Graydon Carter on Guest Lists, Dress Codes, and Meghan Markle

Publishing overlord and celebrity ringmaster Graydon Carter can’t sit still. As cofounder of Spy, longtime Vanity Fair editor, and creator of Air Mail, he’s shaped journalism, Hollywood, and high society while curating hotspots like the Waverly Inn and Monkey Bar. As he readies his memoir When the Going Was Good, Carter shares his gut reactions to today’s most pressing matters.

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GUEST LISTS

 

“The shorter the better.”

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PLUS-ONES

 

“Might they be abbreviated versions of plus fours that come up just below the butt cheeks? If you mean regarding invitations, they should be handled with consideration and care.”

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BEST RESTAURANT

 

“You mean aside from the Waverly Inn?”

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ONE WORLD TRADE

 

“Please, no. Never again.”

GREG GUTFELD

 

“He’s a comedian on Fox, right? No idea beyond that.”

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SUPERYACHTS

 

“Expensive and beautiful harbor ornaments.”

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THE MURDOCHS

 

“Iris.”

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MEGHAN MARKLE

 

“The Undine Spragg of Montecito.”

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PAGE SIX

 

“Glorious to read; often terrifying to be in.”

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TIKTOK

 

“I have a 16-year-old, and I can see why it’s completely addictive.”

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CAVIAR

 

“Great food delivery and not a bad topping with crème fraiche on a blini.”

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DRESS CODES

 

“Imperative.”

BLACK CARS

“Professional in the city; ominous in the country.”

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SUBSTACK

 

“In need of editors. So much of the writing is just too, too long.”

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GOOP

 

“Brilliant. I’ve said it before: Gwyneth is the Steve Jobs of vaginas.”

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COPY EDITORS

 

“They create order out of chaos. And they are vital in this day and age.”

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GEN Z

 

“Choose the right ones from this group and they can be the greatest colleagues you can imagine.”

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CONGESTION PRICING

 

“The best thing to happen to New York since Trump moved to Florida.”

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CHEESEBURGERS

 

“We’ve lived in the South of France off and on since I retired from Vanity Fair in 2017. Aside from missing my kids who don’t happen to be with me at any given moment, and friends, there is nothing I pine more for than a well-made cheeseburger.”

CHATGPT

 

“I know it’s going to lay waste to much of what I and my colleagues do for a living. I’ll stay clear of it for now.”

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DOGE

 

“I imagine that many in Washington will be pronouncing it doosh.”

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LAUREN SÁNCHEZ

 

“The apparent cause of the longest, most expensive— and perhaps most fun—midlife crisis in human history.”

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WHITE TABLECLOTHS

 

“Essential.”

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LIFESTYLE BRANDS

 

“If not the end of civilization, then certainly one of the early indicators.”

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MEMOIRS

 

“The last gasp of the desperate.”