Death of Venus

Eight years ago, back when I was a wannabe college journalist, Venus published my first ever music review. So it's always had a special place in my little writer heart, and as a reader, I've loved watching Venus grow. To go from a zine conceived in a freshman dorm to a mag sold in Barnes & Noble is something completely amazing, especially when that mag/zine manages to retain its sense of independence. Even when Venus was sold to new publishers and handed over to a new editor in chief, it still featured inspiring not-so-household-name cover stars like Cat Power, M.I.A., Dita von Teese, and Feist.

Last fall, Venus went on a bit of a hiatus. The website at venuszine.com didn't publish any new articles for a few months, and the future of the magazine was uncertain. I don't have any of the deets about what happened during that time, but at the other end of the tunnel was the Spring 2010 issue with Melissa Auf der Maur on the cover.

I've been trying to collect my thoughts on this issue for a few weeks now. MAdM and the Baby-sitters Club, two of my faves, both got space on the cover, so I was psyched when my copy came in the mail. And after flipping a few pages in, I got my answer to how Venus had re-emerged from its hibernation in the form of a publisher's letter, in which the new head honcho writes, "I've always been a passionate advocate for other women." It's hard for me to put into words why this (and the general tone of the letter) rubs me the wrong way. Obviously women advocating for other women is a positive thing—but I guess it feels as if she's trying too hard to buddy up to us, the readers of this traditionally feminist publication. Like, why do you need to point out that you've "always been an advocate" for women? It sounds like something a politician would say.

Not to whine, but I'm gonna: There were a few other things about the issue that bothered me. Example #1: a blurb on five "girl-friendly apps" for the iPhone. The old Venus might have covered this same thing but questioned why these apps are targeted at women in the first place. Picks include something called Seafood Watch (health risks for women aged 18-45!) and NikeWomen Training Club. Really? Then there's a style section in which musician Kaki King fills out a questionnaire that asks her to name her favorite cosmetic products. Change K.K. to Katy Perry, and this could have been a piece in Allure or Lucky.

Venus used to be about women in music. It expanded, and got better, when it started featuring women in art and fashion and books and film. But I'm afraid it's starting to be about women as consumers instead of creators. And today the magazine's staff sent out an email dropping the biggest bombshell of all: Venus is not going to be Venus for much longer. They're taking votes on the following possible new names: Cake, Pepper, Spark, and Ditto. Honestly, Venus has never been my favorite mag name (except when they called the men's pages "Penus"), and I know that there's actually another publication called Venus, which is why a couple of years ago the Venus of our discussion started officially calling itself Venus Zine. 

I cast my ballot for Pepper. But I'm sad about the demise of my once-favorite mag. When a magazine changes publishers and names, it's pretty much a new magazine, right?

Important Things, Like Denim

This month's letters to NYLON (in the issue with Hilary Duff on the cover) cracked me up.

Exhibit A:
When I'm in my car jamming to classic jams or grooving to the latest grooves on the way to buy NYLON, I feel assured that I'm very anti-mainstream. —Meghan M.

Exhibit B:
I'm eternally grateful that you have created a magazine that bows down to important things like denim. —Miranda V.

Feed the Weiner Dog

With the very last issue of RIVET in the works and the recent demise of so many other great publications (like Punk Planet, for one), I was so sad to see this video about the possible end of Bitch. They had one month to raise $40K for the next issue. AND THEY DID IT.

I don't think many people realize just how expensive it is to publish a magazine with a pretty color cover and lots of shiny pages. Most of these independent magazines are just making enough money to scrape by. Bitch surpassed its fund-raising goal for the time being, but the struggle isn't over. If "feminist response to pop culture" floats your boat, you should think about subscribing. I know, personally, that it's hard to make donations if you don't make a ton of money. Subscribing is a nice compromise because you get something tangible out of it, too. Bitch is a smart, thought-provoking read. But if you do have the cash to donate a cause, think about what's really important to you and what would make you proud to support. It feels good to give!

And while we're on the subject of giving, RIVET can use your help in making the next-and-last issue happen. Click here to donate, and if you happen to be in Seattle, you can show your support at the party/art auction Oct. 4. It's the "right" thing to do.

Edge of Seventeen

I just reread How Sassy Changed My Life by Marisa Meltzer and Kara Jesella, on whom I have a total writer crush. (Whenever I see her byline, I have to check out the article, since she almost always writes about things I'm into—like sexy clavicles and A Hipper Crowd of Shushers.) I turned 13 the year Sassy was sold to the publisher of Teen, so I was never a reader during its heyday. But all '90s pop culture holds a special place in my heart, and I'm a fan of the book as well as the magazine.

That said, I have to give props to Seventeen ...even if it was lame before Sassy came along and any coolness it ever developed was because of Sassy, as Kara and Marisa claim. The first issue I ever owned was, I think, April 1994. Brandy was the cover girl, and there was a guide to "alternahunks" featuring Beck, Pavement, Thurston Moore and Green Day. (It said, "If we were Chelsea Clinton, we'd invite them to dinner at the White House and start a food fight!")

I was a subscriber all through high school, although I outgrew it by the end. I loved the trend watch, where a reader once wrote in that girls in my hometown were using Happy Meal boxes as purses, and where I later got the idea to make a bangle bracelet out of an old sparkly toothbrush.

Some other things I remember: I always wished my friends and I could be in "School Zone." Seventeen was the first place I ever read about Sleater-Kinney. It helped me understand girls I knew who were cutting or otherwise hurting themselves. I thought it was really funny when an essay about meeting new people in college used the phrase "as alternative as Mariah Carey."

There's a box of old Seventeen issues in my parents' attic; my mom has been threatening to throw them away for years, but I won't let her.

6/22/08: Edited to say my first Seventeen issue was April 1994, not 2004!