It all started a couple of weeks ago. My flight to Chicago was leaving later that evening, and I was in News and Photo getting my travel necessities: gum, batteries, and reading material. After scanning the racks and racks of periodicals I did not see my usual Jane or Elle, and the Harper Bazaar did not look too appealing. But knowing that I would probably be delayed at Hopkins and that the college audition I would be going to would entail some downtime, I knew I had to choose something to satisfy my hunger for pop culture. That is when I saw it – Crunch Magazine.

This magazine is well-written and very eye-catching. Its staff writes on unusual topics, covering a wide gambant of issues and interests. For example, the interview with Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, follows an article about a man who enjoys wearing corsets. This man is quoted as saying, “Without [corsets] I feel strange, naked, and vulnerable.” The issue literally covers everything from the fall coat selection to tips for survival when living in a prison system. They cover exercise tips since the magazine is published by the Crunch Gym, a chain of gyms found around the country, as well as book reviews. There is even a present-day look at the bar used in Saturday Night Fever.

On the cover was a mature, pouty-lipped Thora Birch. To be honest, this is what first caught my eye; Birch pointing at the camera with her hair a rat’s nest and a “come hither” look on her face. Her photo spread within the issue included tasteful pictures in both black and white as well as color. These, combined with the article, show her as she really is, not just another two-dimensional, fluff chick actress as many magazines portray women today, but instead mature, determined, and incredibly witty. In the article Birch spoke of her childhood role in the movie Alaska.

“Yeah, filming that was a lot of fun. Sadly I’m no longer in touch with the polar bear. After that picture, he got into a bad crowd. Drinking, drugs, it got ugly,” she said.

It is a rarity in our time to find a magazine uncorrupted by tacky ads with anorexic models selling some cheap perfume or some stupid clothing brand. Crunch manages to avoid falling into this trend. As a reader I tire of flipping through page after page of advertisements trying to find a solitary story. In Crunch, I read for pages before I found a single advertisement, and the ads they do have are simple, unimportant, and easily ignored. This raises the cost up a little to $5 as opposed to the average $3 or $4, but it is well worth the price.

If there is any question as to the worth of this magazine, allow this clipping from the December issue of Crunch to persuade you:

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH? THE SECRET- AND ENTIRELY TRUE – DIARY OF AN UPPER EAST SIDE PRESCHOOL TEACHER SHOWS US HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES.

September 7: Serena and Jake worked out with a personal trainer this summer. They are 4.

September 18: Two girls are drawing flowers. One drops a marker and reaches under the table to get it. When she gets up, she asks the other, “Are those Prada shoes?” “Yes they are,” the other answers. She nods her head, drawing a large sun with a smiley face. “I thought so.”

October 3: Alexis always brings a small container full of fresh pasta in her lunchbox. Today she has a sandwich. “Alexis, where are your noodles?” I ask. “The pasta maker wasn’t working,” she answers. “He stayed home sick today.”

November 3: Leslie slumps into a chair in the corner. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “I never get to wear pink!” she answers, “I always have to wear black. I hate DKNY!”

November 7: Mallory isn’t eating snacks. I try offering a variety of choices: cookies, crackers, goldfish. She doesn’t touch them, saying she’s not hungry. When pressed, she admits that Mommy told her not to eat snacks. When I speak to her mother, she pulls me aside: “Please don’t let her eat at snack time. Mallory put on a little weight this fall, and I want her to fit in her bikini.” Mallory weighs 45 lbs.