So my friend told me about this magazine called soap that's published in Indonesia. He spoke so highly of it, of how smart the articles were and how stylish the layout were. Well Howke dear, you're half correct — ok a bit more than half, I'll give 70%.

At first look, the men's mag was indeed very stylish. I could see it on the newsstand shelves next to Vanity Fair, ARENA, Details, or Men's Non-no. Then I started reading the articles cover to cover. Whoa... bad move! For just like every other pop culture publications in Indonesia nowadays... we certainly don't lack the creativity needed to pull it off, but we are most lacking in the department of journalism. I can't help wondering what exactly does the job description of a magazine editor at soap entail? Because all the discrepancies and mistakes that I found should have been caught earlier by the editor before he passes it to print. What's most annoying about it were spelling mistakes: please... just turn on your microsoft word's spellchecker, you got the resources already!.

Well I might sound ranty and grumbly at the moment like a sore guy getting rejected from applying to work for soap, but let me give you a few scans of the magazine:

Jason a.k.a Jonathan


Take a look at the 2 underlined names: Jason and Jonathan, they were referring to the same guy. The writer was talking about Jason Schwartzmann, the drummer-turned-actor seen last in I heart Huckabees. How bad is this? The mistake actually changes the content... well unless it was intended to be a brain teaser, find which names don't match!

Apparently Accents Are Optional in Spanish


... and apparently the letter 'c' is used interchangeably with 't' as well! Actually I have to commend them for trying to put the original title instead of just putting in the international one (which what American publications always do). Nevertheless, please take a moment and grab a dictionary, or at the very least, copy it from the source letter by letter including every funny squiggles on, above, or below each letter. This superb film — if I might add — is called La Mala Educación in Spanish, the language it is shot in.


Newsflash: Perfume Pumps Found to Cause Depletion in Ozone Layer
Let me translate this article:

"Spray or Splash? For lazy men who want what's practical, spray perfume is the shortcut they could take. For those that are more concerned about the environment — in this case the Ozone layer etc., splashing your cologne would be the ideal option. But remember, if you pick the latter, you can't be un-hygienic. The cleanliness of your hands is very important in this case."

Hmm.... I guess I must have been living in the most remote part of the world, because the last time i saw a bottle of spray perfume/cologne, it uses a manual pump instead of the aerosol used in deodorants and hairsprays. So how on earth, would that in anyway harmful to the ozone layer?



VJ Catherine takes in refugees


I can't believe this. I would be mad if I were Catherine... this quote was taken from her fashion editorial. Obviously she must have said "Beach and shopping is my refuge from all my hectic world." Well corni-ness aside, she couldn't have said refugee which means totally different from refuge. This is English 101.. I sure hope the editor took it before nailing his job.

A little bit of logic goes a long way
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in that lyric of Janet Jackson's song, "That's the Way Love Goes," doesn't she refer herself as the moth and love as the flame? The snippet was clipped from a profile about a beautiful lady named Marsha Timothy whose favorite song is the aforementioned hit. She likes it because that song is the soundtrack of her life.
Now I see the writer tried to be smart by adding that ad-lib, "Now guys, anyone wants to be the moth?" Hmm.. let's check the facts again, moth = janet/marsha, flame = love. 'The moth is attracted to the flame' roughly means the girl can't help to fall in love. OK, so now... why oh why, would anyone wanted to be the moth? What would her be then? The flame? But the flame = love? I guess she's out of the picture now, oh... tough luck.

Beyoncé's knowledge


OK... so Beyoncé never get a PhD in Nuclear Science, but saying that she knows nothing is a bit harsh, isn't it?

Grammar, spelling, and logic aside, I have to agree with Howke: soap is indeed the most stylish Indonesian mag I've ever come across, especially men's ones. Artistically, it was great... The fashion editorials rock, the reviews are very up to date, and I have to commend the ideas they're trying to push. If only they could hire someone who reads English to proofread the mag before it goes into circulation, that would be very nice.