“Shtick” is a comedic term, meaning a show business routine or a gimmick that provides comic relief.
Baton Rouge’s newest publication, Red Shtick Magazine, attempted to live up to its title when it hit newsstands for the first time Feb. 21.
Red Schtick Magazine is a collection of columns by local comedians, including several LSU students. These articles satirize subjects ranging from industry-manufactured pop music to George W. Bush’s foreign policy decisions.
Jeremy White, producer and editor, said Red Shtick can be called a print version of the Daily Show, a satirical news show which airs on Comedy Central.
“We want to do something nobody in Baton Rouge has seen before,” White said.
He said Red Shtick fills a gaping hole in the Baton Rouge community.
“It’s all about creating a venue for the creative people in Baton Rouge,” White said.
He said it could serve to keep creative people in town instead of losing them to New Orleans or to other states.
White said the newspaper also may serve to entertain readers while fulfilling a grander purpose.
“It informs people of what’s going on,” he said. “We hope to reach out to the segment of the population that doesn’t know.”
White also hopes to change the mindset regarding creative outlets in Baton Rouge.
“We’re really satisfied with the way it came out,” White said. “Copies are flying off the shelves.”
The idea for the magazine came about one night in November when several comedians from Richoux’s open mic comedy night joined White in a brainstorming session.
They recollected an old comedic publication called The Gambit that was distributed through Baton Rouge and wanted to create the same atmosphere, in a new format.
White quit his job, contacted several comedians, and offered them positions writing for the new magazine, resulting in the first of the bimonthly publications.
Kyle Clayton, an English freshman, said he read the paper and found it more entertaining than regular politically correct news outlets.
“I would rather read something like that,” Clayton said.
He said he thinks students will like it if they are sharp enough to get the witty articles.
Emily Binion, an elementary education junior, writes the music reviews for Red Shtick.
“It’s a fun outlet,” Binion said.
Binion, who prefers classic rock, reviews Clay Aiken’s new CD from a slightly different standpoint than some critics. At the end of her column, she advises him “he would be better off working at Express for Men schlepping nipple-hugging T-shirts and not singing at all.”
Binion said she has heard nothing but positive feedback. She said the different points of view are what make the humor so fresh and funny.
“I think the goal of the magazine is to promote the whole comedy scene in Baton Rouge,” she said. Binion said comedy shows can be a good activity for those who want an alternative to bars and football games.
Red Shtick is published by the Red Stick Comedy group. The magazine is online at www.redshtickmagazine.com.
For the debut of the magazine, 10,000 copies were delivered to 95 locations on and around LSU’s campus. The next issue comes out Friday.