Now let me just preface this rant by informing you that I loathe most parenting magazines. Loooooooooaaaaathe them. With very few exceptions, I find them to be overwhelmingly sexist and heterosexist (I recognize that it would probably be bad business for the unfortunately named "Parents Magazine" to change its header to "Straight Mommies With Cash Magazine" but it would certainly be more accurate), insulting, and filled with advertisements to a degree that would make Vogue and Cosmo blush. I find them alienating. They don't reflect what I care about, how I parent, or any of the myriad problems and issues I talk about with my other parenting friends.
When I started reading Wondertime, I immediately recognized it as one of the few exceptions to the Shitty Magazine Rule. Yes, it still tried to sell me clothes and toys and food for my kid, but it also gave me actual items of substance to, you know, READ. There were long, thoughtful articles about interracial parenting, what to do when your kids ask about sex, whether or not babies dream, nontraditional ways to celebrate the holidays, natural remedies for common illnesses, and more. The stories were well-written and good. The pages were attractive and uncluttered. There were even interesting recipes -- suitable for vegetarians! -- that I cut out and used. My Thanksgiving guests last year benefited from Wondertime's take on roasted brussels sprouts.
Then, earlier this year, Wondertime's owner (Disney, for the sweet love of cheese) decided to shut the magazine down. It sent out a mailing to announce the cancellation, reassuring subscribers that they would receive another fabulous Disney-sponsored parenting publication in its place. About a month later, I received this in the mail:
Because readers of Wondertime would, of course, be equally interested in learning how to carve critters out of carrots, making a spring garland out of tissue paper, and reading the answer to the suspenseful question "Is nail-biting unhealthy for kids?" (all featured in the May issue).
Those of you who are within a few years of my age will likely understand when I tell you that this whole affair brings back many painful Sassy Magazine-related memories. If you ever went out and bought a Shonen Knife cassette because Christina Kelly told you to, you know what I'm talking about. When Sassy Magazine sold out to The Man and ultimately went kaput in the mid-90s, it was a blow to tiny hipsters and hipster-wannabes in small towns everywhere. Then later on, Jane Pratt (former Sassy editor) tried to sell us on Jane Magazine. And she was all "No, really, I'm still cool and you still want to hang out with me and remember how I was in the Shiny Happy People video?" And we, the confused and betrayed masses, were all "But this magazine kind of sucks, whereas Sassy did not. And look, why are you trying to sell me mascara and telling me how to get boys to like me?" And she was all "I'm still wearing a Fugazi t-shirt, people! I still have an alterna-haircut!" And we were all, "Really? A talk show? Wow. Bye."
How much does it suck that in the world of mainstream publishing, Family Fun magazine will thrive while Wondertime will fail? I'm not saying that I don't consume my fair share of crap culture -- probably more than my fair share, let's be honest -- but it's sad how cookie cutter magazines and books and movies will always find an audience, while the ones that try a little something new (not innovative, not groundbreaking - just new) will often flounder and fade.
You ponder that. I'm off to make a carp-shaped wind sock out of an envelope, a plastic cup, and some acrylic paints.
17 comments:
God, I loved Sassy. I was supremely pissed when it went mainstream and then folded. But hey - I still had Seventeen (I kid).
Hahahahaha. The last paragraph is great.
Macgyver mommie!
I can make a sippy cup out of a coke can, tin foil, and something with a sharp point......Nevermind......I'm thinking of something else.
-e-
Dude, I did not make that last paragraph up. It was IN THE MAGAZINE.
Well :-P~~ to you, too. I happen to enjoy Parents magazine immensely, but maybe I'm a Straight Mommy with Cash. There was a nice article about how to talk to your kids about sex - complete with several book options sorted by age so you didn't have to explain all the plumbing to your three year old when you just wanted to end the questions. I saved that issue just for that article.
Anyway, I did try one issue of Wondertime and enjoyed it immensely. So maybe we can still be friends.
I'm still reeling from the closing of Sassy... Sad day for adolescent girls, that was.
How dare they try to force you to feed and clothe your child, those fascists!
Sadly, the same thing happens with intelligent TV shows...shows like CSI: Miami will always be on the air, and Arrested Development gets canned (still not over that).
This is so sad, and because you have invoked Sassy, I know exactly what you're talking about. I still remember the first issue that I got after the mag went West Coast, and how tone deaf it was. Siiiigh. Now I'm going to have to feel nostalgic for awhile.
Half of the recipes I took to college came from Sassy. I make some rockin Hamentaschen- the Jewish boys in the dorm were very impressed! I think I still have a pile of them somewhere...
I'm a dad that Parents magazine just pushed over the edge (Hi, remember me, I'm a dad, the half of the Parents you try to forget). I was sucked into a 3 year subscription for an insanely low price. Now even though I'm over it, it will keep coming to my door for another 2 years.
It's all marketing dollars. The good magazines don't have it, the shitty ones do.
Ah, Sassy. I remember the big controversy when they did an article about "What Happens When You Get Turned On" - that basically outlined the physiology of arousal, and my mother looked at it, didn't see what was the big deal and got me a subscription.
Shoot, I was just going to get a subscription of Wonder Time for my expectant sister...crap.
So no magazine suggestions for parents then?!
Yeah, unfortunately magazines have to sell ads to stay afloat, (unless you're funded by a non-profit, association, etc.) and advertisers like to buy spots in mind-numbing crap instead of magazines full of good content, because as Lisa Simpson says, you'll never go broke appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Jane tried to walk the line between both -- creating a magazine that was still Sassy-esque for adults while alluring Gucci to buy advertising. Basically, a magazine that looked like Cosmo, so advertisers would buy spots, but was still alterna-whatever. It almost worked, but didn't.
Dude, we were similarly pissed and saddened! Sorry we got you a subscription that now sucks...
I mean even look at the different covers, one all interesting with the kid running ahead and in focus, the type non-intrusive with a simple font, the colors melding.
And then the second, all loud and cheerful with a multitude of fonts. Because parenting is FUN! and kids and crafts and family are FUN FUN FUN!
phooey...
I feel you so much. Still very sad about the loss of _Sassy_, which I used to save and read over and over.
I think you should read The Sun. It sounds right up your alley.
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/
I've been a subscriber for years and I await every issue with baited breath!
-Katpants
I gave away T E N subscriptions (that I actually paid for out of my own freakin pocket) to Wondertime last year to my blog readers. Imagine MY pissedoffwtf moment when I got that little postcard informing me of their demise.
Btw - I'm horribly, horribly behind on my blog reading (thank you, depression), but just read about your brother, and just wanted to let you know you & your family are in my thoughts. Of course, that's why I had to stop reading blogs in the first place LOL But I'm so glad that he's at least OK.
Hugs - lots and lots of hugs.
Post a Comment