Bitch Magazine Needs Some Help

Print media is struggling. We all know that. And whether or not we choose to watch while it gasps for air or revive it for the valid outlet and form of expression that it is remains to be seen. Que sera sera and all of that. But we can still hang on if we really want to and I think Bitch Magazine deserves a few more rounds.

But they can't do that without the help of kick-ass feminists and feminist allies and whatever dimes and dollars that you can spare.

If you're not familiar, Bitch's tagline is "feminist response to pop culture." Pretty much anything that happens in media or politics or whatever, Bitch provides a platform for people who wish to respond in a less-than-mainstream way. And, you know, the pieces in Bitch aren't always life-changing to read, but on a fairly consistent basis, you read something that makes you re-examine an issue (be it a commercial, a TV show, a movie, anything) in a way that you hadn't thought of before or you are exposed to a writer who totally blows your mind. It is still, after all, a man's world and sometimes it helps to know that there are other kick-ass ladies and gents scratching their heads the same way that you are at the stuff that we see everyday.

In a perfect world, the majority of women's magazines would be like Bitch, and rags like Cosmopolitan would be panhandling in order to bring you five MORE ludicrous ways to get your man to call your name out in flagrante and find out if he's cheating and get the perfect bedroom eyes. Since the obvious answers aren't: enjoy yourself while having sex with him, ask him and trust your gut if you think he's lying, and get some goddamn sleep already. But whatever.

As publisher Debbie Rasmussen and editor Andi Zeisler explain in a video that they posted the other day (below), Bitch is a non-profit organization and pays the bills through advertising. No brainer, right? Well, what makes Bitch interesting in that respect is that they are fiercely committed to selling space to advertisers who are small, independent, and/or feminist-friendly. So you will never see a full-page spread for, say, Botox in their pages. While just one of those ads could keep Bitch in print for generations, it just doesn't jive with who they are. Bitch gives a voice not just to writers that you won't see gracing the pages of Cosmopolitan, but to cool and unique businesses that you wouldn't otherwise be exposed to.

So, here's the deal. They need to raise $40,000 by October 15th. They now have $10,000. I think this is totally doable. Even if you never read or never intend to read the magazine, hopefully you can see the value of having this alternative voice and will go to the site and give them a few bucks. And if you still aren't convinced, email me (kdiddy.org AT gmail DOT com) and I'll send you some of my issues and favorite articles. See for yourself what we stand to lose.