory days of the 1990s and pre-crash ‘00s. I skimmed through his interview with the Times of London, where he spoke a lot about his dealings with Donald Trump over the years and he remarked, “I don’t recognise this man. If it comes out in 15 years that this Trump was a Manchurian candidate, I wouldn’t be surprised. The Trump I knew was someone who just wanted to be liked.” He also bad-mouthed Anna Wintour and VF’s new EIC Radhika Jones. He said that Jones has made VF “less fun, less interesting and don’t even get me started on the dull covers.” Which… fair enough. I also think Jones is too cerebral for a VF editor.
The reason I skimmed that Times interview was because I wanted to see if a British outlet got Carter to talk about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They did not. The last time Carter was out and about and giving interviews, it was 2023 and he spent a good chunk of time criticizing the Sussexes and predicting that their marriage will last for “years not decades.” His site, Air Mail, has also spent a lot of time hitting Meghan in particular. Well, Carter also chatted with Maureen Dowd at the NY Times, and they played a game called “confirm or deny.” Dowd got him on the record about whether he thinks Harry and Meghan are, in Bill Simmons’ words, “f–king grifters.”
[From The NY Times]Confirm or Deny: Annie Leibovitz took your passport photo.
Graydon Carter: She took my passport photo.CoD: The two funniest non-comedians you’ve ever met are George Clooney and Anderson Cooper.
In both cases, they were so funny that I had to tell them to stop because I thought my trachea would break.CoD: Anna Wintour should retire.
Absolutely not. I think she can go on for decades.CoD: Putin once called you to get on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Deny.CoD: The Kushners are the new Kennedys.
Deny. Well, the new Bobby Kennedy juniors, if that’s the arm of the family you’re referring to.CoD: Taylor Swift has a lifetime ban from the Waverly Inn.
No, we adore Taylor Swift.CoD: Harry and Meghan are grifters.
Bill Simmons could say that. I never would. I’m not sure grifter is the right word. More “chancers,” which is an English expression for somebody who is on the make.CoD: The Democrats need a celebrity candidate in 2028.
Confirm. Well, they need a candidate, and whether it’s a celebrity or not, they’ve got a strong bench. It’ll take six months, and they’ll get things sorted out, and then there’ll be a force.
Americans don’t use “chancer” as any kind of descriptor, so I actually looked it up. Per dictionary.com, chancer is “an unscrupulous or dishonest opportunist who is prepared to try any dubious scheme for making money or furthering his or her own ends.” Like… Harry and Meghan got a Netflix contract? Meghan is investing in small, female-owned businesses? She’s doing a line of crepe mixes? Harry is working for a mental-health coaching business? What the f–k is so unscrupulous about any of this? The Sussexes really have the old guard royalist media on their heels, huh? In some ways, this is what Graydon Carter is describing in his memoir – he and the other tastemaker media types have seen their relevance dip to the point where they can’t control what people think of the Sussexes (or anyone), and it’s driving them crazy.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
- 159945, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – December 4 – Graydon Carter attends 2017 Breakthrough Prize December 4th 2016 at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (Photo – Drew Altizer Photography),Image: 513334540, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Drew Altizer, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
- 159945, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – December 4 – Graydon Carter attends 2017 Breakthrough Prize December 4th 2016 at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (Photo – Drew Altizer Photography),Image: 513334552, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Drew Altizer, PacificCoastNews/Avalon
- 159945, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – December 4 – Graydon Carter attends 2017 Breakthrough Prize December 4th 2016 at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (Photo – Drew Altizer Photography),Image: 513336327, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Drew Altizer, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. The National Service marks The Queen’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Public service is at the heart of the event and over 400 recipients of Honours in the New Year or Birthday Honours lists have been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. Drawn from all four nations of the United Kingdom, they include NHS and key workers, teaching staff, public servants, and representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.,Image: 696633859, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696642820, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678053, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
#bitchy #Graydon #Carter #Grifter #isnt #word #Sussexes #theyre #chancers