“There has always been this interesting dance happening between men and the way that we array ourselves, what we put forth into the world through our clothes. I’ve always wanted the fashion life of men and the emotional life of men to fully live in the pages of GQ—and try to connect.”
-Will Welch, episode 432 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Is it possible the rumors of the death of print magazines (and masculinity) have been greatly exaggerated?
We sit this week with GQ’s Global Editorial Director Will Welch to discuss the magazine’s 2025 Special Issue on American Masculinity (3:53), its revealing survey of nearly two thousand men across the US (5:00), the absence of “low-stakes mischief” in today’s surveillance age (9:40), the widespread obsession with Gen Z (12:00), and the “125 Rules for Modern Gentlemen” featured in the issue (17:30).
In Act II, we turn to Welch’s own story: his Atlanta upbringing (21:00), the music of OutKast and D’Angelo that shaped him (24:00), and his early years as an editor at The Fader (28:00). He also shares the call that brought him to GQ (33:00), his road to recovery (42:00), and how spiritual leader Ram Dass reshaped his life (48:00).
In Act III, Welch reflects on the “when the going was good” era of GQ (55:00), the magazine’s unparalleled access to its subjects (1:00:00), and how magazines (and men) can fit into the ever-changing cultural landscape (1:15:26).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Show-notes:
- Find GQ’s 2025 Special Issue on American Masculinity, starring Glen Powell.
- Read the magazine’s 2019 New Masculinity Issue.
- Watch Fleishman Is in Trouble. Clip courtesy of FX and Hulu.
- Follow Will Welch on Instagram.
- For more talks, hear Seth Rogen, Gabriela Hearst, and David Remnick.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Reference photograph by Sarah Schneider.
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