A Eulogy to Jane Magazine

It is with both great sadness and great relief that I say goodbye to Jane Magazine today.

Sadness because for one, many people are now out of a job and that sucks. Having been laid off twice (Although one was technically a firing with a killer severance package so I wouldn't go ballistic. Best. Summer. Ever.), I know what it's like to be suddenly unemployed, and it's a bit panic-inducing. I'll also miss the Jane Petty Criticism Corner in Bitch Magazine. And I'll surely miss having something to mock every month. Yes, I have a subscription.

Seeing as how I write for a woman's magazine, I won't criticize the genre as a whole (Apologies to all my Women's Studies professors at Marist College). However, I will say that with most of them, you know what you're getting. There isn't an expectation followed by a letdown. I wanted to love Jane. I loved Sassy. Sassy practically changed my life. I expected Jane to be the grown-up version of Sassy, but it fell short in so many ways that are explained in-depth in the link above.

So why have I had a subscription to Jane for years and years? Two reasons. 1) Their renewal process was evil. Really. They automatically renewed you without you knowing that you were even due to expire, sent you a couple of issues and then demanded payment. I'd be all confused and just pay the bill, thinking I'd renewed at some point and chose the "bill me later" option, and then forgot about it. 2) There was always at least one truly awesome thing in every issue. And cute shoes.

So today, my relationship with Jane magazine officially ends. I feel like I'm getting out of a long, bad relationship. Sure, my magazine consumption with be much less angst-ridden, but I'll also miss the familiar feel of the glossy pages in my hands. And of course, the shoes. And I sure do hope that Sarah loses her virginity one day.

Later, Jane.