Quest's List of 400 Top Society Figures Went 900 People Over
Blame pay-for-play
Not to harp on the "art vs. commerce" idea any more than is absolutely necessary, but here's some more quaint proof that the editorial pages are currently being dictated by the advertising dollars: The annual, and completely baffling, Quest 400 list of the best and brightest (and wealthiest and most influential) contains over 1,300 names this year — because the society magazine managed to include all of its advertisers. If you really desire to find out who's upgrading to a 300-foot yacht this year, see the complete list.
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Editorial Director
The reality is that this is a country of about 300 million people, and that our average salary is about $44,000 per year. There are millions of people in debt, millions who can't pay their house payments, millions struggling to make ends meet. Although that average salary is in the 40s, there are millions of people who make less than $80,000 and are struggling every day with kids, colleges, houses, cars, and bills. There are people who don't get enough to eat, have trouble getting a good education, and there are actual food and water problems in the United States. Most people in the U.S. struggle to make ends meet. That is cold, hard reality. So some magazine's list of rich people out of touch with the reality of most Americans really doesn't mean much in the greater society of the U.S. It means nothing to most people. Nothing.