Michael M. Grynbaum's book Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America, traces the rise of Condé Nast's magazines. This hour Grynbaum joins us to explain how Condé Nast magazines and their editors achieved their status as cultural tastemakers, and where these magazines, and that industry, stand today. Plus, we hear from an editor at The Week about how that magazine is approaching this moment.

GUESTS: 


Michael M. Grynbaum: A media correspondent for The New York Timesand author of the new book Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America


Mark Gimein: Former managing Editor at the print edition of The Week

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook.

Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 15, 2025.

Michael M. Grynbaum's book Empire of the Elite: Inside Cond&eacute; Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America, traces the rise of Cond&eacute; Nast's magazines. This hour Grynbaum joins us to explain how Cond&eacute; Nast magazines and their editors achieved their status as cultural tastemakers, and where these magazines, and that industry, stand today. Plus, we hear from an editor at The Week about how that magazine is approaching this moment.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Michael M. Grynbaum: A media correspondent for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-m-grynbaum">The New York Times</a> and author of the new book <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Empire-of-the-Elite/Michael-M-Grynbaum/9781668003916">Empire of the Elite: Inside Cond&eacute; Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America</a>
</li>
<li>
Mark Gimein: Former managing Editor at the print edition of <a href="https://theweek.com/">The Week</a> 
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 15, 2025.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

What the golden age of Condé Nast can tell us about the future of magazines

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.

This hour, the conversation winds around to vertical hold, campus protests, the Catholic church, Bob’s Burgers, Luke Bronin, the fears of men … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.

These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.

 

We&rsquo;ve been doing these shows where we don&rsquo;t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.
This hour, the conversation winds around to vertical hold, campus protests, the Catholic church,&nbsp;Bob&rsquo;s Burgers, Luke Bronin, the fears of men &hellip; Anything. (Seemingly) everything.
These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.
&nbsp;

All calls: deChardin will take you on a hot air balloon ride you weren’t expecting to go on

Lord of the Flies is a BBC and Netflix limited series and the first ever television adaptation of the 1954 novel by William Golding. It is written and created by Jack Thorne, who also wrote and co-created Adolescence, among a bunch of other stuff. The series features an ensemble cast of more than 30 boys, many of them making their professional acting debuts.

And: The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is a sports mockumentary sitcom created by Robert Carlock and Sam Means. Carlock was a showrunner on 30 Rock and co-created Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with Tina Fey, who is an executive producer on Reggie Dinkins. The cast includes Tracy Morgan as the title character, Bobby Moynihan, Erika Alexander, Danielle Radcliffe, and more.

GUESTS:
Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College
Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University

Music featured (in order):
Peter Grimes, Act II: Interlude III (also known as Sunday Morning from “Four Sea Interludes”) – Benjamin Britten, as performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein
Hooray for Captain Spaulding – Groucho Marx (feat. The Ken Lane Singers)
You Gotta Be a Football Hero – Ben Bernie and His Roosevelt Orchestra
Jet Song – West Side Story Original Soundtrack Recording
See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh

Lord of the Flies&nbsp;is a BBC and Netflix limited series and the first ever television adaptation of the 1954 novel by William Golding. It is written and created by Jack Thorne, who also wrote and co-created&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2025-03-28/the-nose-looks-at-adolescence-and-long-bright-river">Adolescence</a>, among a bunch of other stuff. The series features an ensemble cast of more than 30 boys, many of them making their professional acting debuts.
And:&nbsp;The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins&nbsp;is a sports mockumentary sitcom created by Robert Carlock and Sam Means. Carlock was a showrunner on&nbsp;30 Rock&nbsp;and co-created&nbsp;Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt&nbsp;with Tina Fey, who is an executive producer on&nbsp;Reggie Dinkins. The cast includes Tracy Morgan as the title character, Bobby Moynihan, Erika Alexander, Danielle Radcliffe, and more.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Shawn Murray:&nbsp;A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the&nbsp;Fantasy Filmball&nbsp;podcast</li>
<li>Irene Papoulis:&nbsp;Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College</li>
<li>Bill Yousman:&nbsp;Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/jKSMr9V9cWk">Peter Grimes, Act II: Interlude III (also known as Sunday Morning from &ldquo;Four Sea Interludes&rdquo;)</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Benjamin Britten, as performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0LTZfytTII">Hooray for Captain Spaulding</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Groucho Marx (feat. The Ken Lane Singers)</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/8EIRAZeunS8">You Gotta Be a Football Hero</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Ben Bernie and His Roosevelt Orchestra</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/uzuFqrCl_4M">Jet Song</a>&nbsp;&ndash; West Side Story Original Soundtrack Recording</li>
<li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/swampman-1/ill-see-you-on-the-radio">See You On The Radio</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Grayson Hugh</li>
</ul>

The Nose looks at ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’

Billboard

What do you know about silversmith Paul Revere besides that he borrowed a horse to warn American colonists that the British troops were coming? If Revere had help, why is he the only rider taught in history classes throughout America? We talk with Kostya Kennedy about his book, ‘The Ride,’ and learn the story behind a man—and an act on horseback—that was, “deeper and richer than previously assumed.” Plus, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow scholar Christoph Irmscher joins with an appreciation of Longfellow’s famous poem, ‘Paul Revere’s Ride.' And we learn what it's like to retrace Revere's route from journalist, Jenna Russell.

GUESTS: 


Kostya Kennedy: Author of ‘The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night that Saved America’


Christoph Irmscher: Distinguished Professor of English at Indiana University. He is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow and the author of The Poetics of Natural History and Longfellow Redux


Jenna Russell: New England bureau chief for The New York Times. Jenna documented her drive of Paul Revere's route, which took twice as long in Boston traffic.

Music featured (in order):
William Tell Overture (Finale) – Gioachino Rossini, as conducted by Myung-whun Chung and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Paul Revere – Johnny Cash
Ride Your Pony – Paul Revere and the Raiders
One If By Land – Paul Burch
The British Are Coming – Weezer
Paul Revere – Louis Prima, Keely Smith

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook.

Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.

Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.

What do you know about silversmith Paul Revere besides that he borrowed a horse to warn American colonists that the British troops were coming? If Revere had help, why is he the only rider taught in history classes throughout America? We talk with <a href="https://kostyakennedy.com/">Kostya Kennedy</a> about his book, &lsquo;<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250341372/theride/">The Ride</a>,&rsquo; and learn the story behind a man&mdash;and an act on horseback&mdash;that was, &ldquo;deeper and richer than previously assumed.&rdquo; Plus, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow scholar <a href="https://www.christophirmscher.com/index.htm">Christoph Irmscher</a> joins with an appreciation of Longfellow&rsquo;s famous poem, &lsquo;<a href="https://poets.org/poem/paul-reveres-ride">Paul Revere&rsquo;s Ride</a>.' And we learn what it's like to retrace Revere's route from journalist,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/jenna-russell"> Jenna Russell</a>.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Kostya Kennedy: Author of &lsquo;<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250341372/theride/">The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night that Saved America</a>&rsquo;
</li>
<li>
Christoph Irmscher: Distinguished Professor of English at Indiana University. He is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow and the author of <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/the-poetics-of-natural-history/9781978805873">The Poetics of Natural History</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Longfellow-Redux-Christoph-Irmscher/dp/0252075862/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0">Longfellow Redux</a>
</li>
<li>
Jenna Russell: New England bureau chief for The New York Times. Jenna <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/us/paul-revere-ride-250-anniversary.html">documented her drive of Paul Revere's route</a>, which took twice as long in Boston traffic.
</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/j3T8-aeOrbg">William Tell Overture (Finale)</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Gioachino Rossini, as conducted by Myung-whun Chung and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2jkwWD7rqE">Paul Revere</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Johnny Cash</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lREuKhkG57c">Ride Your Pony</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Paul Revere and the Raiders</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AczCpJCIJGo">One If By Land</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Paul Burch</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUPsdOCZ-A">The British Are Coming</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Weezer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vzD2OJ5QpU">Paul Revere</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Louis Prima, Keely Smith</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>.
Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting <a href="http://ctpublic.org/donate">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Lily Tyson and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.

What the golden age of Condé Nast can tell us about the future of magazines

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