Members of the exclusive Harvard University community refer to it simply as dropping the H Bomb. This is the exact moment in casual conversation when a student or graduate, ideally while pulling the olive out of his or her martini, discloses the fact he or she is a member of the Harvard family. How appropriate, then, that a student magazine featuring nudity soon to see circulation at Harvard would be named H Bomb. After seeing the content of the upcoming publication, the look on some stuffy alumni's faces likely will be quite similar to the face of shock, discomfort and jealousy displayed by the theoretical party guest.
The magazine, scheduled for a mid-May release on campus, is a bold step by some very enterprising students. Harvard would be wise not to stand in the way of its publication. The content will be similar to a magazine at Vassar College called Squirm: The Art of Campus Sex. It will combine art and creative writing along with what the founders described as an honest discussion of sex on campus
in a letter to the school newspaper The Harvard Crimson. Nude photos of both male and female Harvard students will grace the pages of the magazine. Public uproar about the magazine began when the Crimson used the term pornography to describe the content of the magazine.
Such a claim is without merit if the magazine founders stick to their initial plan for the layout of the magazine. Pornography brings a certain implication with it, in that it is by its very nature trashy and exploitative, especially of women. Magazines like Playboy and Penthouse fashion themselves as vehicles for protest and social change, and while they once might have filled such a role, their current content qualifies as more risqué and sophomoric than groundbreaking. This magazine, instead of being strictly eye candy, is designed as an educational tool for college students who have had little exposure to the realities of sex and relationships. Many college newspapers have sex advice columns with realistic and practical writing. This publication can take that idea further and, with quality, content can reach a wide and varied audience. The founders should have a chance to see if such an experiment can be successful at such a highbrow institution.
Criticize policies, not personal habits
While the film Demolition Man might not have been Oscar-worthy, its now-famous prediction of Arnold Schwarzenegger riding a wave of public acclaim all the way to the White House was realized somewhat by California's curious decision to elect the former bodybuilder as its governor. The film also proved prophetic in predicting an atmosphere where stringent moral codification was commonplace, as indicated by the numerous fines Sylvester Stallone picked up for swearing while hunting madman Wesley Snipes on the streets of San Angeles. Well, while not nearly that ridiculous, some of California's citizens are similarly expecting a bit too much from a citizen - in this case, their formerly chiseled governor.
Schwarzenegger, a noted cigar smoker who has twice appeared on the cover of Cigar Aficionado, is taking flak for his habit and its effect on the impressionable children of California. Anti-tobacco activists particularly are up in arms over the liberal Republican governor's plan to convert the California capitol's interior courtyard into an all-weather area where the governor can hold meetings and state functions without breaking California's strict anti-smoking guidelines. The redesigned courtyard is not costing the state any significant money and Schwarzenegger does not condone smoking for children.
Schwarzenegger's personal habits should not have any bearing on how he is perceived by the state and its citizens. If he wishes to conduct his meetings outdoors and offer cigars to other adults in private then so be it. Anyone expecting Schwarzenegger to be some sort of role model for children should have examined his previous work before electing him as the state's chief executive. Besides making movies heavy on bloody action and light on plot, Schwarzenegger has taken criticism in the past for sexual misconduct and steroid use. In other words, he is not a person a parent should point to as a model of exemplary conduct, making him similar to others wrongly put on symbolic moral pedestals. Just like many athletes, celebrities, politicians and civic leaders, Schwarzenegger's past actions preclude him from being a real role model, and expecting him to suddenly metamorphasize into one is unrealistic and unfair. Critics should spend more time attacking his policies than his propensity for lighting up a cigar. 17
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