The Student Printz

Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: Opinion

So, I went to Books-a-Million to see the girls of Conference-USA, girls from USM, signing copies of Playboy with photos of their naked bodies inside.

This has been such an interesting topic of debate in the Pinebelt; I had to see the end results. The Printz has put in two semesters, and I have put in over 1000 words on the subject. I have watched the debate in local media and in the local message boards.

The rumored protestors were non-existent, but it was interesting to talk with other people on the subject. The people there to purchase an issue and meet the girls were from all walks of life - men and women, old and young.

I read some interesting attacks on the girls in the local media. One person said, "who would want to marry you after you posed in Playboy?" I talked about this at length with an 18-year-old girl in front of me in line. She thought it was a strange thing to say as it implies marriage is something all women desire, something they fret about incessantly. She said she didn't live her whole life to marry. She also openly flipped through the issue making comments as the men kept their issues in the bag.

I though the idea women who have been photographed nude are undesirable sounded like fundamentalist Islam. It implied woman could only derive self worth through a husband or relative. I did see the "what would your parents think?" question posed. The girls did say their parents and loved ones were very supportive. I say, who cares.

On the other hand, some of the people in line expressed a desire to remain anonymous, as they feared what their loved ones would say. Now that is wrong; you should not lie in a relationship like that. If this is something you don't have a problem with, but your loved one does - change or get out of the relationship.

I still don't see what the big deal is. It is naked human body. It may be posed provocatively, but still, if you don't like it, don't buy it. It does not hurt anyone. If you're one of those people who believe it hurts the women in the photos, chalk up another victim to free will.

I think the fact there were men and women at the signings shows times have changed. As I have stated before, with the advent of digital cameras, computers, webcams and social networking sites where you can document your entire life, being naked on film is far more common. Seeing naked people is no big deal either.

Playboy used to be a right of passage for a young man. For decades, the first nude lady we ever saw was featured somewhere in its pages. Now, with the Internet, many young men have seen more naked women than a million Playboys could hold before they ever touch the magazine.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools