Buy private Eye instead! (Punch)

Member Name: Harleq123

Product:	Punch
Date:	13/07/02 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: glossy and in colour?

Disadvantages: Dull, lacks impartiality, simply not funny!

When I was doing A-Level history we often used the political cartoons of Punch magazine as a reference point for public opinion in any given historical period - but today it represents the views not of the Great British public but of a single businessman of dubious morals - namely Mohammed Al-Fayed.
As a humourous or satirical publiction it is virtually worthless, it hard to even raise a wry smile at anything in it. In direct contrast to Private Eye the cartoons lack insight or humour and it cannot even rely on 'in-jokes' in the way Private Eye can since it now has such a low circulation.
The problem is that whereas it was once in the hands of real people (even though they were journalists!) it is now owned by an individual who is one of the most powerful men in Britain (despite his lack of a UK passport!) and he genuinely abuses the trusted name of the historically impartial Punch to follow his agenda.
A hate campaign against corporate enemies and personal grudges against the likes of rival Ian Hislop and the many people he has been up against in court does not make for exciting or amusing reading, and celebrity tittle-tattle now features as a fifth-rate was of trying to rouse interest (who cares who Sophie Dahl is dating!).
Punch is glossy and has full colour and costs less than Private Eye yet its circulation pales in comparison where once it massively exceeded it and for good reason. Punch is no longer a good bye or a good read - its tone is often hateful and ugly, where good satire should playfully point out everybody's flaws... so save your money, but the Eye instead.

Summary: