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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1985)
editorial Playboy perpetuates unhealthy stereotypes Playboy photographer David Chan’s visit to the Univer sity this week has been the topic of often-heated campus wide debate. Protesters who oppose the concept behind Playboy picketed outside Chan’s Eugene motel Monday. But Chan, who was a judge at Tuesday’s Air Band contest in the EMU Ballroom, received massive applause when introduced to the contest’s audience. Chan says he interviewed more than 100 University students who want to appear in the publication. But a similar number of University men and women have stated their opposition to Playboy. The campus is clearly split on the issue. The Emerald’s six-person editorial board also is divided on the issue. The board discussed the topic several times between Sunday and Thursday before agreeing upon an editorial position. The arguments presented by board members mirrored many of those presented in other campus discussions. Throughout the board’s meetings, the issue boiled down to a number of key questions: •Does Playboy portray women as objects rather than people? •Does Playboy reinforce stereotypes that feminists have UdllltJLI dgdlllM 1U1 Illdliy VCdls: •Does Playboy perpetuate violent attitudes toward women? •Does Playboy's portrayal of women impose an undesirable self image on women? •Is posing for Playboy an issue of free self-expression? •Why does someone read Playboy? •Why does someone pose for Playboy? There are no easy answers to any of these questions. Reading and posing for the publication are very individual experiences. But women who pose for the magazine must understand what they are doing. Many may simply be posing for the money, to fulfill a fantasy or to simply exhibit their body for others. But the act of posing in Playboy perpetuates stereotypes of women that have been established in our society, just as photos of muscular “macho men” also perpetuate unhealthy stereotypes. Women who pose in Playboy, Penthouse or similar publications are often not recognized for whatever internal qualities they may possess. Instead, each woman is simply a bag of desirable bones that has been photographed for male consumption. Many men can and do view the magazine without falling into this attitude trap, but too many others simply see Playboy's women as sexual animals. If any woman wishes to pose for such a publication, that is her right. In a country such as ours that places a high priority on the individual’s right to free self-expression, this must be a given. But feminists — both men and women — have worked hard during the past 20 years to break down the stereotypes that magazines such as Playboy help to perpetuate. Playboy’s models send an unhealthy message to Americans of any age. Young men, by reading Playboy, learn to think of women as sex objects, while some older men think of women as solely existing for man’s sexual pleasure. This is not the image of woman that society should portray to our youth. Women need to be told and shown that they are respected as individuals and not as physical playthings. Oregon doily _ emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403. The Emerald operates independently of the Universi ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press. General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Russell Steele Classified Advertising Vince Adams Controller Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Michael Gray - Intern, Robin Joannides - Intern, Carlos Lamadrid - Intern. Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Brett Pickman, Tim Swillinger, Laura Willoughby - Intern, David Wood. Production: Kelly Cornyn, Stormi Dykes, Manuel Flores, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Jackson Haring, Susan Hawkins, Kirk Hirota, Grant Keltner, Rob Kraft, Ross Mar tin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, KaraOberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Karen Stallwood, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre maine, Hank Trotter, Mary VanCura. Paop V A Ethnocentric Last term I took astronomy and black history as electives. I was surprised to find a common lesson in these two unrelated disciplines. These courses revealed to me the dangerous need of western civilization to see itself as the center of the universe. European astronomy began with the belief that the earth was literally the center of the universe. It took centuries of gradual erosion to dispel this belief. At one point, despite over whelming evidence, it was a religious crime punishable by torture to believe that the Earth revolved around the sun. When Europeans began ex ploring Africa, they held the belief that European civilization was the center of the universe. They not only felt superior to the Africans socially, intellec tually, and technologically, but they also felt divinely chosen to “lead the savages to salvation.” As part of this mission, they enslaved the African people, raped the women by the millions, and divided up the en tire continent among themselves. We now know that the Earth is a small planet revolving around a small star at the edge of an average galaxy consisting of millions of stars in a universe containing millions of galaxies. We now have overwhelming evidence that at the time when Europe was ravaging Africa, there were many African Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Friday Edition Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education Politics ASUO Student Activities Community Features Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Kulaga Costas Christ, Dave Berns Brian Erb Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Cartson Michael Duncan Paul Ertelt Jolayne Houtz Scott McFetridge Paul Ertelt Mary Lichtenwalner Diana Elliott Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Kirsten Bolin. Michelle Brence. Robert Collias, Julie Freeman, Thomas Henderson, Robin Joannides, Allan Lazo, Adam Worcester Photographers: Dean Guernsey, Kirk Hirota, Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Karen Stallwood, Hank Trotter News and Editorial 686-5511 Display Advertising and Business 666-3712 Classified Advertising 666-4343 Production 686 4381 Circulation 686-5511 ssr-ffiigv* AQop&iOObH— to 10 mo* , rx&vm! <? auH6ti MfcSiR I DED AMD AGCUSEPHfM pfwsav M£K , INNOCENT \ vftW wiu.donY 60 ro ftlSON fOK 50 YEA^S Buv Remain A ©WYtCTEP KARST JJSTiCt. IS CUMED letters civilizations superior to Europe intellectually, culturally and technologically. We know that blacks are in no way inferior to whites. Yet, despite this evidence, racism is eroding unpardonablv slow. End racism now! Free South Africa. Colin Davey Milky Way Galaxy Last straw Michael Cross’s latest letter (ODE, May 8), is the last straw. Speaking as concerned members of the community, we feel that frank discussions on bestiality and homosexuality are inappropriate in the Emerald. Explicit references to female genitalia and unusual sexual acts are in the worst taste. We’re concerned that the Emerald’s editorial staff is fail ing to live up to its responsibili ty to the University and to the community at large, which it serves. Arguments about the ap propriateness of bestiality and homosexuality are thoroughly outrageous. Both topics should be limited to more private, personal discussions. Sexual preferences and pastimes are not the pur view of the Emerald. The recent reemergence of the Students for Bestiality con troversy makes my point. That controversy did a good deal of harm to the image of the students and their programs at the University. Now. once again, we have discussions about homophobia — which is pure balderdash, is it a clinical syndrom? And even students are proudly announc ing their gayness or straightness in your pages. Discussions that allow distinctions between Christians and gays and homophobes and sperm receptacles can only reflect a lack of understanding, which harms the students and the University and reflects bad ly on the Emerald itself. We say edit, cut, refuse, but don’t subject us to silly, rather obscene dicussions on matters more properly discussed in private. The Emerald cannot be a place for the advocation or denial or proclamation of one's sexuality. Chris Lewis Edward Met/.ler Tradition Why does China have virtual ly no problems with AIDS, herpes, gonorrhea or syphilis? Because despite being atheistic, they see the societal and biological advantages to pro moting traditional morality — with the exception of abortion. Needless to say no concentra tions of homosexuals exist like those we've allowed to develop in our large urban areas. If people practiced the moral principles taught by Christ then sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) wouldn’t have en vironments to multiply in and would eventually become extinct. Actually, the epidemics of STDs (some which cause sterili ty and birth defects) testify to the dangers of promiscuity. AIDS (the newest and deadliest STD) wouldn’t exist in America — and on a worldwide basis it would be rare indeed — if not for the lifestyles of most homosexuals. Nearly one million people have been exposed to the HTLV3 virus, a disease unknown of prior to 1978. Why? Because the extreme pro miscuity of most homosexuals ensures that the virus will be passed on to multiple contacts. In other words, someone catches AIDS, has sex with a variety of individuals (who pass it on) and under such condi tions the virus is regularly sup plied with numerous warm bodies to thrive in. Oh, by the way. the notion that “lesbian blood is the safest" is ludicrous! The safest prospect for blood donation would be an in dividual who, if single, practic ed self-control or a married heterosexual couple who were faithful to one another. The danger of catching any STD from them through blood transfusion would be zero! Lori Parkman Lane Community College L'.M.... i n intirz
