How Sassy Changed My Life
How many of you remember Sassy magazine? Me, I remember the columnists by first name. Turns out that this is common among fans of the magazine. I had a subscription to the magazine in its heyday. I LOVED it. But then, I will admit that I was not all that discerning! I had a subscription to Seventeen for about 3 years. I still remember the Art Carved and Jostens ads, the hope chest ads... basically, even in 1987 it was a throw back to the 50s and 60s. The magazine seemed to say that the greatest thing in life was to marry your high school sweetheart. I had a subscription to Young Miss before it became YM. And to Rolling Stone. Like now, I was eclectic in my tastes.
What's weird is that I still remember covers and issues. I remember when Whitney Houston modeled for Seventeen (1986 maybe?), when Milla Jojovich had just moved to the US to model and still had that mole on her forehead. I remember the Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love cover of Sassy, I remember specific ads and fashion spreads.
But Sassy held a special place in my heart. I didn't relate to much of the music and style. I was never into the Riot Grrrl stuff. Yelling and bad musicianship isn't my thing, no matter how much I like the politics. I never have been all that alternative in my dress and I don't have any tattoos or piercings. But I loved the magazine for its tone, its smart content and for exposing me to style and ideas that weren't just like mine. The writers didn't talk down to teens. I think these reasons for loving Sassy are quite common.
The book, How Sassy Changed My Life: a love letter to the greatest teen magazine of all time, which I finished this morning, talks all about the history of the mag, why it died and what its influence has been. I am grateful for finally getting the story on why it died. But for the most part, there is very little in this book that will come as news to Sassy readers. It's also pretty mediocre in writing and analysis. The book makes a good point about how alienating Sassy could be to those who weren't boy crazy and mainstream in ideas, but weren't outsiders, angry or punk rock. I sometimes feel this way reading Bust. I don't dance burlesque, make my own handbags or listen Bright Eyes, but I read the magazine because it's fun, smart and creative. There is such a dearth of media out there for independent, creative women that I feel like I need to subscribe just to show solidarity. Which makes me wonder why I've never subscribed to Venus.
I only recommend this book to diehard fans.
(If any one has or finds copies of Sassy pretty please send them my way!! I rue the day I ever tossed them out.)
What's weird is that I still remember covers and issues. I remember when Whitney Houston modeled for Seventeen (1986 maybe?), when Milla Jojovich had just moved to the US to model and still had that mole on her forehead. I remember the Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love cover of Sassy, I remember specific ads and fashion spreads.
But Sassy held a special place in my heart. I didn't relate to much of the music and style. I was never into the Riot Grrrl stuff. Yelling and bad musicianship isn't my thing, no matter how much I like the politics. I never have been all that alternative in my dress and I don't have any tattoos or piercings. But I loved the magazine for its tone, its smart content and for exposing me to style and ideas that weren't just like mine. The writers didn't talk down to teens. I think these reasons for loving Sassy are quite common.
The book, How Sassy Changed My Life: a love letter to the greatest teen magazine of all time, which I finished this morning, talks all about the history of the mag, why it died and what its influence has been. I am grateful for finally getting the story on why it died. But for the most part, there is very little in this book that will come as news to Sassy readers. It's also pretty mediocre in writing and analysis. The book makes a good point about how alienating Sassy could be to those who weren't boy crazy and mainstream in ideas, but weren't outsiders, angry or punk rock. I sometimes feel this way reading Bust. I don't dance burlesque, make my own handbags or listen Bright Eyes, but I read the magazine because it's fun, smart and creative. There is such a dearth of media out there for independent, creative women that I feel like I need to subscribe just to show solidarity. Which makes me wonder why I've never subscribed to Venus.
I only recommend this book to diehard fans.
(If any one has or finds copies of Sassy pretty please send them my way!! I rue the day I ever tossed them out.)