Spring Break
'Playboy' project draws fire from university officials
Banner made by student in Janet Lee's women studies class recognizes Playboy achievement
Aleks Cherednichenko
Issue date: 6/8/07 Section: News
Stoughton and Lonsdale considered that the subject matter could be offensive and took precautions in ensuring the banner's tastefulness. The banner was made to resemble the original efforts of OSU's marketing campaign.
"We wanted it to look like the other posters," Lonsdale said. Some passing by the banner thought it was the real deal.
Some campus passers by believe the banner to be the real deal.
"I was saddened to see that the OSU marketing department chose to put up the women from OSU who happened to also be Playmate of the Year in Playboy - and to put her up naked with just her nipples blackened out. How immature," said Richard and Jules Cooper in an e-mail.
"I think that the reaction to this will go both ways, some will be good and some will be bad," said Lonsdale. "I think that there's no reason why [Underwood] shouldn't be recognized for her achievement."
Stoughton expected the banner to be taken down.
"I was surprised that it stayed up as long as it did," she said. "Just because she didn't invent something doesn't mean that she doesn't deserve recognition."
"From the point of view of the work we do in women studies, [Polvi's] poster critiques the ways universities have collaborated with the 'girls of the PAC 10' features and are complicit at least in terms of their silence, with this problem," Lee said through e-mail. "The poster was not to support pornography, but to critique its expression in the context of this intellectual community."
"We wanted it to look like the other posters," Lonsdale said. Some passing by the banner thought it was the real deal.
Some campus passers by believe the banner to be the real deal.
"I was saddened to see that the OSU marketing department chose to put up the women from OSU who happened to also be Playmate of the Year in Playboy - and to put her up naked with just her nipples blackened out. How immature," said Richard and Jules Cooper in an e-mail.
"I think that the reaction to this will go both ways, some will be good and some will be bad," said Lonsdale. "I think that there's no reason why [Underwood] shouldn't be recognized for her achievement."
Stoughton expected the banner to be taken down.
"I was surprised that it stayed up as long as it did," she said. "Just because she didn't invent something doesn't mean that she doesn't deserve recognition."
"From the point of view of the work we do in women studies, [Polvi's] poster critiques the ways universities have collaborated with the 'girls of the PAC 10' features and are complicit at least in terms of their silence, with this problem," Lee said through e-mail. "The poster was not to support pornography, but to critique its expression in the context of this intellectual community."
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 36
Shawn
posted 6/08/07 @ 9:30 AM PST
Ahh... Art.
Congratulations for making people think. If we can have a display of abortions and genocide in the quad for a week, why not have this posted up? I'd much rather see something like this than be forced to even glance at the genocide "awareness" program. (Continued…)
Carly Stoughton
posted 6/08/07 @ 10:15 AM PST
We all worked on the poster equally! Don't give Polvi all the credit. :)
Alicia
posted 6/08/07 @ 10:22 AM PST
Side note: Sara is NOT the first OSU student to be named Playmate of the Year. The first was Jodi Patterson who was the 2000 Playmate of the Year. Two out of 48, not too bad. (Continued…)
balexan
Bruce Alexander
posted 6/08/07 @ 10:56 AM PST
While Facilities Services may have had every right to remove the poster, since it had been hung without authorization, the reasoning behind its removal only serves to justify the motives of the authors. (Continued…)
thompcha
Charles Thompson
posted 6/08/07 @ 3:03 PM PST
So, since we're allowing big posters of porn on campus, can I expect more of this in the near future?
If so, can I be notified of when and in what fashion so I can be sure my family isn't down here visiting me? How about my cousins aged 7 and 12?
Will the City or State be pressing obscenity charges?
Clay Stephens
posted 6/08/07 @ 7:01 PM PST
Yes, she is the second PMOTY in OSU history, not the first. Also something notable to mention is that Jodi Ann Patterson is the only PMOTY to graduate from college, and Sara Underwood will be the second- Both from OSU! That's a reputation I sure don't mind OSU having-producing both smart and beautiful women. (Continued…)
Charles Thompson
posted 6/09/07 @ 5:41 PM PST
In response to Mark Hoody:
At your urging, I've read the article a fifth time. Here is what it has to say about the relative legitimacy of what was done:
"This could have been a prank, but the entire affair was actually a class project for a women studies class taught by Janet Lee. (Continued…)
OSU ALUM '96
posted 6/09/07 @ 9:32 PM PST
Hey Charles,
Step out the dark ages. This poster was only up for a couple of hours, but you make it sound as if the world has come to an end. I, for one, salute these kids for being creative in their approach to school projects. (Continued…)
John
posted 6/11/07 @ 1:36 PM PST
Clay Stephens said: "It's one thing to pose in Playboy, it is quite another to have a picture paraded around on campus of you half naked. Considering she is still a student here, I think he should have respected her privacy by asking for her approval first (which I do not know if he did or not). (Continued…)
Jill
posted 6/15/07 @ 4:28 PM PST
I thought the poster was completely distastefull. I don't think Underwood deserves recognition from the University, or the those living around it, becuase her achievement is not a scholastic one. (Continued…)
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