4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
MONDAY,NOV.19,2001
TALK TO US
Kursten Phelps
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KU2030
Beginning after Thanksgiving, the opinion page will be running projections of life at the University of Kansas in 2030, as submitted by Kansan readers. Thank you to all who have already turned in submissions.Submissions are still being accepted.Special consideration will be given to submissions written as news stories.
News story ideas incude:
- Preview of a KU athletic event
- Coverage of a press conference announcing online enrollment in 2034.
- Excerpts from an interview with the Chancellor
PERSPECTIVE
Submissions should be sent to opinion@kansan.com or brought to 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Call Brendan Woodbury at 864-4924 with questions.
Additional Ideas:
Eeseys
ance of academic departments in thirteen
- The future of corporate sponsors
- The appearance or disappearance of academic departments
■ Your organization in thirty years
Art
Jayhawk logo
The view looking down Jayhawk Boulevard
Creative:
Drawings for new campus buildings
- An entry in a freshman's diary
- A class syllabus
A class symbol
Alternative uses for the ruins of
Wescoe Hall
An ad for a bar on Massachusetts Street.
Sensitivity doesn't require lying
But all of a sudden in this age of Oprah re-runs and Dawson's Creek, Americans have become more sensitive than an Enrique Iglesias video. Anything and everything offends us. Take for example, the movie Shallow Hal. The movie has caused quite a stir concerning it's portrayal of fat people. I'm sorry, I meant morbidly obese people. No, that's not right either. Let's just say heavy people are the butt of 98 percent of the iokes in the movie.
We have all been taught to be sensitive to each other's feelings and respect everyone. But despite being instilled with these values, we still poke fun at other people and point out other's misgivings. It's human nature. Everyone has prejudices and preconceived notions that base how we judge another person.
The point is, I never know what term is politically correct these days when describing a group of people because everyone is so sensitive and easily offended. Now, because of movies like Shallow Hal, American Sweethearts, and The Nutty Professor, advocacy groups supporting overweight people are complaining about the portrayal of thickset individuals and the use of fat suits by actors.
Yes, there are actually groups like the International Size Acceptance Association and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. What is next, the National Association to Advance Husky Filipino's Acceptance?
Actually, that sounds like a great idea.
I am not exactly svlette myself, so I can understand why some obese people would be a little mad. Having your
Commentary
shortcomings or stigmas become sources of laughter is not fun for anyone. But to make it a public issue is uncalled for. People are made fun of everyday. Making fun of someone's physical appearance is the basis of all comedy. It starts in grade school. Kids make fun of others for their big noses, last names, small boobs, braces and of course the king of all disses, the dirt-stache. Then as we get older, the teasing goes on to more mature material like big butts, a receding hairline, and each other's mothers.
But why is someone's weight the most sensitive topic of all? Because we are taught in America that despite various external features being bad, being fit and thin is the most important aspect of beauty. We are taught that we were born with a perfect body and we should take care of it at all costs. If we let a little meat get on the bone, then of all of a sudden we are "overweight" in big bold letters.
The reason people find such delight in antagonizing fat people is because it is a universal trait. Attributes like a certain race, skin color or religious belief are all one sect of the human population. But being fat is universal. There are fat people everywhere in every country and people can relate to that.
The only problem I do have with Shallow Hal is that inner beauty is represented by a thin person. We all know true beauty and perfection is represented by Britney Spears circa the "I'm a Slave 4 U" video. But what about the guys who dig midgets, or girls with no limbs or girls with big butts. Oh wait a minute, there is another sensitive topic that cannot be touched. Women and their bums. My bad.
Beyond this topic of weight we are sensitive about everything. Homosexuals protested Eminem's controversial lyrics, Italians protested The Sopranos portrayal of Italian mobsters, and advocates wanted the guys of Jackass to stop being themselves. Making such a big deal about such controversial topics only provides more publicity for the perceived offenders. Eminem has sold millions of records and The Sopranos and Jackass' ratings have skyrocketed.
People just need to relax and realize it is just entertainment and it is make believe. Or you can fight back and adopt my belief that two wrongs in fact do make a right. Those who feel they are unjustly mocked, like fat people, need to unite and fight back. For example, fat people need to make a movie about skinny boring people like Gwenyth Paltrow who concern themselves with trivial things like fashion and dieting. And her "period of inner beauty" can be that time before she got the Hollywood make-over and dated Brad Pitt to promote her career. No, that sounds a little too insensitive.
Boria is a junior in journalism from Springfield, Mo.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT SEX
Dear Editor.
The themes of these articles (casual sex, group sex, sodomy) are insulting and offensive to many students at KU. By printing a column which appeals to base and carnal human desires, the Kansan damages its own reputation and that of the University. I think it is improper for the Kansan, being funded by the State of Kansas and mandatory student fees, to print articles of this nature which could very well be read by minors visiting the University and by the children of students and faculty.
Dear Editor,
I believe the Kansan has crossed the line of journalistic integrity by publishing Meghan Bainum's weekly sex column. In my opinion, the articles do more than inform students about sexual behavior, they advocate sexual promiscuity. The physical and emotional dangers of this practice are well known and documented. Any understanding of sex that treats other humans simply as a means of gratifying personal sexual desires is dangerous and immoral.
SAINTS BE PRAISED
Dear editor.
Ms. Bainum took some time off! What a relief! Is there any way to extend
The University of Kansas is supposed to be an institution of higher education. I don't think it takes a college course in journalism to write garbage. Sadly, what one learns from her column is questionable at best. Her column could be extremely informative in this day and age of STD's, abortion, single motherhood and alternative lifestyle. Instead, we get Hustler.
her down-time?
Kursten Phelps' column about the Manhattan High School Indians ("Manhattan misses opportunity to correct school's racist mistake," Nov. 9) reminds me of two other racist sports team nicknames that have somehow escaped public condemnation. I am talking about the Boston Celtics and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Surely the portrayal of Irish-Americans as
The only turkey Ms. Bainum should be stuffing is her column ... into the oven.
I'm no Bible thumper, by the way. I work as a cashier at Naismith Hall. There are a lot of kids who can tell you I'm no prude. For the record, though, I am a senior citizen and a voting Republican.
Kathy Turner Naismith Hall
Dear editor.
WHY NOT BAN THE INNISI?
drunken, smoking, pugnacious, greenclad imps is a relic of a more prejudiced time and has no place in politically correct America. Why are we offended by the Manhattan Indians while allowing these teams to keep their equally offensive nicknames?
Two reasons: Most of us know someone who is Irish-American, and we know they don't give a damn what Boston's basketball team calls itself. But since few of us know any Native Americans, we don't know what will offend them and are afraid of being offensive. Out of these fears come ideas that anything called "Indian" will hurt their feelings.
Use your head. Nobody is offended by the Chiefs or the Indians or the Braves any more than they are offended by the Fighting Irish. All this irrational fear of offending people accomplishes is silly debates such as this.
Mike Nigh
St. Louis, Mo., freshman
ANIMAL RIGHTS ROUNDUP
Dear editor.
Dear editor,
I was heartened to see the Kansan's article ("Local activists protest treatment of animals at American Royal Rodeo." Nov. 5) on abuses that occur at rodeos. I hope it will prompt those who patronize rodeos for entertainment to
pause and question their support. Not only are the abuses toward the animals horrendous, the basic principle of the rodeo is fundamentally flawed.
How is shocking an animal, terrifying him, chasing him, roping him to a neckbreakening halt and tying his legs, a sign of manliness and bravery? Rodeos are falsely advertised as a demonstration of human skill to tame the creatures of the "Wild West," while in reality they are merely manipulative displays of human domination over docile animals.
If cowboys truly have a "consideration for livestock" and "aren't trying to hurt animals" they would refuse to participate in such events. While there may not always be visible physical damage to the animal (often the injuries are internal), there will be psychological damage to the animal. And don't forget that after many months of pain and suffering, the only reward a rodeo animal recieves is a trip to the slaughterhouse.
The American cowboy is so embedded in our culture that we hesitate to question the actions surrounding the icon. Perhaps if the public knew what truly took place in the arena, people would stop attending rodeos, just one of the many hideous spectacles we force animals to endure for an evening's worth of "fun."
Julia Franklin Topeka sophomore
FREE for ALL 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Not all of them will be published. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
Sometimes I think I'm all alone in this world.
Then I remember my friend Jack Daniels.
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If alcohol is the No.1 cause of death for college students, why do we still drink?
I think drunk drivers should die before they kill somebody innocent.
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the anti-smoking propaganda on TV is no better than Fred Phelps' propaganda.
GTAs do not get their housing for free.
路
My roommate sucks at Life.
I miss Meghan.
I've never, ever wanted Thanksgiving so bad in my life.
I just wanted everybody to know that while you're reading this, my friends and I are in Chicago to see the Pat McGee Band and Howie Day play at the House of Blues.
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What is a pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh?
What the hell is a pooh?！
To the person who said "Where is God when evil strikes." What makes you so sure that God is a he?
My girlfriend has the biggest butt and the tightest jeans.
B.
Have you had your SUV today?
Is it wrong that I only want to date married men who are professors?
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To all the Muslims out there: hope you have a very happy and blessed Ramadan.
This is from 3 West. Two West, you're going down.
酷
After watching the CBS special the other night, I have changed my religion to pop music, and my god is Michael Jackson.
It's the middle of November and it's 70 degrees outside. Is anyone else confused?
Imitation is ignorance, but jealousy is suicide.
题
I've gotten the "it's not you, it's me" speech about five times, so I'm thinking that the next girlfriend I have, I'm gonna be a jerk too, just so it will be me.
Yes, there are a lot of hot red heads on campus.
Jack Daniels is really good!
I just got done watching the Texas A&M girls soccer team with the big 12 Championship, and after they won, they all piled on top of each other in the middle of the field. All I can say is, "Yes!"
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题
Thanks to the booth on Wescoe Beach. I just found out that cigarettes are bad for you. Thank you so much!
B
I would like to say that I'm a guy, and my room smells fantastic!
I enjoy girls who wear gold sweaters
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I'm a GTA and let me tell you, housing is not free.
X
I'd just like to say that TLC's show *Creating Spaces* has changed my entire academic life. I now want to be an interior designer.
This comment is designed to be instantly forgettable.
题
I got bored during class one day, so I counted the number of ums my teacher said. I counted 1,066 ums during the class time.
I just wanted to say that all my co-workers suck.
回
Evil flowers do what?
题
Mr. B, where have you been? I've been making out with girls, and you're missing out. Call me soon. Love, Munchkin.
I no longer fare hell because I just went through the enrollment process.
To all the people who are going to Disney-
world for Thanksgiving, Mickey is no subi-
stitute for turkey. Give a life.
My question for you: Was Leroy Brown the baddest man in town? Yes, because the boogie man said so.
B
Forget Gene Hackman and John Cusack,
Rob Love rocks our face off!