“Canadian New Yorker” Takes To Web To Plead For Cash

The Walrus magazine launched with a splash and much optimism in late 2003, with the ambitious goal to be Canada’s New Yorker or Harper’s. As Canada’s resident “magazine for smart people” featuring investigative and long form narrative journalism, they’ve had an impressive six years, with big-name writers like Margaret Atwood and Leonard Cohen and Douglas Coupland (and not just based in Canada, either; Adam Gopnik and Bruce McCall and Clive Thompson have all contributed from over here). And it shows: They’re Canada’s winningest magazine, according to publisher Shelley Ambrose when it comes to plaudits and awards, and, according to Ambrose, “went from zero to 60,000 paid circulation in the first five years of its live — an astonishing feat.” But like everyone else, they are struggling for dear life right now: “Advertising revenue has fallen off a cliff, down as much as 50%.” As a registered non-profit charitable foundation, The Walrus has a ceiling of 30% ad content. When that is challenged, they really need help. They’ve got no reason not to ask for donations, so: They’re asking for donations.

Today they released a video, “We Need The Walrus,” featuring 11 famous Canadians imploring the public for help. If you’re Canadian (or love to ROCK OUT HARD), you’ll recognize rock icon Geddy Lee from Rush (so central to the bromance between Paul Rudd and Jason Segal in I Love You Man); not to mention literary icon Margaret Atwood (who sent a flutter through Twitter after joining last month). Others Sally Struthers-ing on behalf of the big tusky beast include director Atom Egoyan and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning and Lisa Lobsinger (hey, but where is Feist? Alas).

Here’s the video:

Will it work? Hopefully — The Walrus doesn’t have any other options, seeing as their non-profit status limits them to that 30% advertising. But while it’s an impressive group of Canadians, it is a little white (and by “a little” I mean “entirely” — surely they could have aimed to represent the Tossed Salad Nation I grew up learning about. I don’t live there but off the top of my head, hottie Philosopher King Jarvis Church? Glamazon fashionista editrix Suzanne Boyd? Sandra Oh, who got her training on Canadian stages long before finding stardom on Grey’s Anatomy? (Saw her in Oleanna 15 years ago in London, Ontario, yo.) Literary lions Michael Oondatje or Rohinton Mistry? Project Runway Canada judge Shawn Hewson? One of the guys from God Made Me Funky? I don’t even live there and I know that much (okay, Hewson’s a law school bestie and GMMF drummer Al Witz is an old friend from summer camp. And my buddy Steve Markle (of Testees sorta-fame) once shot a movie with Jarvis Church dancing naked in a field of dandelions, and oh, do I remember it well. I know Ambrose too; I swear, Canada isn’t that small. But still. It’s gotta be a little more diverse than this video).

Then again, I’m now looking back at another video and seeing that it’s not that different: “Tears Are Not Enough,” the Canadian version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “We Are The World” from back in the 80s (yes, we had one too, and Geddy Lee ROCKS in it. So does Neil Young AND Bryan Adams AND Joni Mitchell. So there). I’m all for conscripting great Canucks into a call for public service — and I really hope it works! — but since I’m a scold over here on this stuff, I suppose I shouldn’t cut my snow-white wintry homeland any slack on this, either.

But otherwise: Save The Walrus! It’s a different sort of public option, but it’s worth keeping an eye up north to see how it goes. There are magazines worth saving here, too.

Make your donation here; watch old-school Canucks rock out to helping others here. It’s a great rallying call for now, too: “We can make it work, for God’s sake, lend a hand!”

p.s. If you ask me really nicely, I may do my Gordon Lightfoot imitation.