how can this work long-term if teachers think the mag is too risque?

So, we mailed out close to 500 copies of issues 7 and 8 to high school, college, public and uni libraries. A telemarketing company followed up 100 of those. 54 librarians thought the magazine was inappropriate. Some of the comments in the database I was sent are

“Content too risque”

“Articles too mature”

“Better for girls over 18”

“Mag was too text (not enough pics) and some articles were needed to be more conservative)”

“Not suitable due to political – feminine point of view- too radical ”

I can’t tell you how depressing this is. My favourite of course is the “not enough pics”. A fuckin’ librarian thinks all her students are morons. Great! You know, it’s no wonder girls are dressing and behaving like fully sexually mature people. I guess the more the adults around them infantilise them, the more they’ll rebel against that. But the irony is that if all the adults only let them read Dolly, then they’re bound to be pretty immature. Anyway, enough sour grapes.

I just don’t know that I can keep fighting against this culture. Hey, maybe we can use it as a marketing tool: “lip – the magazine your mothers don’t want you to read!”

Oh and in case you are trying to figure out what’s so damn risque and radical, have a look on the website at the table of contents for issues 7 and 8. Highlights are:

the article about how girls could not have a wedding

the article about how you could consider not shaving

and of course, the sexuality columns (which must have done it – the one about strippers and the sex museum)

Fuck, it makes me angry as I look through the contents. All these empowering articles about careers, making choices, thinking about what you do, how you can change the world. But, damn, they mention strippers…