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Spare Rib
Spare Rib was a second-wave feminist magazine, founded in 1972 in the United Kingdom, that emerged from the counterculture of the late 1960s as a consequence of meetings involving, among others, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe. Spare Rib is now recognised as having shaped debates about feminism in the UK, and as such it was digitised by the British Library in 2015. The magazine contained new writing and creative contributions that challenged stereotypes and supported collective solutions that related to feminist issues. It was published between 1972 and 1993. The title derives from the Biblical reference to Eve, the first woman, created from Adam's rib.
The first issue of Spare Rib was published in London in June 1972. It was distributed by Seymour Press to big chains including W. H. Smith & Son and Menzies — although the former refused to stock issue 13, due to the use of an expletive on the issue's back cover. Selling at first around 20,000 copies a month, it was circulated more widely through women's groups and networks. From 1976, Spare Rib was distributed by Publications Distribution Cooperative to a network of radical and alternative bookshops.
The magazine's purpose, as described in its editorial, was to investigate and present alternatives to the traditional gendered roles of virgin, wife, or mother.
The name Spare Rib started as a joke referring to biblical Eve being fashioned out of Adam's rib, implying that a woman had no independence from the beginning of time.
The Spare Rib manifesto stated:
The concept of Women's Liberation is widely misunderstood, feared and ridiculed. Many women remain isolated and unhappy. We want to publish Spare RIB to try to change this. We believe that women's liberation is of vital importance to women now and, intrinsically, to the future of our society. Spare RIB will reach out to all women, cutting across material, economic and class barriers, to approach them as individuals in their own right.
Early articles were linked closely with left-leaning political theories of the time, especially anti-capitalism and the exploitation of women as consumers through fashion.[citation needed]
As the women's movement evolved during the 1970s, the magazine became a forum for debate among members of the different streams that emerged within the movement, such as socialist feminism, radical feminism, lesbian feminism, liberal feminism, and black feminism. Spare Rib included contributions from well-known international feminist writers, activists, and theorists, as well as stories about ordinary women in their own words. Subjects included the "liberating orgasm", "kitchen sink racism", anorexia, and female genital mutilation. The magazine reflected debates about how best to tackle issues such as sexuality and racism.
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Spare Rib
Spare Rib was a second-wave feminist magazine, founded in 1972 in the United Kingdom, that emerged from the counterculture of the late 1960s as a consequence of meetings involving, among others, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe. Spare Rib is now recognised as having shaped debates about feminism in the UK, and as such it was digitised by the British Library in 2015. The magazine contained new writing and creative contributions that challenged stereotypes and supported collective solutions that related to feminist issues. It was published between 1972 and 1993. The title derives from the Biblical reference to Eve, the first woman, created from Adam's rib.
The first issue of Spare Rib was published in London in June 1972. It was distributed by Seymour Press to big chains including W. H. Smith & Son and Menzies — although the former refused to stock issue 13, due to the use of an expletive on the issue's back cover. Selling at first around 20,000 copies a month, it was circulated more widely through women's groups and networks. From 1976, Spare Rib was distributed by Publications Distribution Cooperative to a network of radical and alternative bookshops.
The magazine's purpose, as described in its editorial, was to investigate and present alternatives to the traditional gendered roles of virgin, wife, or mother.
The name Spare Rib started as a joke referring to biblical Eve being fashioned out of Adam's rib, implying that a woman had no independence from the beginning of time.
The Spare Rib manifesto stated:
The concept of Women's Liberation is widely misunderstood, feared and ridiculed. Many women remain isolated and unhappy. We want to publish Spare RIB to try to change this. We believe that women's liberation is of vital importance to women now and, intrinsically, to the future of our society. Spare RIB will reach out to all women, cutting across material, economic and class barriers, to approach them as individuals in their own right.
Early articles were linked closely with left-leaning political theories of the time, especially anti-capitalism and the exploitation of women as consumers through fashion.[citation needed]
As the women's movement evolved during the 1970s, the magazine became a forum for debate among members of the different streams that emerged within the movement, such as socialist feminism, radical feminism, lesbian feminism, liberal feminism, and black feminism. Spare Rib included contributions from well-known international feminist writers, activists, and theorists, as well as stories about ordinary women in their own words. Subjects included the "liberating orgasm", "kitchen sink racism", anorexia, and female genital mutilation. The magazine reflected debates about how best to tackle issues such as sexuality and racism.