Jerk magazine doesn’t want to conform. And it doesn’t want acceptance. What it craves however, is respect. And judging on its October 2007 issue, it deserves a great deal of it.
Formed in 2003, Jerk had an audience in mind. As then member Katy Coleman put it, “we target the kids who don’t fit in- the ones who don’t wear SU clothes.” Strolling through the Union the other day, I picked it up. Quite ironically, I was wearing an SU t-shirt at the time. But I understand their point.
Jerk doesn’t aim to please the stereotypical fraternity boy, with his broad shoulders, boisterous laugh and beer pong mentality. Nor does it aim to cater for the stereotypical sorority girl, with her delicate features, whimsical attitude and manicured nails. No, no, quite the opposite. It’s about that guy with the holes in his three year old jeans, a copy of 1984 under his arm and the occasional joint in his mouth. It’s about that girl with the piercing through her lip, vegetarian diet and pragmatic attitude. Put more succinctly, Jerk is about providing an alternative, edgy magazine for those disinterested with the mainstream. And in both content and layout, it distinguishes itself well.
Unlike other campus publications that concern themselves with the more traditional topics of entertainment and sports, Jerk places an emphasis on stories that concern themselves with the undercurrents of politics, the arts and music. Its features are diverse and unusual.
For example, while other student magazines may run a piece on politics, it is more often than not related to some aspect within or affecting the U.S. In Jerk, ‘Kicked in the Bhutto’ on pages 16-17, discusses the possibility of true democracy in Pakistan and the incompetent, corrupt nature of the woman that the U.S would like to see in political office. It discusses a very important aspect of international politics that many people may never have heard about before, instead of further saturating the market with another story on the incompetence of George Bush or the failings in Iraq. In essence, I really learned something from the article.
In ‘Peace, Love and Asparagus,’ on pages 27-35, Jerk brought the reader back closer to Syracuse but still managed to provide an excellent and thought provoking insight into a small but worthwhile cause that some, I suspect many, may also never have known existed. The writer makes reference to an “environment untouched by apathetic youth, reality TV, and Lindsay Lohan.” She could be describing Jerk. Therein lies the beauty of the magazine.
Jerk is also pleasing to the eye. Unlike other campus publications where the only source of display emanates from photographs, Jerk incorporates both illustrations and cartoons, in conjunction with subtle color schemes, to provide a fresh and trendy feel. Advertising is also limited to events or places that would interest the reader.
Combining originality and graphic prowess, I’m going to pick up the next issue of Jerk. And I suggest that others do the same. — Michael Cree
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