The Legacy of Clay Felker’s New York
Friday, July 11th, 2008New York Magazine has dedicated its recent cover, and most of its interior, and, all right, the whole magazine to its esteemed founding editor, Clay Felker. To many, and especially (ironically) to the transplants among us, his death brought his name and legacy to our attention. It’s unfortunate that only under these circumstances did we (oh! the collective we!) have the chance to learn about a man who saw New York much in the way that Fame Game sees it (one can only wonder if he would have seen its growth as an abomination or a blessing, this vision, this city). Ultimately, he got what we got: that a great deal of the citizens of New York are essentially strivers looking to make their mark on the city, and maybe, in fact, history — or, at the very least, to have their footprint recognized.
Felker’s New York Magazine explored the depths of this culture as an almost sociological inquiry; his creation acted as an echo chamber for New York’s own self absorption. (see Wolfe). Fame Game, on the other hand is letting the people’s action speak for itself.
