History
The Punch Bowl was founded in 1899 by members of Mask and Wig [3] and the Philomathean Society, [4] making it one of the oldest college humor magazines in the United States. The founders were Daniel Martin Karcher and Edward Burwell Rich. [5]
The magazine was intermittently published during the twentieth century, appearing in only 70 of the 100 years from 1899 to 1999. [6] The magazine is currently printed three to four times a year, coming out each semester and when the new students arrive in the fall. [7] In its earliest days, the 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. [8] During this time, the Punch Bowl was distributed in local high schools and leading hotels in Philadelphia and in about a dozen other cities on the East Coast. [9] 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. [10]
In fall 2006, the Punch Bowl created a new website, which adds new humor pieces every day. In addition to its regular set of student columnists, the Punch Bowl features new contributors each Wednesday. Recurring pieces in the magazine and website include "Letter from Amy Gutmann" and "March Madness Voting." [11]
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.'" [12]
Controversy
As a satire magazine pushing the envelope of what is deemed fit for publishing, the 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.’” [9]
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. [13]
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., [14] [15] The University's campus newspaper later criticized these student groups for their overreaction to the issue. [16] To assuage the offended parties and poke fun at the ordeal, the Punch Bowl called their Spring 2008 issue "43% less racist." [17]
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