The Critic Who Can't Stop Bashing 'Details'

What is Peter Carlson's beef with Details?

As the Washington Post's magazine critic, Carlson routinely excoriated the Conde Nast men's magazine, calling it "idiotic" (April 11, 2006), "always moronic" (Dec. 21, 2004), "pathetic" (June 29, 2004) and "truly awful" (ibid).

Though his "Magazine Reader" column has been discontinued, Carlson revisits his favorite issue today in the Arts & Living section, tearing into the holiday issue on stands now. "Details isn't entirely filled with moronic fashion tips," he reports. "There are also moronic articles."

Carlson seems to have a special place in his spleen for Conde Nast men's magazines, and for the word "moronic." (Portfolio is part of Conde Nast, by the way.) He called Men's Vogue a "horrific idea" whose "name is a truly moronic oxymoron," and called on readers to boycott Cargo, which he labeled possibly "the worst idea for a magazine in human history." (They did; Cargo is out of business now.)

I asked Details editor in chief Dan Peres if he has any idea why Carlson finds his magazine so profoundly repellent. In his reply, he suggested that the 55-year-old writer is not exactly the target reader: "Peter Carlson critiquing Details is like me critiquing AARP Monthly -- there's bound to be a disconnect."

CORRECTION, 6:39 p.m.: Though this archive ends in 2005, Carlson informs me that his column is still very much a going concern. It runs every other Tuesday.