WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012
PAGE 5
opinion
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Just walked past some huge football player jamming to Justin Bieber.. Our football team better not be as soft as
Not many people have longer hair than I do, except for that guy with the cowboy hat and roller backpack.
The instant I see survey takers, I immediately cross to the other sidewalk! Is that mean?
One percent of the semester holds 99 percent of the stress. Occupy library.
Who needs Ambient when you have textbooks? Two paragraphs in and I'm gone.
Throwing newspaper in Allen Fieldhouse is the closest I can come to making it rain. #collegemoneyproblems
Why does Texas A&M have hoodie warmups? This isn't my fourth-grade sister's softball league...
To the cheerleaders and whoever messed it up; The cheer "Let's GO K-YOU" does NOT have two claps as eighth notes continuously right after the last word. Instead, on a four-beat measure ("let's" being the pick-up note), there is a full beat of rest before the two claps.
You may not have had to take 32 shots for every "woah" he said, but I definitely believe he takes 32 puffs of the magic dragon before class..
Only Jim Carrey makes weirder faces than Tyshawn does when he drives the lane.
The #curseoftheenglishmajor is that you're an English major.
My feet are propped on this seat for a reason. It is obvious I don't want you sitting in front of me. MOVE
Dear FFA, will you be my Valentine?
Editor's note: Although I'm flattered, I don't go on blind dates.
Theft is the top campus crime? Well,
you're guilty, because you stole my heart.
failedpickupline #stilllyone
The couple being all cutesy in the Underground really makes me wanna get smashed and make out with another freshman frat boy.
If tennis shoes and jeans were cool I'd wear them. But they aren't, so I don't.
Same-sex weddings are economic boost
KU singles: trying to find love in a hopeless place.
Why are the Hashinger showers either boiling or freezing? Big problem for 25 percent of Hash that actually showcases..
Remember that annoying know-it-all you thought you left behind last semester? Nope, he's back.
What's better than getting in the FFA?
Having @FakeJeffWithey Tweet about you!
Editor's note! I been to differ
Every time I see a spelling error on my professor's PowerPoints, I die a little inside.
Editor's note: I beg to differ.
I make out with random guys at the Hawk hoping one will be @ FakeJeffWithey.
SOCIETY
Same-sex marriage as a civilrights issue has perhaps been a broken record for most of us, but how many of us have actually stopped to think about the effect same-sex weddings, a common result of choosing to marry, could have on state economies?
To the jackass who yells "get in the hole" during every one of our free throws, shut the hell up and go annoy the golf team instead.
Sure, the rituals and motions of weddings are pretty much structured for male-female marriages. But many same-sex couples probably want at least some type of ceremonial recognition if they are going to tie the knot, and many of them do that the same way their parents, friends, and everyone else does — weddings. And, as most of us probably know, weddings can be a little pricey.
Last month, The William's Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy — a high-volume research center focused on issues affecting LGBT persons housed at the University of California at Los
Angeles School of Law — released a report on the impact of same-sex weddings in Iowa.
The report states that just under 2,100 in- and out-of-state same-sex couples were married in Iowa in the 12 months following the Iowa Supreme Court's decision in favor of same-sex marriage in 2009.
As a result of many same-sex couples traveling to Iowa to take their vows and guests also traveling to witness others take their vows, in addition to all the wedding arrangements made by these couples and those already living in Iowa, anywhere between $12 and 13 million was added to state and local economies in Iowa, and nearly $1 million of this revenue went toward state and local taxes, according to the Williams Institute article.
And that's probably not even including gifts! Any good stereotypical gay man gives a trip to Crate &
Barrel for some free espresso and overpriced crystal glass sets and toasters.
Humor aside, if you aren't in support of same-sex marriage for "moral" or religious reasons, perhaps you could be for economic reasons. Same-sex weddings may not add a billion dollars to, say, the Kansas economy, but it would be more fiscally responsible than spending millions of dollars investigating military personnel suspected of being closedet homosexuals or all the wasted manpower that goes into drafting constitutional bans on same-sex marriages and other discriminatory policies
of businesses relevant to the wedding industry?
"Humor aside, if you aren't in support of same-sex marriage for "moral" or religious reasons, perhaps you could be for economic reasons."
As much as 6 percent of the total number of those same-sex
I know we're still asking our state government to do away with their unconstitutional ban
hospitals in
ried in Iowa
were Kansas
residents. According
to another 2008
report by the
same research
center, there were
more than 6,600
marriage do more good than harm to straight people, since straight people are probably the ones who own the majority of businesses
same-sex couples living in Kansas in 2005, and that number today has probably increased by thousands.
on same-sex sexual activity, or "criminal sodomy" (The Kansan, Nov. 30, 2011) and that this article is nothing more than a utopian call to action, but, in our economic state, creating a discussion on any reasonable method for boosting economic growth couldn't hurt.
Sure, one could argue that same-sex couples aren't required to get legally married to have a wedding, but legalization certainly creates an incentive to do so, as demonstrated by the Institute's report. Furthermore, from this economic perspective, wouldn't same-sex
Castle is a senior from Stifell in human sexuality & political science.
CULTURE
Fame and religion need separation
Tim Tebow shouldn't use his status as a celebrity to push his beliefs
Although the subject has been frequently discussed, for some reason I cannot stop myself from writing about Tim Tebow. His celebrity has intrigued me and annoyed me at the same time. Over the past six years, Tebow has caught the attention of almost anyone who is remotely interested in sports. The first time I heard about his over-the-top religious spirit was while watching the 2009 National Championship game against the Oklahoma Sooners when he played for the Florida Gators. He had a Bible verse written on his eye blacks, and the commentators mentioned his faith frequently.
My problem with Tebow is this: He relies too much on the concept that without God, he could not be a professional, contending quarterback. He is combining religion with sports. Should there not be separation of church and football? It is one thing to have faith and be an athlete, but it is another thing to use your status to push your religious agenda.
I have no problems with Tebow as a football player. What troubles me is that he uses his power as a quarterback to showboat his faith. For the most part it is because faith has absolutely nothing to do with being an athlete. Furthermore, does God really care about football? With world suffering and poverty, I am sure he has enough to keep himself busy. Does God really care if the Broncos win a game? If the Broncos lose, does that mean God wasn't listening or
For the same reason, I don't particularly get my political advice from actors. While watching Tom Cruise, I want to see him jumping off buildings in "Mission Impossible." His ability to act is separate from his belief in Scientology. People shouldn't care about his life philosophy; what they should care about is his ability to be a good actor. Same with Tebow: People should respect him for his performance on the field, not his religion.
The reason I and many others may dislike Tebow so much is because he seems to have such a better life than we do, and he seems to clearly be a much better person than me. He is highly successful, rich, famous, in shape, has great sportsmanship and he even has The Tim Tebow Foundation—which helps "bring a brighter day to deserving children."
doesn't exist? With that logic, you should be able to disprove God. If you want to minister to the lost, then become a pastor or a missionary.
I have trouble trusting Tebow because I don't want him to be involved in some scandal that will disvalue all of his previous endeavors (not saying he will, but it has happened many times in the past), such as abusing his power like Ted Haggard or Jim Bakker. I want him to truly be what he claims to be.
I'm just afraid Tebow will let me down, and all of those who view him as such a unique and great human being. Don't let us down, Tebow. America needs you. I need you to prove me wrong. I need you to show me that people can be religious with money and fame and not mess up. Tebow, if you continue to prove that you are legit in your beliefs, you might be able to renew my faith in people. Please don't let me down, Tebow, but if you could cut back on the constant prayers and kneeling on the field, that would be great.
Jacob is a senior in English and philosophy from Wichita.
ENTERTAINMENT
Smart television shows can be a risky move
Television's original purpose was to give the people of America a new form of entertainment. It allowed people to come home from work, sit on the couch and relax. The goal for television was to reach the same aesthetic pleasure music gives the human brain through repetitive catchy sounds. Television wanted you to shut off your brain—and maybe sell you some name-brand soap—but mainly it wanted you to forget the real world.
Today, television still has those same goals, but there is another type of television that contradicts those goals. This new brand of television has decided to go to war with the conventional television format, but it has not been very successful—yet.
Much like music, television has become not merely entertainment, but also an art form. While CBS keeps producing sitcoms with the same format, clichéd jokes and a laugh track to make sure you know when to laugh, other networks have allowed people who view television as an art form to have a voice by producing their shows. Shows such as NBC's "Community" and FOX's "Arrested Development" have strayed from the path that's been used since television's earliest days.
"Arrested Development" was great because it was smarter than your normal sitcom. It focused on making fun of recent popular events and moved faster than you could comprehend. After watching re-runs, I started to notice jokes that I didn't notice the first time around.
because Arrested Development" didn't use a laugh track, the next joke would come at you in mere seconds. Although "Arrested Development" was much smarter than the original format shows, it would not get the respect it deserved from viewers. The show was canceled midway through its third season.
"Community" is now in the same situation that "Arrested Development" was in. Midway through its third season, "Community" is sitting out NBC's winter schedule as it waits to learn its fate. The show will finish the season in the spring, but anything after that is very doubtful. "Community" uses the same idea as "Arrested Development" by making fun of popular culture and refusing to slow down for viewers. The show even blatantly makes fun of more successful shows by mocking them, most recently seen in the episode "Regional Holiday Music" as a
mock "Glee" episode.
The problem is that many people still want television to be relaxing and let them shut off their brain. Watching "Community" and "Arrested Development" makes the viewer think. Viewers can miss jokes completely, and nothing is more intimidating than watching a comedy that you just don't seem to understand. It's hard to relax when you are being sprinted through an obstacle course of jokes.
Luckily for "Arrested Development" and its cult following, it has been granted an afterlife, since Netflix has decided to bring back the show that will lead into a major motion picture. "Community" will probably not be as lucky, and may see its last days this upcoming spring. But when you try to break the mold, you have to be ready to suffer the consequences. And in this case, it's the sad truth that trying to outsmart the competition can be dangerous.
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ian Cummings, editor
864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
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864-4810 or bursa@kansan.com
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864-4924 or aukta@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Ian Cummings, Lisa Curran Alex Knuten Angela Hawkins Ryan Schleuner and Mandy Mathey
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