Posts Tagged ‘Sex Column’

Temple News ‘Menstrual Struggle’ Column Goes Viral: ‘When Your Girlfriend Suffers, You Sure Will, Too’

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on December 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Temple News relationship columnist John Corrigan is currently earning scorn, snark, and tons of clicks for a piece he penned on the horrors a woman’s period inflicts on the men in her life.  Gawker calls it the “Most Ridiculous Period-Advice Column Ever.”

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In the piece, Corrigan lays out the inconveniences boyfriends suffer when their significant others enter “that time of the month.”  According to him, these include a hold on all sexual activity, frequent trips to 7-Eleven to pick up comfort food, and existing as a human piñata for the torrent of criticisms that are directed their way.

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In respect to the latter, as he writes at one point, “When your girlfriend suffers, you sure will, too.  Although it is not scientifically proven, women can maximize their mean streak during the menstrual cycle. . . . Your appearance, your performance, your family, your friends– everything is fair game for critique when you’re caught in a woman’s PMSing scorn.  They call it a period, but an exclamation point is more appropriate.”

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Upon publication, the column almost immediately entered viral-ville.  There are already many corners of the interwebs sporting ‘ha,’ ‘eww,’ ‘whoa’ or ‘oh God no’ reactions.  In the critics corner, the three main contentions: 1) It plays off cheap gender stereotypes.  2) It is offensive to women.  3) And it doesn’t, ahem, scream funny.

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For example, in a pair of tweets (hat tip HuffPost), Erica Palan, the managing web editor of Philadelphia Magazine and a Temple alum and Temple News veteran, declared, ”A columnist for @TheTempleNews writes the most outlandishly offensive thing I’ve read since … the Romney campaign. . . . The thing is: If it’s parody, it didn’t work. And if it’s not parody, then it is in such poor taste that I can’t even believe it.”

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Two comments beneath the piece expressing different perspectives: 1) “The fact that this is getting so much attention is ridiculous.  Why do we live in a society [where] people find any reason to feel they are victimized?  It’s so obvious that the author is trying to be humorous, sarcastic, and as many of you pointed out he [simply] didn’t do too good a job.”  2) “I’m a woman and I think this is absolutely hilarious.  Sending this to my boyfriend who will be equally amused.  Thanks for the morning laugh.”

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As the tweet above hints, amid the outrage, there has been interest: The column set a one-day temple-news.com traffic record, grabbing more than 27,000 hits yesterday.

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The paper’s editor-in-chief Angelo Fichera, via Romenesko: “The column was read by our whole staff, including men and women, before it ran.  I think they all felt that this was not meant to be taken seriously. If you’ve read his column in the past, you know this is the same tone he’s always taken. It’s not meant to be taken seriously. That being said, we’re going to take the feedback into consideration. . . . It’s definitely been a learning experience.”

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Related

Rice University Student Columnist Compares ‘Period Sex’ to Bloodbaths, Airplane Food, Shark Week

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College Media Sex Scandals, Fall 2009

Posted in College Media, Free Press Fights, Journalism, Student Newspaper, tagged , , , , , , , on January 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

This is the fifth installment of a multi-post glimpse back at the highlights and lowlights of fall 2009 in collegemediatopia.

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Sex Scandal Award: Towerlight, Towson University

The Towerlight at Towson University was in serious flux last October because of Lux, the pseudonymous writer behind the sex column “The Bed Post.” The column divided the newspaper’s editorial team, incensed the university president, and caused a media ruckus after the editor-in-chief quit (?!) in the wake of increasing administrative anger and school officials’ subtle and overt attempts at eliminating the content.

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A Baltimore Sun editorial: “There may indeed be little journalistic value in ‘The Bed Post’ . . . Aside from its questionable taste, it violated many of the standards student publications traditionally are supposed to teach aspiring young reporters and editors, such as the necessity of judging what is worthy of coverage as news and a willingness to stand behind the facts in a story. . . . [But] it should have been up to the students to come to those conclusions, not have them dictated by lawmakers and university administrators. The first lessons student journalists in a democracy learn should not have to be how to survive under the censor’s arbitrary fist.”

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Runner-up honors to the Dakota Student at the University of North Dakota. In late November, the pub printed  a supposedly satirical column that advised men on how to execute successful one-night stands. It was roundly criticized “as a guide on how to commit rape . . . [and for] joking about abuse.” Among the comments lodged beneath the article: “This is terrible, you just told guys how to rape a girl.  This is so wrong on so many levels.”; “There are some things you don’t satire, even an idiot could figure that out!  What if women who were raped read this . . . This could be a horrible, painful trigger for [them].”; and “The satire hit on a hot button issue, which is exactly what it is meant to do; it elicits emotional responses. This particular piece does little to address an actual issue, but rather pokes fun at cliche date rape methods.”

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Biggest College Media Villain, Fall 2009

Posted in Journalism, Student Newspaper, Student Newspaper Theft, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

This is the third installment of a multi-post glimpse back at the highlights and lowlights of fall 2009 in collegemediatopia.

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Biggest College Media Villain: Bobby Hauck, University of Montana

Last semester, University of Montana football coach Bobby Hauck (who recently accepted a job at UNLV) threw a prolonged temper tantrum aimed directly at the student press. He temporarily refused to speak to The Montana Kaimin, the school’s student newspaper, and instructed his team and staff to boycott the publication as well. Why? Because, wait for it, Kaimin staffers had the gall to not only publish an accurate story about two football players’ alleged misdeeds but also then ask Hauck some tame football questions at press conferences.  (His “behavioral stupidity” received a hilarious editorial smackdown from SI’s Jeff Pearlman.)

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Football

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Runner-up honors go to Robert Caret, the president of Towson University. Near the middle of last semester, Caret publicly criticized the inclusion of a sex column in The Towerlight student newspaper and threatened to pull needed university funding from the paper if it continued running. It was callous, censorious posturing that did nothing but inflame tensions and put Towson in the spotlight as a school boasting leaders who believe more in the “censor’s arbitrary fist” than editorial freedom.

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Finally, this villainous list must include Jennifer Burton, the sister of a University of Memphis student suspected of burning a rainbow flag last November outside the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Burton said she “absolutely” trashed hundreds- possibly thousands- of copies of The Daily Helmsman that featured a story on her brother’s alleged wrongdoing to somewhat lessen his embarrassment. While I can understand sisterly instincts, her steal-and-toss MO was still hella-wrong and of course ultimately worked to bring yet more attention to her brother’s terrible behavior.

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J-Student Spotlight: Georgia Adams, Univ. of West Florida

Posted in College Media, Journalism, Journalist Spotlight, Student Newspaper, tagged , , on May 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Georgia Adams once proudly danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly in Nashville, and her hair is sometimes red “or redder, or blue, or something in between.”  Her journalism work is similarly bold and scattered.  Adams is currently finishing up a stint as both managing editor AND sports editor (interesting combo) for The Voyager student newspaper at the University of West Florida, a dual-role that recently earned her a promotion to editor in chief.  Over the past year, she has also helped oversee a feature that Adams admits caused a more-than-mini campus debate: a regular Voyager column, “Sex & the University.”

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As CMM previously reported, the ruckus started after a parent stumbled upon the column in a campus cafeteria while on a school tour with his high school senior son.  He subsequently sent a letter of condemnation so bloated with wide-eyed, parental angst it still makes me laugh out loud after multiple readings.

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There is much more to a student newspaper than a sex column, and much more to a quality editor’s work than dealing with adults who just don’t get it.  For her sleep-deprived, ink-stained, uber-productive year as Voyager sports ed. and ME, Adams rightfully earns a place in the CMM Student Journalist Spotlight.

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Georgia Adams

Georgia Adams enjoys a concert in summer '08.

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Write a six-word memoir of your Voyager experience so far.

My year: sleepless, covered in ink.

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To all the campus media haters out there: Why does The Voyager matter?

The Voyager gives students a forum to speak their minds and interact with their community.  Especially on our campus, which is predominantly made up of commuter students, it’s an important way for us all to connect.  The paper is also a vital tool for training future reporters in every aspect of the news business, from writing and editing to Web skills and design.

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You recently received a harsher-than-normal letter from a parent about the paper’s sex column.  What was the staff reaction?

Honestly, our reaction was the same as yours [loud laughter].  We were all somewhat baffled at first.  We periodically run a column written by a young engaged couple who are swingers, and this was the column racy enough to rouse a father’s ire?  When I reread it, I could understand how a conservative parent could be offended- but still, it wouldn’t have been rated more than PG-13 if it were a movie. I still have a little trouble believing how much controversy it spurred.

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What would you say to the parent about why the column is published?

First, we don’t publish “Sex & the U.” for shock value.  While it’s true that “sex sells,” the real reason to publish a column with this type of content is to recognize that college students are adults and should be able to talk about sex without shame.  It’s an opinion column, not an instruction manual, but that doesn’t mean it can’t help our students open a dialogue about sex.  After all, just ask Bristol Palin if not talking about sex is a healthy approach.

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What is one story appearing in the paper you are especially proud to have overseen?

This commotion over Pixie’s column is one of the highlights.  We got responses from people across campus supporting us, and we got criticism, too.  It was exhilarating to see firsthand that college media really do matter.

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Memorable behind-the-scenes production moment.

We did a massive redesign over winter break.  When the first issue printed, I was incredibly proud of, and not a little bit cocky about, my beautiful new layout- right up until I saw that when we were copy editing the back page we inadvertently bumped the last word of a headline off the page.  I was mortified.  I was sure that the first thing my mentor was going to say was, “The redesign looks great — too bad you got sloppy!”  I wandered into his office prepared to hang my head, and heard, “By the time they get to the back page, you’ll have wowed them so much they won’t even notice the headline.”  Of course, the shine wore off after that week, and we had to go back to focusing on content. But it was sweet while it lasted!

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[In a follow-up message, Adams confirmed: It was even worse because it wasn't just a headline, it was a quote from the university president in a headline.  It was supposed to be "Bense: Athletics plan 'won't be left on the shelf,'" but I had placed it as "Bense: athletics plan 'won't be left on the shelf'" and when our editor-in-chief caught the capitalization typo and corrected it, it bumped 'shelf' off the page.  So it read "Bense: Athletics plan 'won't be left on the.'"  Mortifying.]

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What is one question we should all be asking more often about the current state or future of journalism?

How much does it matter to you to have people dedicated to finding the truth working to deliver it to your door- or computer screen or mobile device?  If everyone keeps focusing on the “death of newspapers,” it’s going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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You wake up in ten years. Where are you and what are you doing?

I’m in the city of my heart, Austin, Texas, and I’m either playing Perry White to someone else’s Lois Lane, or I’m teaching a class of students who’ve never even heard of “All the President’s Men” how to properly attribute a quote they got in a telepathic interview.

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Non-Prude Parent “Disgusted” by Student Sex Column

Posted in College Media, Free Press Fights, Journalism, Journalism Ethics, Student Newspaper, tagged , , , on March 24, 2009 | 4 Comments »

A father of a prospective student at the University of West Florida who considers himself “no shrinking violet and certainly not a prude” wrote a letter of moral outrage late last week about a sex column in The Voyager student newspaper penned by “Pixie Gonzalez.”

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It is one the funnier anti-sex-in-the-student-press missives I have ever come across.  The man, a father of three who stumbled upon the column in a campus cafeteria after taking his high school senior son on a school tour, started the letter by assuring that he has not written anything like this in the past: “I DON’T DO THIS! But I was so shocked and disgusted by what your newspaper chose to publish.”

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As he went on to note:

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What possible editorial and journalistic motive was there for printing such trash- was this opinion piece meant to elevate the discussion on sex, excess drinking, drug use or STD’s on college campuses? . . . We also learn from this enlightened young lady that having “lady parts” will not make a girl psycho if you have good old casual sex and that we, as men, need to “loosen up a bit … and give vagina’s a chance.” Girls at UWF want what Pixie wants- “a belly full of beer, a taquito from Whataburger and an orgasm.” UNBELIEVABLE!!! . . . My 18 year old obviously was shocked but more concerned that his mother and I would never allow him to attend a University that would publish such trash.

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Oh, dearest proudly non-prude parent, please understand five things:

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1) The student newspaper is editorially independent.  Call it UNBELIEVABLE.  Call it trash.  But keep the blame to the paper, not the school.  The only thing to which the school is guilty is upholding students’ free press/free speech rights.

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2) It is called sarcasm, satire, even a dash of sensationalism.  Google them now.  Then go back to shrinking violets.

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3) Read campus newspapers all you want.  Learn from them.  React to them.  But remember, they are not published for you.

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4) In the end, it is all about perspective.  You dislike Pixie.  By contrast, a comment underneath one of Pixie’s recent columns online: “Pithy, honest, and hilarious. Everything I want in a column like this!”

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5) Finally, a non-prude alert!  Many student newspapers at U.S. and Canadian universities have sex columns.  So be careful flipping through the paper on your next campus tour. :-)

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Sex Column Controversy at Montana: Law Professor Wants it Stopped!

Posted in College Media, Free Press Fights, Journalism, Student Newspaper, tagged , , , , , on March 12, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Kristen Juras, a law professor at the University of Montana, is currently on a sexual witch hunt so ludicrous it pains me to think she might have tenure.  Specifically, Juras is out to stop The Kaimin student newspaper from publishing a sex column begun this semester, the paper’s first since the column trend started in the late-1990s.

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According to a report in the Kaimin (via UWIRE), Juras has asked the paper’s editors to cease publishing the column.   As she stated, wait for it: “It’s embarrassingly unprofessional. It affects my reputation as a member of the faculty.” (No, I think you’re affecting your reputation just fine on your own.)

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She also believes the sex columnist position should be limited to someone with a background in sexology or other formal sexual expertise.  She plans to approach the university’s publications board to demand a stricter policy be put in place to this end- and depending on its response she will then seek out the board of regents and even the Montana state legislature (and then the White House, UN, and the ICC?).

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The problem with her argument: The feature is NOT labeled as an advice column.  It runs in the OPINIONS section.  And the writer, UM senior Bess Davis, has never claimed sexpert-status, mentioning in her debut piece that she’s simply a regular student who has “been at this [sex] for awhile now.” As Davis wrote, “I like sex. I like having it, talking about it, thinking about it, and now I’m writing about it.”

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Think of the professor’s argument with other topics: Should a student who is not a political expert or presidential historian be banned from publishing opinions about Obama?  Should a student who has no environmental science background be restricted from writing about worshiping Al Gore and saving the Earth?  And otherwise, let’s be honest: Sex is NOT like most other subjects.  It’s like driving- most of us do it; most of us learn by doing it; and most of us are entitled to share our opinions on it without needing to sport a related academic degree.

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The professor’s last argument is the scariest: According to her, because the newspaper receives some funding from university fees, it should be used primarily for educational purposes- and apparently only run content that professors like her are willing to approve.  (God help us all if her specialty is media law or if she teaches courses in any way connected to free press).  Check out the Kaimin piece to see how Student Press Law Center attorney advocate and all-around-great-guy Adam Goldstein shoots her argument down.

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Finally, her whole campaign makes me laugh.  When will the powers-that-be learn: Protesting something publicly and vociferously DRAWS MORE ATTENTION TO THE OBJECT OF YOUR IRE.  In this respect, Juras is giving the column exactly what it deserves: nationwide/blogosphere publicity, related debates about its purpose/significance in the student press, and subsequent dialogues about the sexual issues it has raised.  As one sex columnist wrote to her biggest detractors a few years back, “Thanks for the controversy.” :-)

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25 Random Things About Modern College Media: Part 2

Posted in College Media, Future of Journalism, Journalism, New Media, Student Newspaper, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 17, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Last week, I kicked off my list of “25 Random Things About Modern College Media,” putting a professional twist on the Facebook-centric personal list phenomenon that continues to give us insights into parts of people’s lives I had no idea I ever wanted to know about.  My dip into collegemediatopia randomness continues below, with Part 2:

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6) College media’s financial future is more sound (or just less bleak?) than their professional counterparts.  As I first wrote back in October (and again in November and again…), the once-indomitable economic spirit of collegemediatopia has cracked as of late under the heavy twin burdens of a crazy-huge recession and a print news meltdown.  But student pubs’ financial states are not being underwritten by the word hopelessness like the professional press (at least in print).  Why?  The $$$ bottom line is uber-low or non-existent at most college media outlets.  Does that ensure student-media-as-we-know-it’s survival long-term?  Absolutely not.  Does that mean they will outlast most professional press?  Absolutely.

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7) Stop posing, college yearbooks as we know it are out.  As I have previously written, in the age of Facebook and cell phone cameras, traditional yearbooks are like TV antennas and Blockbuster Video: Cute for their quaintness but otherwise entirely outdated. And let’s be honest, they also tend to cost too darn much.

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8 ) And so are Fridays.  It’s long been the most hated school day of the week among even the most ambitious collegians, and yet the daily student papers have long churned out all the news considered a Friday fit.  Cue economic collapse.  Now top eds. at a number of papers are rethinking their Friday schemes and leaving their papers in bed.

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9) The blogosphere is abuzz with news and views in some way connected to collegemediatopia.  Along with CMM, there is CICM, College Rag, CMA’s “Blog Central“, U.S. News & World Report‘s “Paper Trail,” and the discussion happening over at CoPress, among others.  That’s not even counting the many, many, many individual j-student, j-prof, and j-school blogs.  I think it’s safe to say there has never been so much public talk about college media and the men and women who love them.

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10) Along with buzz, there is unparalleled support for student media.  In the states alone, there is the Student Press Law Center, College Media Advisers, Associated Collegiate Press, Intercollegiate Online News Network, UWire, and much, much more.  They are presenting j-students’ work, training them, connecting them with mentors and peers, and fighting for their rights to publish and present stories that occasionally piss off those in power behind the college gates.

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Any suggestions for items to add to the list???  Stay tuned for Part 3: The Harsh Truths.

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More Sex, Sex, Sex in the Student Press

Posted in College Media, Journalism, Magazine Journalism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Sex has been the story of the student press for the past decade, for better and worse. Sex columns and sex issues in college newspapers and full-blown campus sex magazines have appeared with increasing regularity and as increasingly risqué at or near campuses nationwide and into Canada (and even India!).

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C-Spot

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The newest student sex mag is C-Spot, an independent erotic review created and put out by Columbia University students. The founder’s take on it: “C-Spot is a means for students to combine the intellectual, academic and creative with the erotic.” Similar prominent student sex mags operate at Rice, Harvard, Yale, Boston, Vassar, and the University of Chicago.

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Are they art or porn or both? Are they decent tools for journalistic expression? The most positive aspect of these publications, and their column peers, in my opinion: They cover an incredibly significant area of students’ lives and provide students with a voice on an area that otherwise basically goes uncovered in the mainstream student and professional press.

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