I have often said that I am a reluctant subscriber to Cigar Aficionado magazine. Although I tend to respect their cigar reviews - and let's face it, if you are a cigar smoker there's a real drought of decent publications to read - there is little else in the magazine that appeals to me. Truth be told, I think they have long since sold-out to their advertisers. After their particularly lackluster spring 2010 issue, I fired off a not-very-flattering e-mail voicing my opinion. Much to my surprise, in the next issue (August 2010) there was my letter in the Letters to the Editor/Out of the Humidor section. To their credit they printed my critical missive intact and unedited. They even used one of my lines on the page's "pull quote". To spare any of you from having to purchase the magazine, here is my letter:
Dear Marvin,
Am I wrong in assuming that any publication should strive to increase their readership? So why is it you folks at Cigar Aficionado seem to do everything you can to alienate your core audience? (Which, perhaps mistakenly, I’m guessing are cigar smokers?) I find it ludicrous to believe that to live your so-called “good life” a man has to earn upwards of six figures and apparently be obsessed with the game of golf. Because that is the conclusion I reach from reading your magazine. Other than your cigar reviews and maybe one or two interview articles, there is little else in your publication to which I can relate. Seriously: $35,000 watches? Ham at $90 a pound? Vacations where I could not even afford one night’s stay? That’s an insult to most readers – especially in these times.
I’m an educated, hard-working man who provides for my family. I am not a millionaire, but believe it or not I like to enjoy a fine cigar several times a week. I just wish Cigar Aficionado would stop being so snobbish and realize that a lot of us “regular guys” enjoy premium cigars too. Who knows, you might not get invited to as many golf outings and fancy dinners, but maybe you could go back to being a monthly.
Am I wrong in assuming that any publication should strive to increase their readership? So why is it you folks at Cigar Aficionado seem to do everything you can to alienate your core audience? (Which, perhaps mistakenly, I’m guessing are cigar smokers?) I find it ludicrous to believe that to live your so-called “good life” a man has to earn upwards of six figures and apparently be obsessed with the game of golf. Because that is the conclusion I reach from reading your magazine. Other than your cigar reviews and maybe one or two interview articles, there is little else in your publication to which I can relate. Seriously: $35,000 watches? Ham at $90 a pound? Vacations where I could not even afford one night’s stay? That’s an insult to most readers – especially in these times.
I’m an educated, hard-working man who provides for my family. I am not a millionaire, but believe it or not I like to enjoy a fine cigar several times a week. I just wish Cigar Aficionado would stop being so snobbish and realize that a lot of us “regular guys” enjoy premium cigars too. Who knows, you might not get invited to as many golf outings and fancy dinners, but maybe you could go back to being a monthly.
Christopher Sxxxxxxx
Dearborn Heights, MI
And yes the editor did respond to my letter:
Editor's Response: Thanks for your letter. While we know that not every product can be afforded by all of our readers, we do try to search out the "best" in every catagory. Some of our readers just enjoy seeing how the other half lives. As for the magazine's frequency, we have never been a monthly publication.
Of course, any reverie that came from seeing my letter in print was to be short-lived. Eventually it dawned on me that the only reason Cigar Aficionado would print my missive in the first place was so they could in turn print the predictable defense letters from the magazine’s supporters. As expected, the very next issue (October 2010) the minions responded in force and the abuse began. I was referred to as, “…a bitter man, loathsome of anyone who has achieved more than me…” And it was suggested the magazine start a special section just for me: “Best buys at the Wal-Mart closeout bin, cheapest malt liquors, and convenience stores that sell two-for-one grape-flavored cigars.” Mildly amusing, perhaps, but not the type of letter you would expect to see in Cigar Aficionado. I sent another email to the magazine, questioning the editor’s decision to publish such a mean-spirited letter in a magazine of their caliber. No reply.
Then the December 2010 issue arrived. Again I was vilified. One reader said that I had, “given up [on life]” another wrote that I “don’t understand the meaning of good life”. All untrue, I can assure you. And apparently the response to my letter was so great that the Editor himself posted this note at the end of the Out of the Humidor letters section: Editor’s Note: We received a lot of letters about Mr. Salvetti’s comments. We do believe that part of our job is telling the world about the Good Life, and how to get the most out of living. It’s not always about expensive items but about things that we believe represent quality. Our real desire is to point people in the right direction so they can make the right choice for themselves.
A moot point at this juncture, but they completely missed (or chose to ignore) what I was trying to say. I would be curious to know how many letters they received agreeing with my rant. There must have been at least a few, yes? But I’m sure those ended up in the “circular file”. Actually, I was kind of hoping that after all the hoopla and ink I generated they would contact me and offer me my own column. You know – The Average Joe Reviews Affordable Stuff… or something like that. Well, in the end, at the very least I was able to see my name in a national publication for three straight issues! That has to count for something…
