Posted on 05/07/2012 10:21:31 AM PDT by billorites
The president of Tufts University Thursday lifted a suspension from competition levied against the men's rowing team that was handed out after members printed sexually suggestive T-shirts the rowers wore to an annual campus event.
The reinstatement, requested by university President Anthony Monaco, comes in time for this weekend's New England Rowing Championships in which the team's 31 rowers may now compete, the university said.
"Most decisions regarding our athletic teams are appropriately made at the programmatic level, and that was originally the case in this instance," Tufts spokeswoman Kimberly Thurler said in a statement. "However, given the larger issues involved, including issues of freedom of expression, President Monaco felt it was appropriate to review the entire matter with the coaches and our athletics director."
The fluorescent yellow tank-tops were printed for the annual schoolwide celebration called Spring Fling held last Friday on the president's lawn, and were emblazoned with a profile of a boat full of cartoon rowers complete with a coxswain, who sits at the head of the boat to direct the rowers during competition.
The caption drew the ire of at least one Tufts community member, who complained in writing that a sexually suggestive slogan that played off a common abbreviation of the coxswain's title was offensive toward women, and promoted a culture of rape and sexually aggressive behavior, according to the campus newspaper that first reported the suspensions, citing several people who read or have direct knowledge of the complaint.
The apparel violated team policy against "producing, purchasing, and wearing as a group unauthorized tee-shirts," Thurler said. The infraction was the "fundamental issue, not the one complaint that was received."
"In this case ... we must balance the internal question of team discipline with the university's commitment to an environment that supports free expression," Thurler said.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I absolutely loathe the idiotic PC mentality that constantly crops up in reaction to such things. On the other hand, this kind of moronic “Beavis and Butthead” humor is pretty darned pathetic (if not downright embarrassing in its lack of class and wit), and hardly worth defending.
It’s offensive because it’s public vulgarity, not because it’s an act of aggression against women. The former is fine in PC circles; the latter taboo, no matter how far-fetched.
A lot of young female athlete now practice in shorts or warm-up pants with the team name across the backside. Which is an implicit way of saying “Check out my a—.”
We’ll wait forever for men or a university protecting men’s delicate sensibilities to say that’s an act of aggression against men.
But on the back of the T-shirt it says...
“Our competition SUCKS”...
I guess they never heard the one about the two young ladies discussing the proper way to pronounce Pontiac’s Grand Prix.
If it lasts more than 4 hours, I'm calling EVERYBODY!
I remember a big ruckus in the 70s when Blimpies had a tshirt with “World’s second best taste treat” on the front. Back then we called them women’s libbers.
Is this a good time to remind folks that National Outdoor Intercourse Day is tomorrow, May 8th?
"Co-Ed Naked Lacrosse: It's rough, it's tough, and it's played in the buff!"
Pretty tame, actually, but they needed something to get upset over.
Mark
Hey Matt Byrne, the cox sits in the stern of the skull. Moron.
And this complaint from a broad who’s probably proud to go see the “Vagina Monologues”.
When I rowed(back in ‘62), we were a coxless fours.
No one teased us - ever!
Bet you can't lick our.... oh never mind
So who’s the tuft’s stroker?
Much ado about nothing.
Yup.
She said "Don't even think about it. After 4 hours, I'd be like 'Get away from me' ".
So much for that.
Oh, that’s just silly - both the shirt and the upset over it.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
You can wear a murdering Che shirt
But cox is bad it seems.
Turned in by the professor of ‘Womyn’s Studies’, no doubt.
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