Gentlemen's quaterly

I am lucky enough to have friends and I am even more lucky to have 2 best friends. I know people say it just can't be but as a matter of fact, I do. And in a worry of parity (I didn't choose) but It happened to be a boy and a girl. The boy is like the brother I never had and we know each other since almost always. The girl is beyond any friendship knowledge and she must be the only person on this planet who's not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong and I will consider seriously her point of view (I'm french, from Paris so stubborn). They know each other for years now when I used to live in Paris and cooked them dinner but do not now have special connections though leaving less than 2 kilometers from each other. But outside of this those 2 people have also wonderful family life and a successful carrier. Some weeks ago my (boy)friend told he was going to a party for the launch of a new magazine but couldn't talk about it. I didn't hear from my (girl)friend the same day because ... both of them were at the same party. It's the first time it happens and because those things are business secrets I am thankful to them not to have told me before that this magazine will be launched in France. It shows that we can trust them. So knowing that I have now in my hands the first issue of the french GQ. I remember the US one as a classy magazine you had pleasure to buy every month because it made you dream of what you could become or showed you the way to follow to be trendy but it's been years since I read it. I am a big fan of the UK one because it makes me laugh with this very particular way of writing and speaking that have English to say to you you're just a rubbish but a stylish one. Most of all why do I like GQ : because I recognize myself in it. There are adds, texts, pictures, subjects that matters undercovered with luxury. So it is true I was impatient to have one day a french version. And I am disapointed. I never wished to have a copy of the UK one which I find again serious and tenderly provoking but I just don't find myself in this french issue. Does it mean that past 40 I only have the possibility not to live in style and I am already inactivated for the fashion business ? Have a look at the adds : all models have at least ... (being generous) ... 18 ? it's a caricature. Turning the first 40 pages of the magazine I say to myself I'm not the target, the designers do not do anything for me, where are the men ? As usual in France there is only one sport known : football. Again boring. When we see how the supporters of this sport behave during games I find myself light years away from that and like another English friend told me I am "above average" (I wish it was a compliment). Well bad luck I'm a squash player. And it's not a french magazine, it's a parisian one. It's like everything interesting is happening in the capital and the rest just does not exist (it's a bit true when you know the mentality of the french). It's like the country does not exist for the press. Shame. Strangely as well I consider GQ a magazine for men. It's OK to talk about women but why do we find so many articles written by women ? Get yourself an issue of the Cosmo and tell me where are the articles written by men ? Even the editor is a woman. Men can't do a magazine for themselves ? If it has to be as common as FHM for a man to write an article, that's it, I'm leaving. And why did they have to include a part of gay-ism with this article trying to compare gay and straight behaviour (page 110) ? I agree with the fact that straights adopted some gay rules with fashion and behaviours but I disagree with the writter when he writes that straights want to show their way to gays. I'd rather think that gays want to look now like straights : marriage, adoption ... . Don't forget that at the source the gay movement is a revolutionary one. Then GQ asked my opinion of their first french edition which I did on internet (pronounced "djikiou" they wrote on the main page ; pathetic). Well, they took the information and said thank you and that's it. Not even a little something for the road ? for my time ? No ... well, no, no it's fine, don't move. Irritating was the perfume article (page 168). I am a Guerlain fan and I only wear their perfumes since I started to wear some. So, first thing showed "Jicky" story comes from the nephew of the creator, maybe the first men's perfume. Please people of french GQ, can you please make a call at Guerlain or read their website or at least when you go shopping at the department store, ask the nice ladies who sell the perfumes ? you'll get a completely different story (and check the price as well, I did, again wrong, was not that difficult) so who's right or wrong ? I believe you're not so I can't take you seriously. This magazine is like a nice present with beautiful paper (I admit the quality is there) but inside it's a like a missed soufflé. Please have respect for your readers and I'll keep on buying your magazine. What did I like ? I read with interest the article about Fred Perry. I like this story explaining how clothes are appropriated by groups of people. I know people who wear Fred Perry and identify themselves with some other men wearing the same label. And I like the history with covers since 50 years. It shows evolution. And the interview of Mr. Bayrou. For the rest I didn't have much pleasure reading it. Either I found the articles not interesting or too superficial. Maybe they wanted to seduce more than one target of people but in the end they seduced none. I was expecting something in the move of the other countries like a continuity. Nr. 2 is already in the kiosk and Nr. 3 is probably on its way. I read to compare the spanish one which is worse and the german one to have a look. It exists in 2 formats : I have the small size in my hand (I prefer small ones It's easier to use ... but It's another story) and I must say I find it quite nice to read. But the same critics about advertising, football and thank you Photoshop. Wait and see, they say. Sooner than soon I wish.