The Dreamers

Part of a magazine editor's job is to cultivate mystique. When readers—not to mention advertisers—see an editor's persona as an extension the publication, they'll daydream about what it might be like to live the life of a be a big cheese editor and invest more in the magazine, while possibly buying some of the products advertised in its pages. Who hasn't read a magazine and wondered about the glamorous goings on behind its scenes, even if the reality is mostly lunches taken at one's desk and worrying about the proper use of semicolons?

This fascination with editors may explain the appeal of The September Issue, RJ Cutler's upcoming documentary about Anna Wintour and Vogue, or the New York Post and Gawker.com's near-obsession with Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter.

But what about an editor who's so interesting to readers they actually want to be him?

Enter, Being Tyler Brûlé, a Web site devoted to the creator of the international business and culture magazine Monocle.

The site's slogan is "Writing inspired by the fabulous lifestyle of Tyler Brûlé" and tracks the Canadian-born, London-based editor with the sort of fixed gaze usually associated with movie stars. To be sure, there is something compelling about Brûlé—the man's name contains more distracting accents than Meryl Streep's career; he was shot during an assignment in Afghanistan in 1994 and lost the use of one of his hands; he spends 250-days-a-year traveling when not relaxing on his own private island. But who'd want to actually be Tyler Brûlé?

The site was created in April by two Swedes named Björn Jeffery and Jonas Carlsson who pick over Brûlé's every pronouncement in his monthly magazine and his weekly 'Fast Lane' column in the Financial Times for tips on how to live the life of a jet-setting media player. Carlsson, who works at a digital agency with Jeffrey, told Portfolio.com that he finds Monocle "fascinating."

"First and foremost it gives you a sense of escaping realism and entering the life of a travelling diplomat—sipping an espresso after a business meeting in Shanghai for a few hours. Brûlé manages to package his target group is such a way that it is extremely aspirational and high-stepping."

Carlsson may sound likes a shill for Monocle, which has a circulation of about 150,000, but his Web site has actually run somewhat afoul of its subject. Carlsson was recently contacted by a representative of the magazine who asked that he and Jeffrey make it clearer to readers that the site is not, in fact, written by Brûlé—especially posts like the one criticizing Wallpaper*, the lifestyle magazine Brûlé launched in 1996 and sold in 1997 to a division of Time. Inc.

Carlsson insists he and his collaborator (only one of whom subscribes to the magazine, incidentally) are not trying to impersonate the editor: "We think of it as a way of expressing appreciation for the magazine, but attempting to do it with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor," he wrote in an email to Portfolio.com

So, what does Brûlé think about their tribute? As luck would have it, the editor was in New York last night to throw a party celebrating Monocle's July-August issue at the rooftop club atop the Gramercy Park Hotel. (Yes, Virginia, there are still magazine parties.) Brûlé didn't say much, but he did say he found the site "odd" and expressed his great admiration for Sweden. (And why not? His island is there.)

Judging from the well-dressed, exotically-accented crowd packed into the glass-enclosed garden at the Ian Schrager-owned hotel, Monocle seemed to be doing well. A spokesperson told a reporter about a six percent increase in newsstand sales, which very much flies in the face of most business magazines' curent sputtering. (Think: BusinessWeek.)

Then again, a media buyer was overheard wondering who, exactly, reads the magazine: Who is the jet-setting, news-junkie psychographic Monocle thinks it's serving month-in and month-out?

"He speaks of global citizens and foreign policy makers as the readership," Carlsson, his biggest fan, said of Brûlé. "We doubt that this is actually the case, but just the thought of being part of that group seems to be good enough for most people.

"Us included, of course."