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Sex wars at Penn State
TownHall.com ^ | Thursday, October 18, 2001 | by Brent Bozell

Posted on 10/17/2001 9:25:21 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

TownHall.com: Conservative Columnists: Brent Bozell
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Brent Bozell (back to story)

October 18, 2001

Sex wars at Penn State

Life at Penn State University is in sad shape, most noticeably the fabled Joe Paterno's team's attempt at playing the game of football. But off the field, matters are even worse. Take a look at this educational institution's sense of sexual morality, assuming it can even be said to have one.

In the fall of 2000, Penn State hosted a gathering with two names -- one being Womyn's Concerns, the other being unprintable because it contains a vulgar synonym for the vagina. The event received more than $9,500 in PSU funding. Thus far in 2001, the campus has hosted two more exceptionally distasteful sex-related events. Penn State is really into this stuff, it seems.

The Allentown, Pa., newspaper the Morning Call reported that the attractions at February's Sex Faire, which wasn't university-funded but was held at a PSU dormitory, included one game called Orgasm Bingo, another called Pin the Clitoris on the Vulva, and anatomically correct gingerbread men and women accompanied by an "Eat Me" sign.

Then, earlier this month, that shining star of American liberty, Hustler magazine's Larry Flynt, spoke at Penn State under the auspices of the university's Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment. The center's co-director described Flynt to CNSNews.com as "an exceedingly complex man who can't be easily categorized into black or white." Translation: If you think he's disgusting, you're just not enlightened enough to understand him.

In the account of the Penn State campus paper, some of what Flynt said at PSU dealt with the skin-magazine trade (he accused Hugh Hefner of "very much still living in the '50s," presumably because Playboy is more restrained than Hustler.) A lot of it didn't (he called President Bush an "idiot.")

But Flynt's remarks, no matter the topic, were sex-related for these simple reasons: Ultimately, he was invited to appear at Penn State (SET ITAL) only (END ITAL) because he is a public figure, and he is a public figure (SET ITAL) only (END ITAL) because he's an accomplished pornographer, and a trailblazer of a breathtakingly crude form of porn at that. If Flynt were an orthodontist, an insurance salesman or a bartender, no one would be interested in his political blatherings. The Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment certainly wouldn't be.

Penn State would surely tell us that to welcome Flynt is not to fully endorse what he represents, but what this taxpayer-funded institution is doing is to confer credibility on him, and respectability on the profession he champions. It explains why, as CNSNews.com reports, one result of Flynt's appearance may be that university representatives will face a grilling early next year when the state legislature holds appropriations hearings.

It's just another step in pornography's long march through the institutions.

The Comedy Central cable network runs a considerable amount of ultra-raunchy programming, so it's no surprise that the network's first original film, which goes into production early next year, will be called "Porn 'n' Chicken." The movie has a connection to the world of higher learning, since it's based, notes the entertainment Web site Zap2it.com, "on the true story of Yale's Porn 'n' Chicken Club ... an underground group that gathers weekly to eat fried chicken and watch pornography."

And the other day, a piece in the Sunday Times of London stated that "an estimated one in seven British teenagers are registered to check into the virtual Habbo hotel." And what happens at the Habbo? The teens "simulat(e) adult affairs by checking in ... under assumed names ... Girls using the site ... routinely offer strangers sexual favors, which they describe in lurid detail." The paper added, "Predatory adults appear to use the site to try to contact teenage girls."

Few in the entertainment community have done more in their careers to promote the culture of sexual permissiveness than has the performer Madonna. From the glorification of her erotic lifestyle to the bashing of religion in general, and the Catholic Church in particular, she has influenced an entire generation of youngsters to accept the lewd as normal.

There's a body count to quantify the consequences of Madonna's sexual promiscuity, though obviously it must not bother her one bit. The New York Post reports that a new biography of her reveals that she's had eleven abortions.

Ah, consequences. It often seems that there's nothing the makers of modern popular culture would rather do than portray sex, and that there's nothing that would bother them more than to talk about its consequences.

Brent Bozell is President of Media Research Center, a TownHall.com member group. Contact Brent Bozell

©2001 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

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1 posted on 10/17/2001 9:25:21 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
How many Penn State grads remember 'Rainbow Week' at Penn State back in the 60s? Maybe things haven't changed that much.
2 posted on 10/17/2001 9:30:48 PM PDT by Rushian
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To: JohnHuang2
It's about time this went national.

We've been rather disgusted with the recent faires held at PSU with the help of our tax dollars. College president comes to Harrisburg each year, gets a tiny slap on the wrist for being naughty, and heads back to Happy Valley with every cent he asked for.

As for the football team. What can you say? They have seen better years.

3 posted on 10/17/2001 9:34:49 PM PDT by I am still Casey
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To: JohnHuang2
My, my. Things sure have changed since I was in college. Of course, we wrote our lessons on the walls of our caves.
4 posted on 10/17/2001 9:34:54 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot
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To: JMJ333
 Pin the Clitoris on the Vulva, and anatomically correct gingerbread
men and women accompanied by an "Eat Me" sign.

Oh, the horror.  As if there is insufficient news of worth these days,
the doily-dollies are in a ruff over dorm games. Puuhhhllllllleeeeeeeeze!

5 posted on 10/17/2001 9:37:20 PM PDT by gcruse
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
Phi Beta Caveman?
6 posted on 10/17/2001 9:37:46 PM PDT by socal_parrot
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To: JohnHuang2
Amazing. I didn't think Brent Bozell knew the first thing about sex, let alone what it is.
7 posted on 10/17/2001 9:41:37 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP
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To: JohnHuang2
The enemy has sold us a bill of goods.

He has convinced us that God is a killjoy.

Actually, God's position is that sex outside of the guidelines is NOT FUN, JOYFUL

ENOUGH.

Cheap sex is ultimately not cheap, not joyful and a hideous, bleak paradoy of sex as designed.

Sadly, the enemy has also torpedoed intimacy in general so much that even relatively few married couples enjoy the robust joy designed in.

The Song of Solomon is not a bored, dull, moaning wail. . . . but an exhaltation. . . yes, also as an analogy of Christ's Love for The Church--but not only. . . . it's also a celebration of sex as designed. . . . a dance of communication. . . . a dance of caring, thoughtfulness, tenderness, intimacy . . . heart to heart, being to being, personhood to personhood. . . .spirit to spirit. . . .

When the standard is set as cheaply as evidently it has been at Penn State, it's not surprising that bleakness leads to a grasping group grope for greater grins.

But most experienced hedonists know that greater numbers of conquests, partners, victims doesn't yield a proportionately greater thrill and certainly no greater joy. Going from Playboy to snuff movies vicariously or literally doesn't increase any lasting satisfaction, joy or even greater quality thrill.

But such progressions do increase pain, death, isolation, hopelessness. . . feelings and existences of wasted, used-up, terminal shallowness, terminal hollowness, terminal angst, terminal depression, terminal self-loathing, terminal joylessness, terminal isolation, walking and imobile, terminal. . . . death.

And media and entertainment industries pretend the opposite is true. . . . and the Pied Piper's song SEEMS interesting enough masses of the population are led around by the puppet strings tied to their genitals . . . . and to certain regions of their brains.

I think God is more angry that his creation takes the priceless diamonds of the buckets and oceans of true Joy offered--and chooses instead the thimblefulls of poison offered by trenchcoated figures in dark allies. . . . than He is that we are rebels. Let me try again.

I think God is more angry that when He offers His kids gifts of unmeasured Joy and fulfillment, they throw the priceless gift in the sewer and go off and play with used toilet paper instead.

The rebellion is serious enough. But I think it's sadder to any father for his kid to cast aside authentic treasures tailored to the individual's unique joy-buttons--and for the kid to then, in a drunken stupor to go play with rattle snakes and scorpions--in denial pretending that's fun.

The rules are not because God is anal retentive.

The rules are for our Joy. The Designer knows how we are made and how we are best thrilled.

Compared to God, when it comes to thrills and joy, we are infinite, sawdust chewing idiots.

8 posted on 10/17/2001 10:43:55 PM PDT by Quix
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To: gcruse
Many parents actually think they are getting something for the money they are shelling out for college these days--they are, if they consider their kids being titillated worth that kind of $$$...If it were my kid he'd be yanked out of Penn State so fast it would make their pathetic heads spin.
9 posted on 10/18/2001 4:37:49 AM PDT by JMJ333
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: one_particular_harbour
You may be right, but we sure don't have to encourage it.
11 posted on 10/18/2001 4:55:26 AM PDT by mumbo
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To: JMJ333
Many parents actually think they are getting something for the money they are shelling out for college these days--they are, if they consider their kids being titillated worth that kind of $$$...If it were my kid he'd be yanked out of Penn State so fast it would make their pathetic heads spin.

Condemning the university as a whole is akin to condemning America because of the actions of NAMBLA. These people are hardly representative of the university as a whole - remember that out of 45,000 students even the 0.5% fringe is still 225 wackos.

12 posted on 10/18/2001 5:09:09 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: JohnHuang2
It explains why, as CNSNews.com reports, one result of Flynt's appearance may be that university representatives will face a grilling early next year when the state legislature holds appropriations hearings.

Well, there's at least one ray of hope: If adults don't abound in professorial and administrative positions at PSU, the PA legislature might have a few honest-to-goodness grownups.

Pity poor Joe Paterno. One of college football's good guys is trying to win one measly game to tie Bear Bryant's record . . . and it'll only redound to the glory of Puerile State University.

13 posted on 10/18/2001 5:12:30 AM PDT by Caleb1411
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To: NittanyLion
Thanks for providing a things-aren't-as-bleak-as-they-appear perspective to my previous jeremiad.

Now how can we get that win for Joe?

14 posted on 10/18/2001 5:16:45 AM PDT by Caleb1411
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To: JohnHuang2
I've recently moved to State College. It's a wonderful area and the University is far more conservative than most, however.....this crap must be identified and stopped.

Would anyone out there like to form an organization that would have as it's goal identifying and stopping this tax funded garbage at PSU?

If not us, the parents and alumni, then who?

Freepmail me or contact me at txd131@aol.com if interested.

15 posted on 10/18/2001 5:17:09 AM PDT by Jethro Tull
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To: NittanyLion
Condemning the university as a whole is akin to condemning America because of the actions of NAMBLA. These people are hardly representative of the university as a whole - remember that out of 45,000 students even the 0.5% fringe is still 225 wackos.

I'm not condemning anyone--I'm judging the curriculum and character of the college. I would not send my child there because I want him to develop up in a Christian enviornment. The standards of morality at Penn State are low!

16 posted on 10/18/2001 6:05:46 AM PDT by JMJ333
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To: JohnHuang2
"...held at a PSU dormitory, included one game called Orgasm Bingo,"

Geshhh.
"College Students," huh?
You'd think given the obsession with the subject, age & their raging hormones?

They'd have minimally gotten the name-of-the-game straight.

17 posted on 10/18/2001 6:23:26 AM PDT by Landru
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To: JMJ333
"develop up in a Christian enviornment"=develop in a Christian environment.
18 posted on 10/18/2001 6:34:25 AM PDT by JMJ333
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To: JMJ333
I'm not condemning anyone--I'm judging the curriculum and character of the college. I would not send my child there because I want him to develop up in a Christian enviornment. The standards of morality at Penn State are low!

Standards of morality are determined on an individual basis, same as in the US as a whole. This tiny minority obviously is immoral, but one can hardly claim that the other 44,900 students hold the same moral beliefs. People at PSU range from the very liberal to very conservative, very religious to atheist, etc. Just like anywhere else.

If you feel a Christian university/college is the best environment for your child, that's great! But keep in mind there are plenty of people at every university that are moral - your child will do best to understand his/her beliefs and live by them regardless of the surrounding environment.

19 posted on 10/18/2001 6:38:26 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: mumbo
You may be right, but we sure don't have to encourage it.

Or pay for it!

20 posted on 10/18/2001 6:49:42 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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