Leave It To Beaver

Canada history magazine drops double-entendre name
Reuters

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Canada's second-oldest magazine, The Beaver, is changing its name because its unintended sexual connotation has caused the history journal to become snagged in Internet filters and has turned off potential readers.

The Beaver was founded in 1920 as a publication of the Hudson's Bay Company, then a fur trader and now a department store chain. It has long since become a broader magazine about Canadian history and will change its name to Canada's History with its April issue, editor-in-chief Mark Reid said on Tuesday.

When The Beaver started publication, the name evoked only Canada's thriving fur industry. Ninety years later, the fur trade has diminished and the magazine's name has become slang for female genitals.

Readers complained that Internet filters were blocking emails and newsletters from The Beaver, Reid said. The society also had concerns about attracting readers.

"Market research showed us that younger Canadians and women were very very unlikely to ever buy a magazine called The Beaver no matter what it's about," said Reid, adding he has mixed feelings about the name change. "For whatever reasons, they are turned off by the name."

There must be more of a gap between Canada and the U.S. than just free health care because young Americans would probably be turned on by a magazine called "The Beaver." They'd be turned off when they found out it was about fur. In fact, I think the magazine has gone in the complete wrong direction here. Mr. Reid freely admitted that the fur trade has diminished. It would probably be a better business model to keep the mag's name and turn it into a porn magazine. If they were still insistent about sticking to fur, they could have the models wear fur coats and Ugg boots. Why do I always come up with great ideas for others and save none for myself?