Things were looking up a couple months ago when you published that great article on Caterina Fake of Flickr and Hunch fame. That could have been a cover… Instead you went with Will Ferrell…
Like it or not, a magazine with Caterina Fake on the cover just isn't going to sell as well on news stands as one with Will Ferrell on the cover.
I'm not sure I buy this argument, because Wired consistently ignores it regards to men. Like in 2005, when they put Blake Ross on the cover (issue 13.02). Or 2006, when Will Wright was on the cover (14.04). Or 2008, when they featured Ray Ozzie (16.12) and Shai Agassi (16.09). Or Craig Newmark in 2009 (17.09). None of these people is particularly well-known outside of tech circles.
I did not go back all the way in Wired's cover archive to verify Royal's claim that no woman has been on the cover "for an actual accomplishment" since Sherry Turkle in 1996. But that is that is a fairly damning data point, assuming it is true.
Combined with another HNer's comment that 3/4ths of Wired's readership is male...well, you're selling to male geeks. So putting Will Wright on the cover of Wired is like putting Jon Hamm on the cover of GQ.
Like it or not, a magazine with Caterina Fake on the cover just isn't going to sell as well on news stands as one with Will Ferrell on the cover.