In a smart and at times severe piece in the New York Times Wednesday, Cathy Horyn takes a look at “What’s Wrong With Vogue.” Right off the bat, Horyn explains, “Vogue has become stale and predictable, and it has happened in spite of some of the best editors, writers and photographers in the business.” So how on earth has one of the best-funded, most recognizable names in the fashion rag business become so irrelevant?

Despite its history of high ad sales, in 2008 Vogue's number of advertising pages fell 9.6%, a reasonably high figure when viewed in light of competitors' 8% drop. “There are too many stories about socialites -- or, at any rate, too few such stories that sufficiently demonstrate why we should care about these creatures,” says Horyn, adding, "it’s embarrassing to see how Vogue deals with the recession.” The latter seems nearly as sure a death sentence as the magazine’s lack of understanding of the ever-evolving online social landscape. In other words, Facebook is as foreign to Vogue as Forever 21. Horyn also squashes the rumors (and a personal dream) of a potential Carine Roitfeld coup at American Vogue. Vanity Fair fashion director and friend of Anna Wintour, Michael Roberts, tells Horyn that such a change in leadership would only be possible if someone “spiked the Kool-Aid” at Vogue. Too bad, as it seems a good stiff drink is exactly the kind of thing the magazine could use -- that, and a sense of humor.