"while you were sleeping" we hardly knew ye...

[this essay is the first in a series of posts that have very little importance with the world at large. they are, rather, some pop culture musings that have been stuck in my brain for the last few weeks. enjoy! ry]

As anyone who truly knows me will tell you, I'm a pack-rat. Well, I used to be a bigger pack-rat, then, I went out and got in a relationship and I'm in the process of trying to be a responsible (and neat and tidy) adult, so my arbitrary belongings (i.e. mix tapes for girls I've dated, old textbooks from my first year at Seattle Pacific University, etc.) have all seen the way of the dumpster. There is, however, one part of my pack-rat-ness I take a little bit more caution with and that is my fluxuating magazine collection. As a writer, I feel that I have to archive any old magazine I find interesting in case I need to site another writer. This little act has saved my ass plenty of times, whether it was writing a 20 page essay about "Family Guy" (this paper really does exist) to writing an article about sex (see: next issue of "Redefine").

In the last year and a half, I've moved a total five times and for most of the moves, my magazine collection has stayed relatively the same. Except for move number three where I left copies of my beloved "While You Were Sleeping" at the house that I shared with my former bandmates and friends. At first I thought, "Whatever. I don't ever read those issues any more." Turns out that I missed them much more than I was willing to admit to.

"While You Were Sleeping" was a publication that started out as a hip-hop/graffiti magazine, with little tidbits of everyday life smeared throughout its pages. After the first year or so, I think they really found their niche by becoming more of a running commentary on pop culture. While easy to dismiss this change as a way to sell more issues to white urban kids who just love "Vice," "WYWS" wasn't as pro-drug, pro-hipster, or pretentious. Reading their articles was kind of like reading transcripts of conversations I have with my friends. Or reading transcripts of my thoughts. It was bizzare, freaky, and cool at the same time.

I think that "WYWS" really hit its stride with the issues started to become themed. Issues such as "Virginity" and "Ex-Girlfriends" will forever be etched into my mind. Even the "Parents" issue was highly entertaining since they made fun of AFI frontman Davey Havok to his face by calling him a tattoo. I guess it's one of those things that you have to read to chuckle at.

The magazine industry is a difficult business to stay afloat in. I remember interviewing someone back when I worked at The Falcon and they said that magazines usually die within the first two years. "While You Were Sleeping" put out 31 strong issues, the final being a highly stylized "Artists" themed issue that came out last winter. I never would've guessed that that could be the last issue. But when I started to think back, the road signs were there: editors and writers were leaving and the issues weren't coming out as frequently.

In the end, "WYWS" remains to be one of my favorite magazines of all time. And through my many hectic moves, I've been able to salvage 11 issues. While that many copies clearly does not make me a pack-rat, the fond memories I have of purchasing and reading this publication is neatly packed in my head.

[related sites]
http://www.wyws.com