xoJane will suck out your soul. Suck it dirty.

When I say “suck out your soul”, I mean in a good way. As in, you’ll like it and beg for more.

Remember Jane magazine? You don’t? I’m just going to assume that we could never be friends and be slightly aggravated by the fact that I have to enlighten you on topics of the truly-rad. Feel free to skip ahead if you’re already an awesome human being.

It’s at this point that I should mention Sassy. Jane‘s predecesor. I’ve got to be honest, though. I mean this in the least annoying way, but I’m totally too young for that…

So, Jane. It was a women’s magazine, created by Jane Pratt (also the creator of Sassy). It wasn’t your average, rode-hard-put-away-wet-formatted mess like Cosmopolitan or Glamour, though. It took a few steps into the future, actually, with articles that were written with a blog-like voice from women that could have actually been your friends. That is, they could have been your friends, assuming that you were hip, outspoken and generally badass. It had a previously unused, cutting edge, cynical tone and promoted the idea of individuality and female empowerment.

It came across some mixed reviews. Some, like me, absolutely adored it. Some, of course, not so much. Hey, you can’t please ‘em all, am I right? After a 10-year run, it hit the wall in August 2007. Although, I would argue it was probably dunzo when Jane Pratt left as the editor-in-chief years before its actual demise.

End of history lesson. Whew.

Fast forward more than a few years, and my life has been blessed by the wonder that is xoJane.com, a sort of reincarnation of Jane, only it’s a tech-savvy, blog version that plays upon the best attributes of the former magazine (Hello, Makeunder! I have missed you!) and adds a new, invaluable asset – community. In fact, I’ve enjoyed reading the comment sections of each article almost more than the articles themselves.

I just can’t get enough. Can’t stop, won’t stop. Where Jezebel just fucking fails at joining empowering women and also accepting less-than-fundamentalist-feminist beliefs, xoJane saves the freaking day. It rocks my world.

With “traditional” magazine-like sections, there’s a little somethin’ somethin’ for everyone, but my personal favorite of the website is anything and everything Cat Marnell. I lust over her writing. She has an awesome, conversationalist voice in her style that is penned (err…typed) with wreckless abandon concerning grammar or hurting anyone’s feelings. OK, and I also think that (in a non-creepy-stalker way) we could be best friends. Hi. Hello. We’re alike.

“Pre-Jean and pre-Lancome I was, like I said, disgusting. Disgusting-looking and disgusting inside, because I couldn’t love myself! No, not looking like that. You see, I only love myself when I’m extremely good-looking, and thus the beauty product stakes are always high.” – from Yes, you probably could be better looking: This self-tanner changed my life

 

Outside of my Cat obsession, I’m totally into Inside Jane’s Phone. Maybe it’s because I’m a journalism major, but I’m incredibly fascinated with this woman.

Of course, I’m also a sucker for DIY projects, and I love that beer-brewing DIY and janties-making DIY exist in the same universe.

WHY are you still reading this, anyway? Hasn’t this been enough foreplay already?

xoJane.com

Additional reading:

• Can Jane Pratt’s xoJane.com preach to the snarky?
  Sassy magazine’s former editor, who spawned a generation of witty and cynical female bloggers, hopes her site appeals to 18- to 49-year-olds.

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