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May 27, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Tongue-in-cheek

By Press Gazette

Maxim’s newly appointed editor Greg Gutfeld has sent a list of tongue-in-cheek demands from the US to his new boss, including a Segway scooter for his “bad back”, writes Ruth Addicott.

Gutfeld, who clinched the job for his “creative thinking” and irreverent sense of humour, was confirmed as the new editor of UK Maxim this week, as predicted in Press Gazette on 16 April.

In a letter to his publisher Bruce Sandell, he said: “I am sacrificing a lot by leaving New York, I feel that the company should honour this.”

He then outlined a series of demands, claiming Segway human transporters were “all the rage” in Los Angeles.

“I also have some severe dietary restrictions that forbid me from being near people who are eating seafood or nuts,” he added. “Before I arrive, can you take a survey of the entire staff and ask them (discreetly!) about their dietary habits? When I get there, just have the list of employees (along with their food preferences) ready for me and I will make certain redundancies based on said dietary habits. It will make things run smoother, trust me (last year someone ate a filbert near my desk and I shat blood all over the floor).”

In a reference to GQ editor Dylan Jones, Gutfeld said: “I heard that bald old guy at GQ gets free suits whenever he snaps his fingers. Would this apply to me?” Commenting on the letter, Sandell said: “I thought they were very interesting demands. I think you can get a sense of the kind of guy we are dealing with.”

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