Australian men's magazine Zoo Weekly has seen better days, bringing out its last ever issue on Monday.
Times in the world of male-focused media are definitely changing, with Playboy announcing Monday they will no longer be photographing women in the nude.
While Playboy hopes to shed its sleazy former image in exchange for a bigger audience, Zoo has been forced to shut down after a series of controversies and decreasing sales, Mumbrella reported in September.
Zoo never shied away from stirring the pot, however, and their final issue is no exception. Case in point: The middle finger front and centre on the cover, along with the line, "sticking it up the prudes one final time." Charming.
Opening the pages of what will likely be remembered by some as a sacred text, the magazine's editor declared the issue was for "the shouty killjoys who’ve spent years telling us -– and you -- that we're horrible people because we like beautiful women and taking the piss out of just about anything."
So, why is the magazine shutting down, and why are so few people shedding a tear about its demise? Let's take a walk down Zoo's rather grubby memory lane.
Zoo's problematic history
Over the years, Zoo took the pulse of the nation, and then slapped it on the wrist as hard as it could.
Controversies started by the magazine include a front cover that commemorated the centenary of Australia's involvement in WWI with a photo of a model brandishing a tall poppy like a penis, photoshopping the head of Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young onto a lingerie-clad model, and many more.
Back in 2012, Zoo really put their foot in it when they announced they were holding a competition to find "Australia's Hottest Asylum Seeker." Looking for someone who had swapped "persecution for sexiness," the magazine was on the hunt for your "pics and a short story about your tragic past." Needless to say, refugee and feminist advocates were not impressed.
Controversial to the last, no topic was deemed too precious for mocking in the final issue. Politics, the people who continuously campaigned against the magazine, and even the unemployment of the company's staff were given comedic jabs.
Take one of their last jokes: "Q: How many feminists does it take to change a lightbulb? A: That's not funny!"
So long, farewell
Suffice it to say, Zoo did not have many people shedding tears for its demise on social media. It's safe to say these Tweeters were not paying subscribers.
RIP Zoo weekly; I'm not too precious about sexism but u guys were truly stupid & offensive. Good riddance #zooweekly— Pookstahr McGee (@pookstahr) October 13, 2015
You know what, at least #zooweekly held true to its business model, until that model failed ... today. #mediawatch Byebye sordid satire
— Su-Lin Tan (@SuLin_Tan) October 12, 2015
Not surprised Zoo Weekly has bit the dust. Remember writing this for the Fin Rev in 2010... http://t.co/azq5kAlf4j pic.twitter.com/Vkx61bm5TQ— Michaela Whitbourn (@MWhitbourn) October 12, 2015
I don't care about the #ANZAC image every issue was #sexist and demeaning #ZooWeekly #MediaWatch— Grubbanax Swinnasen (@Grubbanax) October 12, 2015
(h/t Mumbrella)