In an attempt to recruit more members, the Philosophy Club caused quite a stir in Ross Hall with their “satirical” advertisements.

Julie Minkler, a temporary instructor in the English department, removed an advertisement the Philosophy Club had designed and hung in Ross Hall. The flyer, which urged students to join the Philosophy Club, had two pictures of a man and woman dressed only in underwear, as well as some sexual innuendoes in the text of the flyer.

Some of the phrases on the flyer included: “Guys like Kant.” and “Girls like Plato.”

Minkler said her first thought when she saw the ad was “curiosity to see what it said.”

“The ad was somewhat inappropriate,” Minkler said. “It had images, semi-naked men and women on it, which have nothing to do with philosophy as we know it.”

Minkler showed the flyer to a women and literature class she teaches. At least 10 members of the class wrote comments about the flyer as it was passed around. The flyer was then sent to the head of the philosophy department.

Randy Morfitt, a sophomore in philosophy and member of the Philosophy Club, designed the advertisement.

“I’m the one who does the primary design work on the Philosophy Club fliers,” he said.

Morfitt said intent in making the advertisements is to shake up people’s perception of what the Philosophy Club is all about.

“We are not a bunch of stodgy rich kids talking about arcane subjects of interest to only the intellectual elite,” Morfitt said. “I would encourage you to look at all the fliers I’ve done this year. I try to use humor to get people’s attention.”

Morfitt said he deliberately left sexual orientation off the fliers. “The pictures could be to straight, bi[sexual] or gay people,” he said.

Chad Goeser, president of the Philosophy Club, said it is obvious the images are meant to gain attention. “I guess the photographer thought it appropriate that the models wear underwear,” he said.

“The American pop culture uses these types of images for nearly every corner of its capitalistic market,” Goeser said.

“You can find a near-nude human body in just about every form of media in the U.S. within any given day. Usually, however, the intention is serious,” he said.

Minkler’s response to the advertisement was not the only response the club received.

“One woman was initially disturbed to see the nearly nude bodies. Prior to reading the text, she thought it was an advertisement for another greek beer party,” Goeser said.

He said upon closer examination, she found the advertisement to be satirically humorous.

Goeser said he was initially concerned the lack of diversity displayed in the advertisement might misrepresent the actual diversity of the members in the club.

“I thought that the use of stereotypically heterosexual icons might offend members of the ISU and greater Ames LGBTA [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, allies] community,” Goeser said. “However, as the icons are not necessarily heterosexist and were definitely meant to be satirical, my opinion was that if anyone was to be genuinely offended, it would be students who identify themselves with such pop iconography.”