# What's the strangest/stupidist magazine you've ever seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732 "2000-11-18T07:44:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/1 "2000-11-18T07:44:31Z")
My wife came home last night with the November issue of “Rubber Stamper” (a magazine for rubber stamp enthusiasts). :rolleyes: You have got to be kidding me I said. Has anyone ever seen an actual magazine dumber than that? I know there is a 'zine about walking, which is number 2 on my list of stupid periodicals. (it was #1 until last night. Leave it to my lovely Mrs. to find one wierder). What’s next, a mag on water drinking??? H2O Connoisseur Monthly :p: ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/2 "2000-11-18T08:31:00Z")
I once saw a magazine called “Oralarama.” I can only wonder what kind of goodies were in there. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/3 "2000-11-18T09:53:53Z")
I saw a magazine on the newsagent’s shelf devoted to carp fishing. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/4 "2000-11-18T10:06:20Z")
I can’t remember anything specific, but I used to work for a company that handled magazine and periodical subscriptions for large libraries. I think the company had over 10,000 titles in their database. I remember looking through some of the duplicates that were sent back to us (dealing with those was my favorite thing to do, because everyone loved me for getting rid of the shit). There are magazines, journals, bulletins, or other types of periodicals on every subject known to man. Personally, I always thought _The Journal of Geriatric Nursing_ sounded pretty icky. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/5 "2000-11-18T10:15:55Z")
I saw one on Bowie Knives once. Not other knives, not collecting weapons, not militaria, not even hunting. Just Bowie Knives. There are also magazines that are entirely devoted to technological advances, like ‘T3’. Which for some reason sport bikini models on the cover. I think that’s weirder than obscure subject matter. Oh, and there’s also magazines like Elohim, which are about the existence of spiritual guides and other pseudo-witchcraft nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/6 "2000-11-18T11:56:21Z")
“Walking.” Glossy monthly mag dedicated to…walking. Ranks right up there with Martha Stewart’s silly magazine. ---
**Author:** ![Gemini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gemini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gemini)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/7 "2000-11-18T12:19:01Z")
Now now, the original UK mag known as **T3** is a fabulous showcase for fine brit wit… the letters section was beyond compare. I paraphrase one such exchange: \*letter writer writes in, asking them if they think they might get into any trouble with Cameron and Arnold for taking the name T3. Their reply was something on the order of "Well, we don’t worry too much about them, as Cameron’s just a Hollywood fop and Arnie’s got a bad heart. We could take them. All eight of us.\* It also had fine photographs of many shiny technological goodies. Quite a nice combination overall. And while they went with the cover model bit, hardly were there swimsuits or such. Rather tasteful. The US edition of the mag, on the other hand, is worthless. My vote goes to the worthless brit mag “Bizzarre”. Just Bizzarre stuff. With inane and often offensive writeups to complement the bevy of photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/8 "2000-11-18T13:30:44Z")
I once bought a copy of _Wrapped in Plastic_, which was a Twin Peaks fanzine. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/9 "2000-11-18T14:22:51Z")
Having worked in the electrical trade in various differant roles I’ve seen some very obscure trades magazines like Lighting Bi-monthly or perhaps Fastenings-I mean how interesting can nuts and bolts be ? I vaguelly remember one publication for the incinerator industry which discussed fascinating subjects such as the best loading rates for disposing of BSE infected cattle and ‘get your rocks off’ section on selected big m/f\*\*\*r incineraters like the ones used by Liverpool City council. One thing that occurs to me is that most of these are produced every two months or quarterly, guess there is either not enough content or readers for more frequent publication. ---
**Author:** ![QUINCY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ea666f/32.png) [@QUINCY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QUINCY)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/10 "2000-11-18T14:42:57Z")
a magazine about wood. It’s probable useful for people who use wood to heat up their houses, but I don’t see the point in creating a whole magazine just for that.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@Anake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anake)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/11 "2000-11-18T14:55:57Z")
I remember a Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin subscribes to a Chewing Gum magazine. It was pretty funny, and Hobbes thought it was the dumbest magazine but Calvin was really getting into it. “Do you think my gum is elastic enough? Maybe I should get another brand!” That kind of stuff. From, Anake ---
**Author:** ![idiotb0x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@idiotb0x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/idiotb0x)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/12 "2000-11-18T15:59:22Z")
I’ve seen ones with flashy and daring titles such as “Carp Talk” “Yorkshire Dalesman” and “Caravaning Monthly.” Ones that baffle me are things like “Runner’s World” which is a monthly mag (i think). Just how much can change in the field of running in the space of a month? It’s not as if you see someone suddenly invent a radically new style of running, is it? It’s kind of scary that they have a big enough subscription to keep them going. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/13 "2000-11-18T18:17:17Z")
I got a card in the mail offering me a free trial subscription to “Waste News”, all about the garbage and recycling industry. I have NO idea how I got on that mailing list!! This was at my HOME address, incidentally. At work I am somehow also receiving a magazine on HVAC and another one on the hospitality industry. I don’t know the names as they go straight into the recycling bin after I get them. Kinda funny as I work for an ISP. –tygre ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/14 "2000-11-18T18:21:22Z")
Strangest: Modern Drunkard [http://www.geocities.com/moderndrunkard/](http://www.geocities.com/moderndrunkard/) Who’d have that delivered to the home? Stupidest: Readers Digest ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/15 "2000-11-18T18:28:26Z")
The Enderw23. It’s a great magazine. It tells you everything you could ever want to know about Enderw23’s lifestyle, eating habits, personal thoughts, quotes, sex life, study time, and work. It’s got a fan base of a good 15,000 people and we’re winding into our seventh year of production. Subscription rates are only $69 a year, which is a good $42 off the regular cover price. ---
**Author:** ![OrcaChow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@OrcaChow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrcaChow)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/16 "2000-11-18T18:34:00Z")
The most pathetic I’ve seen is (IIRC the name), **Beanie Baby World**. It’s dedicated to people who collect beanie babies. A particularly creepy and sad section posts group photos of parties where the attendees dress as their favorite beanie babies. They even have oversized authentic-looking tags hanging from their ears. And this isn’t around Halloween, but all year 'round. (I saw several copies in my company lunchroom.) ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/17 "2000-11-18T19:01:44Z")
**Orcachow** Looks like we have a winner. Oi!!! I find The Dalesman is an interesting read. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/18 "2000-11-18T19:15:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anake \* > \*\*I remember a Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin subscribes to a Chewing Gum magazine. It was pretty funny, and Hobbes thought it was the dumbest magazine but Calvin was really getting into it. “Do you think my gum is elastic enough? Maybe I should get another brand!” That kind of stuff. > From, > > Anake \*\* Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes’s creator) actually said he invented “Chewing” to poke fun at all those strange hobby magazines. ---
**Author:** ![orion007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@orion007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orion007)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/19 "2000-11-18T19:33:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamar Mundane \* > \*\*Stupidest: Readers Digest > \*\* What’s wrong with Reader’s Digest? And Anake, “Chewing” was the first magazine I thought of when I saw this thread title 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732/20 "2000-11-18T19:42:07Z")
I don’t see how Beanie Baby mags are any worse than doll collecting mags…my favorite is Doll Reader, or Fashion Doll. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-strangest-stupidist-magazine-youve-ever-seen/41732.md?page=2)