I ♥ Bitch Because it's Beautiful

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s the time of year that nonprofits ask for donations. Bitch Media is no different; we need ongoing financial support. Usually, we would ask you to make a gift after telling you why you should support us. However, Bitch Media is lucky. We don’t need to tell you why Bitch is important because we can let our supporters tell their own stories. This week, RMJ, subscriber and contributor, explains why she ♥s Bitch.

I remember the first time I encountered Bitch. It was in a not-too-feminist space—a local Borders. Bitch stood out from even other alternative publications not just because of the name, but because it eschewed the celebrity + attention getting headline model popular with magazine covers of the day—even kinda feminist rags like Jane fell into this reductive model. But instead of Pamela Anderson and screaming print about sex, weight loss, and shopping, Bitch's cover was simple but striking: jeans on fire, with the headline "Truth and Consequences."

I had gone to the store with the intention of just browsing, as I did when I was broke and sixteen. But when I started to flip through the "Liar" issue of Bitch, I knew I had to buy it, and read it, and look at it again and again.

Soon I became a subscriber, and each month I looked forward not just to the intelligent critique, but to the innovative covers and varied illustrations from illustrators like Jing Wei and cartoonists like Sarah Mirk. Long before I started writing for Bitch Media, I got my first apartment and needed to decorate on the cheap. So I laminated and put up several covers from my collection of Bitches, declaring my feminism to all guests while I cover my walls.

I heart Bitch because in a world where most magazines have stock images and busy layouts, Bitch takes time to craft an aesthetically pleasing product. That's why I subscribe and donate every month. I hope you'll consider donating what you can, too.

Please share the love and post your own story about why you ♥ Bitch in the comments, and support what you love!