College Articles Promotes...?

As I sit here, I am not sure how many people will read this. To be honest, if 1 person does and agrees with 100% of what I say, then I suppose it was more of a venting forum for myself to get words out. My hope however, is that it could be a forum for discussion, and not ranting and raving. What I have to say will probably, for lack of better words, “piss” people off, and fire people up, and get you motivated to yell and scream at the opposing side. I’ll be honest, it will be coming from a right-wing, conservative, the best Christian-I-can-be voice. But if you are reading this, my guess is, you don’t have a voice on a national level, and you can’t be heard on a national level. Hence why I am even starting a “blog”, if you will, like this. A small voice, in relatively small city, to be heard, even if by a few people. Discuss it, counter my arguments, argue with me, whatever you want. But please have an educated, well thought out argument, and don’t just come at me with garbage. There is too much of that in society, and in politics already. And now, I give you the first of what I hope to be many.



10/27/2006
I opened up the college paper here in my hometown. I always know I will be fired up after I read the paper, because it is the voice of our college campus (for the most part), which tends to “lean” left, (and when I say lean, I mean exemplifies what the left stands for). However, I don’t claim that to be true for every student or even every democrat on campus. Many articles aren’t even about politics, but of some sort of social issue in the mainstream media or a relevant topic on campus. This article does fall into that second category, a relevant issue and not so much political. Anyhow, I sat down as I waited for class, and thumbed through to see if any headlines jumped out at me (as there usually are 2 or 3 that give me a sense of what the article will be about), and much to my surprise (or, should I say non-surprise), there it was, the article that I was looking for. The article that jumped out at me and made me cringe, yet again. “Happy Whore-loween”. Now, for some of you, the word “whore” in a college newspaper headline might be what you think I cringed at. But you can guess again. I was cringing because I had a feeling I knew the direction of the article, simply because it is a college paper, produced mainly by college students. So, trying to subside my preconceived notions of what this could be about, I began to read. And just as I thought, I finished the article having a sick feeling of what if junior-highers or high-schoolers read this article? What if respectable adults open this up and read through? It’s no wonder stereo-types form about college campuses and about “our” generation. I say “our” because I hesitate to have any claim in anyway that this is “my” generation. So what was so wrong with this article? Let me type for you the first paragraph of the article, and maybe you can get a general gist.
“Ladies, break out your thigh-highs. It’s nearly that time of year again. You of course know I’m talking about Halloween – the one holiday that legitimizes and even encourages girls to dress like complete whores (aside from Valentine’s Day’s leather and lace attire, but that’s behind closed doors so it doesn’t count.)”
Well, there you have it. That’s what Halloween is about now. Dressing up like “a whore”. No go ahead, really. Halloween “legitimizes and even encourages girls to dress like complete whores.” I’m so glad that Halloween has turned into a dress like a whore day for women. I can’t imagine what most guys are thinking about this holiday now. (But I’ll let the writer of this article voice that opinion for you in just a bit when you can read what she has to say about that.)
What has happened? Just last year, I was talking to a friend of mine in Oregon, and her senior harvest dance’s main theme was “Gangsta’s and ho’s”. What has happened? You know, maybe some huge corporation can capitalize on this? Maybe instead of this just being a once a year thing, they can focus their efforts on kids…yeah! They can create a line of clothing for 10-13 year olds that exemplifies dressing “sexy” and “looking good”. *Cough*, oh wait, there already is one. You see where I am getting? This society has become so incredibly lax about its views on “sexy” and “looking good” and what it means to RESPECT YOURSELF. You know when I really got thinking about this? The other night, watching television. A show that I used to think was finally a breakthrough in reality television even has stooped to a place I didn’t think it would. Granted, the main message of the show is great. Be fit, get in shape, create a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, (yes I am talking about The Biggest Loser). But, towards the end of the commercial, there come 2 model-looking, gorgeous people portrayed. Not just people who overcame obesity. Not just two people who won a game-show. No. These were model looking, abs of steel, flowing hair, tall, blonde, blue eyed people. Of course, people will see them and say, “Hey, I CAN look like that if I lose a few pounds.” Which is GREAT! I HOPE people feel they can look good and feel better about themselves if they lose weight. But what are our motives anymore?
I think the issue runs deeper than just looking good anymore. It’s deeper than what Halloween is about, deeper than a healthy life-style, deeper than even self-confidence when you look in the mirror. It is this atmosphere of sex sells. It is this atmosphere of in order to fit in, you have to dress sexy, you have to try and look like a model. I ask the 95% of you (including me) that aren’t models 2 things: 1. Do you care? 2. Why? And mainly, I direct this in the women’s direction. You see, I am getting mixed messages from society. 1, I hear women who want to be respected, not looked at like toys to be played with by men. I hear them want rights to not have to look like they have to sell their body to get anywhere in society. THEN, I read this article, (written by a woman), and is promoting a one-day-a-year policy to look “like a whore” because they can’t other times of the year. I really don’t get it. Maybe I’ll just let the article speak for itself. Quoting the last paragraph of the article,
“I think ultimately women choose to dress sexy on Halloween is because it’s the only day of the year they’re allowed to let their cleavage protrude while simultaneously allowing their creamy upper thighs to see the light-of-day, or more accurately, the moonlight of All Hallow’s Eve. So remember on this Halloween, ladies, “less is more”. Ask any guy, and after he wipes the drool from his neatly-trimmed chin – he’ll most likely agree.” Sorry ladies, I don’t agree. - AJW