punch bowl

The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl

Categories	Satirical Magazine; Internet Humor Website
Circulation	5,000
Publisher	University of Pennsylvania - SAC
First issue	1889
Country	United States
Language	English
Website	www.ThePunchBowl.net

The cover of the Punch Bowl's famous "Diversity Issue" of Winter 2008.

The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl is a humor magazine published by students at the University of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1889 and has existed continuously since then.^[1] The magazine is currently printed three times a year, coming out at the end of each semester and when the students arrive at school in the fall.

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 Punchbowl used to have as its motto, "Any damn fool can be spontaneous."^[2]

In fall 2006, the magazine 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 Friday. Recurring pieces in the magazine and website include "Letter from Amy Gutmann" and "Pokémon University." ^[3]

The Winter 2008 Issue - "The Racism Diversity Issue" - attracted attention and created a minor controversy on campus because of pieces inside that certain student groups saw as unfairly targeting or aiming a disproportionate number of jokes at certain racial groups. ^[4], ^[5] The University's campus newspaper later criticized these student groups for their overreaction to the issue.^[6] As a result of this minor ordeal and to better assuage the offended parties, the Punch Bowl made their Spring 2008 issue "43% less racist." ^[7]

The magazine is currently in the process of launching PunchTube, a portion of the website which will feature original short comedy films.

References

1. ^ "About the Pennsylvania Punchbowl". http://www.thepunchbowl.net/about.asp. Retrieved 2007-02-06. 
2. ^ "Paris Review, Art of Poetry No. 5, quote on page 8". http://www.theparisreview.org/media/4598_POUND.pdf. 
3. ^ "Pennsylvania Punch Bowl, Winter 2008". http://www.thepunchbowl.net/issues/punchbowlwinterissue08.pdf. 
4. ^ "Punch Bowl "Diversity Issue" a Paragon of Subtlety and Restraint". http://www.ivygateblog.com/blog/2008/02/punchbowl_diversity_issue.html. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
5. ^ "Finding where APAs belong, Opinion, Daily Pennsylvanian, 2008-02-22". http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2008/02/22/Opinion/Benjamin.Alisuag.Finding.Where.Apas.Belong-3228499.shtml. 
6. ^ "Cheers and Jeers, Opinion, Daily Pennsylvanian, 2-5-2008". http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2008/05/02/Opinion/Editorial.Cheers.And.Jeers-3361721.shtml. 
7. ^ "Pennsylvania Punch Bowl, Spring 2008". http://www.thepunchbowl.net/issues/pbowlspring08.pdf. 

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