Seems like there's a trend in Student Newspapers these days.

[sunnysmiles]

Disgusting. What happened to when these things were really 'alternative' and pro-student group rights? Like isn't that what student papers were for? I think now they are run mostly by non-social science/liberal arts students - like engineers and physics students who really just want to build resumes to get into management jobs (i.e we have other skills too). That's my guess.

Spoof of campus feminist 'appalling'

Women's groups demand retraction as article in Western Ontario student paper blasted

http://www.thestar. com/article/201762

Apr 11, 2007 04:30 AM
Louise Brown
Education Reporter
Jennifer O'Meara
Special to the Star

Just 18 months after a first-year student's striptease posted on the Internet thrust the University of Western Ontario into the spotlight, the campus has found itself in raunchy waters once more.

Western's student newspaper has drawn fire for a recent spoof article ridiculing a prominent campus feminist by portraying her vagina giggling as London's police chief takes her into a dark alley to "teach her a lesson" with his nightstick.

The article in The Gazette takes thinly veiled shots at student activist Jenna Owsianik, a member of a group called the Miss G Project, which recently received $70,000 from Queen's Park to promote awareness of women's rights and help design a new women's studies course for Ontario's high schools.

But the Gazette article has sparked a wave of outrage among students, been condemned as "appalling" by university brass and been slammed by Police Chief Murray Faulkner for "making light of a serious social issue.

"I'm not upset about being satirized, but I've spent my career – and the police here work hard – fighting sexual assault."

The article raises questions about just how far campus newspapers should go when making fun of student issues. Some also say it raises alarm bells about the climate of equality on the ivy-draped campus.

"This doesn't happen at other universities and it wouldn't," said Owsianik, a third-year major in women's studies and French. "There's something about this Western climate."

Campus women's groups are demanding a retraction of the article, but editor-in-chief Ian Van Den Hurk has said the Gazette never intended to "normalize rape or sexual assault." He said spoof issues are "tough to print without offending someone."

But given its graphic references, the university is considering what measures should be taken as a result, said Gitta Kulczycki, vice-president of resources and operations.

"That our student-owned newspaper could publish something like that is disappointing," said Kulczycki. "Western is a very welcoming, diverse, inclusive community. I would not want people to judge Western on what was published."

Sexually explicit spoofs are a longstanding tradition on many campuses. A recent University of Toronto spoof issue had an article about a female student masturbating at a frat house.

"But to use the image of rape to `teach a woman a lesson' is not funny; it's a violent, personal attack that has no business in a student publication,' said Western student Laurel Mitchell, a fellow member of the Miss G Project.

[CoolAunt]

I don't like this world. It doesn't like me, either.

[gerry]

If there's a stronger example of HATE SPEECH, i don't want to ever hear or see it.

I've got Murder in my Heart.

[delphyne]

Campus women's groups are demanding a retraction of the article, but editor-in-chief Ian Van Den Hurk has said the Gazette never intended to "normalize rape or sexual assault."

Well they did. Sexists always use the "intention" defense, it's such a crock.

At least people are publically outraged by this.

[sweethippygurl]

Seems everything is excuseable today, no matter how hate-filled, if it's 'ironic'.

What a convenient excuse.

God, I hate 'irony'...

[Cellycel]

I love irony, It's a fun form of humour. I enjoy being able to use it.

Fact is - these guys usually aren't being ironic. I'll post what I posted over at Richie's when he was talking about "Ironic Bigotry Man."

----------

“Irony, sarcasm, satire indicate mockery of something or someone. The essential feature of irony is the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs. In the figure of speech, emphasis is placed on the opposition between the literal and intended meaning of a statement; one thing is said and its opposite implied, as in the comment, “Beautiful weather, isn’t it?” made when it is raining or nasty.”

----------

Irony is pretty much sarcasm, without being insulting.

These jokes aren't sarcastic, and they aren't ironic. If they aren't presenting an indirect contradiction (and they aren't.) It's not irony.

They're being sensationalist. The "humour" is in how shocking and outrageous the "joke" is, not some sort of hidden contradiction.

[Lost Clown]

F@#king f@$k.

[oneangrygirl]

Got this recently from a customer who attends UConn in Storrs, CT.
I offered APAN's help but she hasn't provided details for a concrete action.
Anyway, it is a trend.

On Friday, March 30, 2007, the Daily Campus newspaper produced and
distributed 10,000 copies of an “April Fool’s Day” edition. The front page
headline
reads “Whores, Sluts Everywhere” followed by a picture of a woman’s cleavage
and her legs spread apart. In addition to an endless amount of misogynistic
material, the article following the picture discusses having a prostitution
service on campus. The Daily Campus often contains sexist, racist, and
heterosexist material ranging from portraying women as sluts who should cook and
clean to blatantly laughing at rape. Even worse, the Daily Campus staff hides
behind, or rather abuses, one of our most important privileges—freedom of
speech. This is a gross distortion of the First Amendment of the Constitution. In
doing nothing, the administration contributes to and supports the “
intimidating, hostile and offensive” environment created by this material.
Furthermore,
because the paper presents sexist material as “spoof,” “satire,” and “humor,
” it desensitizes students to the harm of such material and normalizes
sexist behavior. The Daily Campus' conduct constitutes a form of sexual
harassment, which is illegal and violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
42 US Code Section 2OOOe et seq., as amended, as well as Connecticut General
Statutes § 46a-60(8). It also violates the University of Connecticut Sexual
Harassment Policy. The Connecticut Human Rights and Opportunities Office agree
with this claim.

The Daily Campus has been printing this kind of material for many years. The
Women's Center has a file dating back to 1993. Students have also organized
in protest of the DC in the past, but UCONN has failed to take action. Fox 61
News at 10 reported that UCONN will not take action this time either. The
student group, UNARM (University Network Advocating for Responsible Media) held
an awareness rally on Monday, April 23, 2007 called "The DC Hurts Me."
Several members of the DC staff sat in the back laughing, whispering loudly, and
slamming doors while speakers were presenting information on how and why the
material is harmful and promotes violence against women. On Wednesday, April
25, 2007, the DC printed a comic "making fun" of the UNARM event, as well as
another sexist cartoon. On Thursday, April 26, 2007, the DC printed another
retaliatory comic specifically targeting one of the speakers at the UNARM
event.

In light of these recent publications through campus media outlets, members
of the University of Connecticut community and UNARM have joined together to
demand that all of the university funded and sponsored communication outlets
(the Daily Campus in particular) publish by a strict code of ethics that
maintains a diverse, safe learning environment. We also appreciate and call upon
the protections mandated by the University of Connecticut’s policy on sexual
harassment. Over 200 signatures have been obtained and a formal complaint will
be filed the week of April 30th. Please join us by signing a petition or by
writing a letter to John Saddlemire, Vice President of Student Affairs. Let
the university administration know that this conduct will not be tolerated or
that sexual discrimination and harassment can not and will not be excused as
"freedom of speech."

[Andrew]

"perversion of the First Amendment". THere is, of course much debate about USA Founders' intentions in writing the Constitution. But the case for free speech that they appropriated is a historical fact. Men argued that freedom of speech( press included here also)would enable scientists, philosophers and those involved in the political process to discuss the true and give counsel without fear of legal reprisal. Protection for extreme, bizarre, irrational, perverse and other speech was only an incident of the system, not its purpose. THere, and always has been, classes of "speech", that are exempt from Constitutional protection. They include, but are not limited to, slander, "fighting words", obscenity, "group libel" (defined by the Supreme Court in 1952) and incitation to crime. I don't know how you would classify this cartoon, but it does not deserve protection, even as an incident of the system. It certainly does not deserve immunity from public criticism and outrage.
All that aside, my emotional reaction is edging towards Gerry's.