Pennsylvania Punch Bowl

The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl is a humor magazine published by students at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1899.[1]

Pennsylvania Punch Bowl
EditorKristen Yeh (2019-present)
EditorLynn Oseguera (2019-present)
CategoriesSatirical Magazine
FrequencyTriannual
Circulation5,000
PublisherUniversity of Pennsylvania – SAC
First issue1899
CountryUnited States
Based inPhiladelphia
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.ThePunchBowl.net

History

The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl was founded in 1899 by members of Mask and Wig[2] and the Philomathean Society,[3] making it one of the oldest college humor magazines in the United States. The founders were Daniel Martin Karcher and Edward Burwell Rich.[4]

The magazine was intermittently published during the twentieth century, appearing in only 70 of the 100 years from 1899 to 1999.[5] The magazine is currently printed three to four times a year, coming out each semester and when the new students arrive in the fall.[6] In its earliest days, The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl rivaled the Daily Pennsylvanian, an all-around daily student newspaper, and Red and Blue, which contained a mix of news and literary essays.[7] During this time, Punch Bowl was distributed in local high schools and leading hotels in Philadelphia and in about a dozen other cities on the East Coast.[8] Since its establishment, the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl has termed its members "spoons." In 1930, members were split into "art spoons," "business spoons," and "editorial spoons"; now members are either "little" or "big" spoons depending on their seniority.[9]

In fall 2006, the Pennsylvania Punch Bowl created a new website, which adds new humor pieces every day. In addition to its regular set of student columnists, Punch Bowl features new contributors each Wednesday. Recurring pieces in the magazine and website include "Letter from Amy Gutmann" and "March Madness Voting" [10]

In answer to a question about his advice for the young, University of Pennsylvania alumnus Ezra Pound refers to the Punch Bowl in a 1962 issue of The Paris Review. "In fact the University of Pennsylvania student Punch Bowl used to have as its motto, "Any damn fool can be spontaneous."[11]

Issues
IssueYearSeason
BRO·GUE: The Fashion Issue2018Fall
Punch Bowl's Believe It Or Not!2018Summer
Punch Bowl 30182018Spring
The Highlights Issue2017Winter
The Business Issue2017Spring
The 100 Days Issue2017Spring
The Election Issue2016Fall
The Lifestyle Issue2016Spring
The Science Issue2016Spring
The 90s Issue2015Winter
The NSO Issue2015Fall
Arts & Culture Issue2015Spring
The Musings Issue2015Winter
The NSO Issue2014Fall
Food Issue2014Spring
Travel Issue2014Spring
The Web Issue2014Winter
The NSO Issue2013Fall
Throughout the Ages2013Spring
University of Punch Bowl2013Winter
Obama in Landslide2012Fall
NSO Issue2012Fall
Punch Bowl Jr.2012Spring
Just for Her / Just for Him2012Winter
Homecoming2011Fall
NSO Issue2011Fall
Miscellaneous Issue2011Spring
Flinguistics2011Spring
PENN Legacy2011Winter
NSO Issue2010Fall
Miscellaneous Issue2010Spring
Sorority Rush Issue2010Winter
NSO Issue2009Fall
Rising Tensions2009Spring
The (New!) Great Depression2009Winter
The Freshman Number2008Fall
Forbidden Love2008Spring
The Diversity Issue2008Winter
Official Freshman Handbook2007Fall
The Jobs Issue2007Spring
Throughout the Ages2007Winter
Things that Matter2006Spring
Cabin Fever2005Fall
Leaving the Nest2005Fall
Traumatic Childhood2005Spring
Survival of the Fittest2004Fall
Anatomy of a Freshman2004Fall
The Changing of the Guard2004Spring
West Philly Gone Wild2003Fall
Down with Punch Bowl2003Spring
Punch Bowl News & World Report2002Fall
Punch Bowl vs. the World2002Spring
Punch Bowl Punch-Out!!2001Fall
Freshman Number1985Spring
Fear and Anxiety1985Fall
Travel Number1984Fall
Punch Bowl's Definitive Guide to Youth1984Winter
Pennhouse1984Winter
Religion and the Unknown1977Spring
Exam Issue1959Winter

Controversy

As a satire magazine pushing the envelope of what is deemed fit for publishing, The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl has found itself at the center of some controversies. As Charles A. Wright, a member of the editorial staff in the early 1920s, noted: “Part of our planning for an issue was to pick a title that, combined with the cover drawing, would create a ‘racy’ effect. ... Our jokes dealt mostly with campus subjects, such as freshmen, football, absent-minded professors, and coeds; and current events, including the beginning of Prohibition, the wearing of knickers, and the popularity of a dance called ‘The Toddle.’” [8]

In 1939, ten Punch Bowl editors were suspended for the printing of ribald humor, causing small riots near 37th and Spruce Streets. Some suspect the Penn vs. Cornell football game may also have magnified the mass student disturbances.[12]

The Winter 2008 Issue - "The Racism Diversity Issue" - attracted attention and created a minor debate on campus because of pieces inside that certain student groups saw as unfairly targeting or aiming a disproportionate number of jokes at certain groups.,[13][14] The University's campus newspaper later criticized these student groups for their overreaction to the issue.[15] To assuage the offended parties and poke fun at the ordeal, the Punch Bowl called their Spring 2008 issue "43% less racist." [16]

Alumni
  • Ezra Pound, American poet who was a major figure in the modernism movement [11]
  • John Valentine Lovitt, an accomplished lawyer who served in the Navy during World War I and as Expert on International Security Affairs during World War II; served as Editor-in-Chief [17]
  • Morton Livingston Schamberg, an American Modernist painter and photographer; served as frequent contributor of illustrations for the magazine [18]
  • Leo Yanoff, judge of the Essex County Superior Court; served on the editorial board [19]
gollark: (I simply parse CommonMark in my head to completely understand the consequences of all asterisks.)
gollark: Not the furry roleplayer one.
gollark: That might actually be a neat idea, come to think of it. I'll find one of the feature lists.
gollark: I see.
gollark: Particularly good ideas may be harvested for Minoteaur at any time.

References
  1. "About the Pennsylvania Punchbowl". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  2. "Pennsylvania Punch Bowl". Archived from the original on 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  3. "A Sesquicentennial History of the Philomathean Society" (PDF).
  4. "The Record 1900" (PDF).
  5. Eric Dash (November 5, 1999). "Campus humor mag marks its centennial". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  6. "Pennsylvania Punch Bowl Official Facebook Page".
  7. "University Magazine".
  8. "For the Record: Pennsylvania Punch Bowl".
  9. "The Record 1930" (PDF).
  10. "Mart Madness Round 1, East Preview". 16 March 2017.
  11. Hall, Interviewed by Donald (Summer–Fall 1962). "Paris Review, Ezra Pound, The Art of Poetry No. 5". The Paris Review. Summer-Fall 1962 (28).
  12. "Rowbottom: Documented Rowbottoms, 1910–1970". Archived from the original on 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  13. "Punch Bowl "Diversity Issue" a Paragon of Subtlety and Restraint". Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  14. "Finding where APAs belong, Opinion, Daily Pennsylvanian, 2008-02-22". Archived from the original on 2008-03-02.
  15. "Cheers and Jeers, Opinion, Daily Pennsylvanian, 2-5-2008". Archived from the original on 2008-05-12.
  16. "Pennsylvania Punch Bowl, Spring 2008" (PDF).
  17. "John Valentine Lovitt (1898–1966)".
  18. "Historical Notes" (PDF).
  19. "Leo Yanoff Letters 1927".
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