Isn’t this a Clear Example of “Academic Freedom?”

I’m following this story on the tail of a much longer discussion about “Standing Up for Academic Freedom,” and trying to make some connections.

The MLA wants all instructors, tenured or untenured, full-time or part-time, to be able to teach according to their “own good judgement,” deciding what is appropriate and what is inappropriate without the help of external agencies or agents.

If we want academic freedom to apply to all those involved in higher ed, then I guess this students’ newspaper should also have the “freedom” to display this sexual fantasy, as distasteful and questionable as it may be.

The student editor is correct in pointing out that “if artists worried about offending people, they would never leave the status quo.” While the basic scenario of this photoshoot seems pretty in line with the “status quo” of much of the porn that appears on the Internet and in mainstream forums, I guess it does raise interesting questions about how young people opt to position themselves within those pervasive fantasies.

Fantasy is fantasy, and I have no problem with the photo spread appearing in the student paper per se. I actually agree with Costa that the photo spread has enabled a potentially productive discussion about what exactly constitutes violence towards women. That said, I think the title, “Unexpected Intercourse,” says a lot about the bizarre double-speak and avoidance of ‘truth’ that seems that have infiltrated our national culture at all levels.

If you’re dealing with representatons of rape, you may as well be up front about it and call a spade a spade. I don’t imagine it does victims or perpetrators of sexual violence any good to construct rape as an ‘unexpected’ accident.

Observer, at 8:53 am EST on January 3, 2006

I’m embarrassed to tell anyone I have a degree from this institution. This just goes to prove there are some really sick people in the world.

Another Observer, at 10:27 am EST on January 3, 2006

Reality

Note please that the photo spread was the idea of the photo editor (a female) who also willingly participated in the series.

Sexual fanasies vary widely between people. Not long ago, many were considered diseases or abnormalities — and that is thankfully no longer the case. This photo editor’s fanatasy of being followed into her garage and so forth is no different in principle than any of many other fanatasies by various other people.

Kevin, Undergraduate, at 12:07 pm EST on January 4, 2006

Issues of Respect and Intended Audiences

I teach a humantities through the arts course, and even for my students the subject matter would be questionable.

Was this spread really effective? What was its point? Not having a copy of the paper, my indication is to suspect that it romanticized a ‘rape fantasy.’

What educaitonal value does that have? How does that speak to the audience? Does it explain a domination submission fantasy, including things like ’safe words’ to healthfully deal with such inclinations? Does it inform students about ways to avoid this sort of encounter? Nope.

Why was it in a newspaper, rather than a gallery or art-lit magazine (like most schools publish once or twice a year?)

How does that speak to young women and men who may have experienced that sort of situation? Does it humiliate them? Cause flashbacks?

What the HELL was the point?

An Adjunct, at 8:22 pm EST on January 4, 2006

The KKK is still entitled to march and demonstrate and preach their beleifs and ideas, and as much as the majority of this country hates their ideas, there is nothing we can do about it. The students who produced these photographs have that right, and as much as people do not like it, if we start to censor that or punish people who say, do and profess ideas that we disagree with we enter a slippery slope. We could use excuses such as, “They are only students.” but that only would make a double standard. If your not working on a national newspaper, you don’t have the same freedoms, it becomes difficult. I do feel badly that these photos upset many people, and my only response is that I am sorry, but that we cannot and we should not try to please everyone out there.

Shannon, UW Oshkosh, at 8:32 am EST on January 5, 2006

UWM newspaper

I read the Post now and then and remain shocked at its high level of sexually explicit tone—if the article isn’t about who is doing whom or what someone did to someone else, it’s an article about sports or one of an “FYI” nature such as, ‘checking your email from home’. Having attended many other universities, it is a real shame that the UWM newspaper is staffed by people with sexual problems. Seriously, I am no prude but we have papers that deal with the tripe this one dishes out. We are in an urban environment with myriad issues that beg for attention by young aspiring journalists—you can get the smut that fills this paper by reading the other free publications designed to reach this audience.

mwk, uwm, at 6:23 pm EST on January 10, 2006