In Phroth’s century of existence, Penn State has grown from a cow college in the middle of goddamn nowhere to a world-class university in the middle of goddamn nowhere. But the story of Phroth begins in 3,000 BC in what is now the Middle East. It was there and then that an ancient Babylonian tribesman discovered humor after farting during a religious ceremony. For the next several millennia, wangs and farts would be the bedrock of humor, with comedies by William Shakespeare being more or less five-act boner jokes. The Victorian age and its’ extensive rules of social mores put an end to that, but it was in this environment that a proud tradition of collegiate humor emerged.

In 1905, comedy finally came to Penn State when a group of anonymous seniors published The Lemon. They became known for their biting send-ups of campus life and raucous “Lemon Parties”. It would be published regularly until folding in 1909. Froth moved quickly to fill the void.

At the beginning of the 1920’s, Froth received a huge boost when the Ford Motor Company purchased the magazine. It would be ensured a steady cash flow in exchange for devoting extensive page space to Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic propaganda.

The following years would see Froth surge in popularity. Issues were sold far away from campus, and the magazine was declared the Best Managed Humor Magazine of 1930/31 (however, this would be the last time they would win an award for Best Managed Humor Magazine of 1930/31). Froth reached a major milestone in the fall of 1938, when it stole its 1000th joke.

The advent of World War II drew college-aged men away to the battlefield, and the magazine folded for the time being. Honoring President Roosevelt’s request, the Jap, Kraut, and Dago jokes were conserved for the war effort.

In 1946, the War to End All Wars (until the Korean War five years later) ended, and as the veterans went to college, Froth resumed publishing. As Penn State underwent a massive expansion in the next decade, so did Froth. Issues became longer and more frequently released. Unfortunately, laughs can’t last forever like housing bubbles can. In 1962, after accumulating several letters of complaint from prominent campus figures like the Dean of Men, Froth was shut down. (On a side note, every title sounds a lot gayer if you add “of Men” to the end of it)

In the seventies, some people attempted to bring Froth to a new, bell-bottomed generation of college students. But it didn’t last very long, sadly.

In hopes of entertaining the surviving humans in the imminent post-Y2K hellscape, the magazine was revived as Phroth in 1999. In the thirty-seven years since the first incarnation was shut down, the comedy landscape had been altered significantly. Comedians such as Lenny Bruce and George Carlin had broken down barriers. Television had gone from not being allowed to show married couples sharing a bed to shows about geriatric women in New York City having lots of intercourse. Alumni from much better humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon played major roles in genre-redefining programs such as Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. A Renaissance of dick jokes had dawned.

Nobody knows (or particularly cares) what the future holds for Phroth, but it is certain that their second century will be just as long as their first.

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By Matt Woodward, Blog Editor

· Tags: Dean of Men, history, Lemon Parties, Penn State

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 4:50 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.