“Jest” What the Doctor Ordered: Columbia University’s Humor Magazine
by Viana Siniscalchi
“The full and official name of this publication shall be Jester of Columbia. In casual conversation, the magazine may be referred to as Jester, the Jester, or Chester. Under no circumstances will the magazine answer to the name Chet.” One would not ordinarily find an excerpt like this in the constitution of a college publication, but the Jester is no ordinary publication. It’s Columbia University’s humor magazine, and it’s been entertaining and offending students for over a century.
Founded on April Fools’ Day in 1901, the Jester is one of the oldest publications of its kind. Not much is known about the early days of the magazine, except that it received mixed reviews from students and had a relatively good relationship with other humor magazines, such as the Stanford Chaparral, which did a joint issue with the Jester in 1924. The Jester underwent two breaks in production from 1997 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2005. Although what went on during those years is a mystery, we do know that the magazine returned in 2005 with a strong staff led by Sam West, CC’08, and Eli Goldfarb, CC’08, both of whom greatly enjoyed humor writing. The Jester staff is currently trying to rediscover the magazine’s past and possibly resurrect its old traditions.
The Jester publishes four times a year (usually twice per semester), and each issue focuses on a broad theme, such as the succinctly titled “Tragedy” issue, which has a picture of the Titanic crashing into the Twin Towers on the front cover. The magazine has a few recurring features like letters to the editor, an editorial section called “Editaurus,” an obituary section appropriately titled “Deaths & Things,” and a preview of the next issue called “In the Next Jester.” Readers can find anything from narratives to dialogues to fake documents and advertisements in issues. And, of course, there is a wealth of objectionable illustrations and pictures that make the magazine all the more entertaining.
So who is the mastermind behind this hilarious operation? David Iscoe, CC ’09, has been Editor-in-Chief of the Jester since fall 2007. He has also worked on the editing staffs of Bwog and the Columbia Spectator, and his experiences with those publications have helped him realize why the Jester is so special. “The thing that I like about the Jester is that it’s more fun— we’re really just doing what we want to do. And we’re not really bound by current events of anything specific to Columbia,” Iscoe said. The Jester is an independent publication, so its writers have a lot of creative freedom. In addition to editing, assigning articles, deciding issue themes, and updating the website (www.jesterofcolumbia.net), Iscoe still regularly contributes articles to the magazine.
As Iscoe mentioned, many other publications on campus require training or previous experience. However, having experience in humor writing is not a prerequisite to write for the Jester. According to Iscoe, if you are creative and can think outside the box, you have the basics to write for the magazine. “I think that many of those writers who would be good Jester writers have probably written funny stuff in their class notes or in their e-mails, even if they haven’t done any formal humor writing,” said Iscoe. Not everything will make the cut though. A disclaimer from their website reads: “Jester accepts submissions from Columbia University students, but reserves the right to edit any such submissions, often drastically.” Editors will rework articles that show promise, but sometimes it’s just not enough. On the opposite end of the spectrum, writers who submit great articles to the magazine are persuaded to become staff writers. Once the article is deemed printable it is not credited individually, which helps to avoid many ethical concerns. For one, angry readers won’t know whose head to bite off, and also, editors can make strong rewrites without embarrassing or offending their writers.
Some writers who contribute to the magazine are also involved in comedy shows hosted by the Jester— one each fall and spring. The fall show usually features sketch comedy routines, plus guest appearances by other college performance groups, like Fruit Paunch and Chowdah. The spring show is usually a little more elaborate than the one in the fall. Highlights from past shows include a fake late-night talk show and the notorious Banquet in Honor of the King of Spain, where the audience was tricked into watching the Jester staff eat dinner. The turnout for these shows varies, but at least one per year ends up with a full house. These comedy shows are a great way for the Jester to get its name out, especially to incoming freshman classes.
How do those who read the Jester respond to its often controversial content? For most, it’s a love-hate relationship. The articles are offensive and disrespectful at times, but they elicit laughter whether you like it or not. For others, there is nothing good to say about the magazine. “It isn’t funny. They’re just taking pleasure out of hurting people’s feelings,” declared one anonymous Columbia student. The Jester staff often prefers to just ignore this sort of negative criticism. They realize the magazine isn’t going to appeal to everyone. Humor writing often involves delving into those controversial issues and not holding back— something that the Jester has definitely demonstrated. Whether it makes students laugh or cry, applaud or scorn, there is no doubt that the Jester has created much buzz on Columbia’s campus over the years and will continue to do so in the future.
The Jester and its staff are in good shape for the next couple of years. Once Iscoe graduates in May, the honored role of Editor-in-Chief will pass to Adam Nover, CC ’10, the current treasurer. This will be the first time that the Editor-in-Chief is someone who was not involved in the revival of the magazine after the last production break ended in 2005. Yet still, Iscoe has faith in Nover and believes the magazine will remain funny even after he’s gone. He hopes the Jester will become more widely known on the University campus and will attract more incoming classes. When asked if he wants the Jester to be taken more seriously as a literary publication, Iscoe declared, “That’s not a huge concern for us— we want to make the magazine enjoyable for the type of people who enjoy our type of humor. Some people find it offensive, but fuck ‘em.”
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