Whores
September 4, 2000
We are going to try to wrap up this “whores on campus” debate today since it is the kind of battle that will go back and forth ad nauseum. This kind of name calling is not helpful and leads only to hard feelings. If you have a genuine problem with women’s casual attire on campus, calling those so-casually dressed “whores” is unlikely to change their mode of self-expression. Indeed, it is quite likely to cause the opposite effect, as those insulted will continue to strut their stuff, thusly if only to defy you and your sense of self-righteous indignation. Insults may be a great way to get people’s attention, but there is a fine line between the kind of attention you would like to draw to your cause and the kind of attention that will drown you out. We live on a campus that is comprised of people from around the United States and the world. Most people who have been outside of Iowa can tell you it’s a big world with standards that vary drastically. Parts of Europe take to wearing clothes so tight that one’s religion can easily be identified. We’ve all seen or heard about the nude beaches of Rio where showing skin is not only acceptable but nudity is the norm. And on the other side of the spectrum, there are countries where a woman who shows her face in public is considered to be something of a whore. So really, when you take moderately tight pants and an open-back shirt into account, they aren’t that bad at all. On the other side, people will judge on appearance. For those ladies who want to be taken seriously as coeds of deep thought as well as babes with buff abs, you might want to remember you can’t always have it both ways. Editorial board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer and Andrea Hauser