vol_10_no_6 by Michigan Review

pologists Frame the P.C. Debate by John J. Miller Students, scholars, and journalists descended upon the University of Michigan last weekend in order to debate "political correctness," or "pc." Those who argue that political correctness exists essentially assert that a left-wing orthodoxy exists at American universities, refuses to tolerate dissent, and obstructs the controversial discussions necessary for higher education to function. They attended a conference entitled "The PC Frame-up: What's Behind the Attack?" "We feel a bad deal has been given to the contemporary university reform movement," said U-M professor of English Alan Wald, in the conference organizers' opening statement on Friday afternoon. "We want to see if our cri tics have a point." By the conference's conclusion on Sunday night, Wald had decided thecri\ics of political correctness had no point. "This massive slander campaign is not dying/' he said. He specifically cited

Last April, we brouhht you the "Earth Day" issue; on October 23 of this year, e gave you the "Canon Under Fire" issue. In a continuing effort to focus on today's most important issues, we i prescnt the "Scx and Culture" issue. 1' 1t;\Sideyou will find a veritablerornuI,copia of news and opinions relating

FW'6;Sex and culture.

Edilor-in-Chief

I Brian JcndrykD examines the growing contingent of gays and lesbians

I >~thin ~c Republi.can a~d ~bcrtat : ;~;f\ p.l roes. The RevtewedltOrial board i takesastandon theotyofAnnArbor's new Domestic Partnership Ordinance.

PublisherEmcritus MarkO.Stemand Special Issue Editor Jeff Muir square off in a. Raw forum on the question of whether or not the U-M ought to open up its family hOUSlng units to hom(he).ual couples. Tony Ghecea i and Andrew Bockelm.m write on .

SAPACanddaterape statistics. literary Editor AdamGclragtola and Eddi~ Arner each present a boo~ reVIew on.. the latcst 10 (eminfstthcory. The~;' and other ''Sex and Culture" ar:.ijcleS}i;

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the four nationally recognized conservaMichigan Union as yet undetermined. closed his remarks by asking the auditives who had participated in the conferHouston Baker, director of the Unience to consider how it should evaluate ence and accused them of creating a versity of Pennsylvania's Center for Black accusations of political correctness, and "Frankenstein's monster." Literature and Culture, noted in the then invoking a recent hit by the rap The conference organizers themconference's first panel discussion that group Public Enemy: "Can' t Truss It." selves are a group of Stephen Balch, president of the National Association of Scholars, spoke left- leaning professors and graduate immediately after Baker, and offered a students. Many are very different account of the modem membersofTeachers academy. "The role of the university is to disfora Democratic Culcover and transmit knowledge," he said, ture, an organization founded in Septem"A university's contribution to democber to promotecti(' racy is as an intellectual institution, not as a partisan player." ricular reform: and, according to one of' Balch asked what is meant by the its statements, to re_, _ I "democratic reform movement on camspond to "misleading " " .."pu§:"'He made a number of suggestions, charges about 'politi- Stephen Balch attacked politicized education at the P.C. conference: - but concluded that it implies nothing less cal correctness.'" attacks upon various campus reforms than "the hamessingoftheuniversityfor They now plan to form a local orgareflect that our nation is experiencing a radical and egalitarian social change." nization called the U-M Network for moment of "moral panic." As many dif"This involves tendentious teaching Cultural Democracy. The group's inauferent groups compete for limited reand a reconstruction of the university gural meeting will take place at 5 p .m. on sources, those in power (i.e., white males) have grown increasingly defensive. Baker PleJ4se See Page 11 Wednesday, Nov. 20, in a room at the

Coming Out of the Second Closet by Brian Jendryka When he came out of the closet, Rich Tafel faced many of the same problems that other gays confront as they seek respect and equal treatment in a heterosexual world. Tafel, an adolscent health Specialist for the Massachusets Department of Health, then faced an additional obstacle: discrimination and ridicule from other gays. Why? Tafel is a Republican. Not only does he face the the trials of being gay, but he also has to cope with the frequentely more precarious situation of being a gay Republican in a leftistdominated gay movement. Tafel, president of the Log Cabin Federation, a national Republican group for gays, is one of many gays challenging the dogma of the leftist gay groups. Dave Edmondson, a third-year law school student at the University of Michigan, is another. Though Edmondson is a libertarian, he encounters many of the same challenges as other gays and yet does not expect any special favors or rights from the government or society at large. Edmonson is a member of both the Washtenaw Libertarian Party and Liber~

tarians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns (LGLC), a national group based in Ann Arbor and headed up by U-M alumnus James Hudler. Hudler, Edmondson and Tafel are all working for gay rights, while in the process trying to dispel the attitudes of many of their peers and society in general. Instead of receiving support from the rest of the gay community, however, they have been ostracized, and even blackballed for their political beliefs.

Equal Rights or Special Rights? While Tafel, Hudler, and Edmondson are working for gay rights, they are working for equal rights, and not special rights. This is an important distinction, says Tafel. ''I'm not asking for any special rights. I'm not asking for money. And I'm not asking for affirmative action. I just want the same rights as every other taxpaying citizen." On this issue, the Republican and Libertarian gay populations often finds themselves in agreement. "Most political , parties have a completely wrong- headed philosophy because they emphasize the .group over the individual ," sa y s

Edmondson. "Ironically, it is the elevation of the group over the individual that has been behind the oppression of gays." While Republicans and Libertarians differ on many issues, gay Republicans and Libertarians also share many of the

Please See Page 14

INSIDE Gay Housing

Interview: Luther Campbell

P.C. Conference

Crusty's Corner

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Serpent's Tooth The residents of Los Gorreadores, Nicaragua, have decided to "re-cluisten their village with the name of .the man they credit with freeing them from tyranny: Ronald Reagan. 'He helped us a lot. Because of him, the nation lives in democracy,' said Raul Espinoza, the village patriarch," according to the Washington Times and Pat Buchanan's From the Right. Not to be outdone, we at the Michigan Review would like to suggest that the UM re--1:hristen Regent's Plaza in the name of the man who we credit with getting Corey Dolgon to quit playing guitar and shouting in public: MSA President James Green.

A homosexual male, a bisexual female, a heterosexual male, and a necrophilious female were walking through the Diag (a distinct possibility on this campus). The bisexual female put her hand on the homosexual male's shoulder and said "Hi honey." The homosexual male goosed the heterosexual male. At the same time, the heterosexual male was making kissing noises at the necrophelious female. Who was guilty of sexual harassment? Clarence Thomas, of course.

This being our "Sex and Culture" issue, we dispatched one of our ace reporters over to SAPAC to get the low-<iown on Julie Steiner's own private Idaho. We had tried to get an interview with Steiner for a previous article on SAP AC, but she always seemed to be too busy. This time, she consented to~ interview, telling our reporter that we hadn't pursued her vigorously enough in the past. Unfortunately, Fraulein Steiner stood up our reporter, failing to show up for her appointment. I guess next time we'll need to kidnap her pets and demand she fit us into her schedule. Would that be vigorous enough for you, Julie?

This year's version of the radical, wiggedout, hippy-wanna-bees, the Progressive Party, has really gone off the deep end. First of all, campaign co-chairs Todd "The Convicted Chalker" Ochoa and

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Amy "Cow Eyes" Polk have built their . party's platform around the issue of stu~ dents' rights, their opposition's strongest suit. Then they engaged in a poster campaign that can only be called surreal; their first round of posters consisted solely of a picture of a gender- neutral clock apparently fleeing in panic. Huh?

for, oh, perhaps the last 10 years! There's room for everyone in our movement, though, even those who have to go through a "shift in thinking." With this we expect to see the Affirmative Action office dismantled immediately.

MICHIGAN RE~EW "We are the Establishment"

The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan

The Daily printed a special "Fiction Issue" on Nov. 8. As if anything were new. In a distinguished act of manliness, Pattrice Maurer, everyone's favorite psych T.A., told the Daily that Deane Baker, everyone's favorite regent, was "using his power as my boss to put pressure on me to shut the fuck up." This comment was made following charges that Baker "harassed" Maurer by alleging that she gave her students extra credit for attending a protest of Baker at his residence. Perhaps Maurer should wake up and smell her armpits. Whether ornot Bakers allegationj jlre true, comments -. probably woukH:lot have been made had.... Maurernot"harassed"Bakerathishome in the first place. Ahlta Hill syndrome? The Review's resident bounty hunter, Andrew Bockelcarbonbasedorganism, noticed that a fresh stack of our October 23 issue had mysteriously disappeared from the Alice Lloyd distribution center. In his quest to retrieve the sacred text and terminate the perpetrator of this heinous crime, Andrew found some 100 copies of the Review disposed of in a nearby trash can. We didn't realize we were that hard to debate. Is our intellectual hegemony that overbearing?

President Duderstadt said that perhaps the U-M ought to start treating everyone the same, according to a recent issue of the Ann Arbor News, ''For example, rather than having specific support programs for minority students, you ought to have support programs for all students. We ought to aimat not simply improving the teaching environment for minority students, but for all students," said the Dude. Gee! What a novel concept. We certainly haven't been thinking of the same thing

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SAPAC recently distributed balloons with the inscription "Imagine: A World Without Rape." Keeping with this spirit, the Review will soon produce balloons with this slogan: "Imagine: A World Without Psychological Rape." If these go over well, we hope to distribute balloons stating "Imagine: A Campus Without SAPAC." ~

Special Issue Editor...................Jeff Muir Editol'-in-Chief .... ........... Brian Jendryka Publisher.......... ..... ......Karen S. Brinkman Executive Edilor. ...... .......... Adam DeVore Contributing Editor ...............Jay McNeill Contributing Editor.........David J. Powell Contributing Editor... ........Stacey Walker

Assistant Editor............ Peter Daugavietis It appears that the confused radicals have Assistant Editor...................... Corey Hill made yet another mistake, this time with Assistant Editor........... Kishore Jayabalan their use of the term "people of color." Scientific research has shown that white Music Editor .. .........................Chris Peters isa blend of all the colors of the spectrum, Literary Editor................ Adam Garagiola and black is the absence of color. We ..1\<11'8 Edilor.. .......................... DougThiese suggest they begin to use the phrase '" Production Manager............ ....... Andrew "people of so many colors of the specBockelman trum that we'll make white people feel Production Manager......Tracy Robinson uncomfortable, but not enough colors of the spectrum so that we ourselves are actually white." Or something like that.

According to the Wilmington, Delaware

News Journal, the University of Delaware recently decided to hold a campus workshop on sexual assault, which was geared toward women of color, but had been advertised as being open to" anyone concerned about sexual assault and its prevention." Halfway through the event, 10 white women were forced to leave when a workshop speaker, Sheila ThompsonThomas, told a staffer to instruct the crowd thatthe event was open to minorities only. We suggest that U-Dhold a few workshops on racial harrasment before trying to tackle sexual harrasment.

At the recent P.c. conference, super-protester Barbara Ransby approached the Re· view propaganda table to enquire as to why our "Dead White Men" poster only listed dead white men, and excluded women and people of color. Once again: Huh?

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Staff Eddie Amer, Chris Bair, Mike Beidler, Ryan Ikleskool, David Boettger, Mister Iklffo, Kevin M. Iklwen, Michele Brogley, Mark Burnstein, Oris Goutier, Joe Coletti, Brian Cook, Tim Darr, Keith Edwards, Athena Foley, Tony Ghecea, John Gnodtke, Jonathan R Goodman, Chris Gutowski, Mike Hewitt, Nicholas Hoffman, Nate Jamison, Ken Johnston, Beth Martin, Kirsten MtCarrel, Peter Miskech, Bud Muncher, Crusty Muncher, Bill Murley, Owen Perkins-Muir Hashim Rahman,Mitch Rohde, David Roth bart, Brian 5chefke, Caroran Shafii, Michael Skinner, Dan Spillane, Jay Sprout, Kenneth W. Staley, Perry Thompson, Jim Waldecker, Tony Woodlief.

Editor-at-targe ...................John J. Miller Publisher Emeritus ...........Mark O. Stern Editor Emeritus .................. Marc Selinger The Michigan R.e-oiew is an independent, nonprofit, student-run journal at the University of Michigan. We are not affiliated with any political party. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board. Signed articles represent the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the &view. We welcome letters and articles and encourage comments about the journal and issues discussed in it. Our address is:

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Suite One 911 North University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265

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November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Roving Photographer 'v'

Do you support Ann Arbor's rectn1t19-passed Domestic Partnership Ordinance? by Mitch Rohde

Marty Favor, Graduate student in English: Sure, Whole-heartedly. Homosexuals live in a state where they cannot get married legally. This would attempt to rectify the situation.

_~indy Bauer, Nursing Freshman: I didn't

Anamika Samata, RC Freshman: Yes. Just because we ref~ to admit homosexuality exists dOesn't mean that it does not. Consider the ,luge number of homosexuals .. .it seems ridiculous to attempt to suppress it.

hear about this particular ordinance be'orehand, but I would say I support it.

Anita Fernandez, LSA Junior: I wholeheartedly support this. I don't believe that law has the right to call some relationships worthy, while others are immoral or illegal . .... # ''''''

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Oppose speech bans? Support the teaching of classic literature? Abhor the politicization of the classroom? Feel the U-M's leftists need to be challenged? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions,

support

The Michigan Review Scott Almoney, Natural Resources Senior: Sure .. .it seems to me that people have the right to express their own gender.

When asked the question, a number of students gave "no comment" responses, and one suggested that he wouldn't answer for fear of retribution.

With your tax-deductible donation of $20 or more, you'll receive a one-year subscription to the campus affairs journal of the University of Michigan. You'll read in-depth articles about the wasteful U-M bureaucracy, be the first to hear of First Amendment violations, and keep abreast of the forces working to erode traditional Western education. YES! I WOULD UKE TO HELP! I'm sending my tax-deductible donation of:

A Bastion of Hateful Conservative Ideas

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To join, type "5so MREV: Forum" at the # prompt.

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

From Suite One: Editorials

November 20,1991

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Domestic Partnership Ordinance is Proper Today is the first day unmarried couples residing together may register their relationships under the domestic partnership ordinance, passed unanimously by Ann Arbor's City Council earlier this month. The ordinance has been the focus of statewide attention in recent weeks because it applies to single sex couples as well as more traditional heterosexual unions. Nevertheless, the ordinance cannot be viewed correctly as the creation of a "new right" as it merely brings the law in step with the first and greatest principles of American government: liberty and equality before the law, not because of membership in a "historically oppressed" group, but as individuals who possess the same inalienable rights, and hence, claims, as all other individuals. While the ordinance does not extend any privileges to registrants, it marks the initial step in elimina ting legal distinctions, unduly founded on issues of private morality, as to what constitutes '1egitimate" relationships. Many believe that the ordinance will become a spring-board for granting benefits to homosexual couples, most of which are alread¥ available to married heterosexual couples, such as pensions, tax exemptions for those filing jointly, and the ability of one member of a relationship to transfer health insurance. Others have concerns that the ordinance will lead to grant.. ing special privileges solely on the basis of sexual orientat~9ll:" ' a sort of "affirmative action" for homosexuals. This, however, would only undermine thl! logic behind the ordinance by re-establishing one's sexual''brientation as\egitimate grounds for determining social policy. Private sexual practices of individuals should not be a matter of public policy.

At the same time, it is silly to think that the ordinance represents a moral affirmation of homosexual lifestyles. Indeed, the language of the ordinance is purposefully gender neutral. Instead, the ordinance merely represents a needed alignment with the first principles of American government, and a refusal to dsicriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Conversely, opponents of the ordinance claim that its passage will promote promiscuity, undermine family values, and foster sexually transmitted diseases. It is difficult to imagine, however, how recognizing homosexual unions will encourage promiscuity. Actually, it should have precisely the opposite effect, since registrants are required to cohabitate. Moreover, it is nothing short of hypocrisy to criticize homosexuals for being anti-family and then deny legal recognition of their families. As far as the spread of sexually transmitted disease, not only will a well-informed self- interest prevail, but that is served by the domestic partnership ordinance, which implicitly encourages monogamous lifestyles. While it is doubtful that the government ought to be in the marriage, or "partnership," business at all, once it is decided in the affirmative, they have no legitimate basis for recognizing some relationships and not others. Consideration of the morality of homosexual partnerships does not fall in the government gornain, but rather to private individuals. And while one may not condone homosexuality, he or she should demand consistency fromthe government. Despite the many ways it may be misconstrued; Ann Arbor's domestic partnership ordinance is a shining exampleo,Lthe way things ought to be. ,

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Student Rights Commission Deserves Praise Last winter, the Conservative Coalition captured the preSidency and a majority on the Michigan Student Assembly. With the changes on the assembly came changes in the composition of the leadership of its committees and commissions, and more often than not, these changes reflected the new conservative bent of theasseinbly. Third year law school studfTnt Michael David Warren Jr. was elected chairman of the Students Rights Commission (SRC), and he pledged to run the Commission in a completely different manner than his predecessor, Corey Dolgon. Recently, Warren's tenure at SRC has come under scrutiny and criticism in the letters to the editor and editorial section of the Michigan Daily. In addition, this year's version of the liberal party, the Progressive party, has suggested in their campaign flyers that the current assembly has done "nothing" to further students' interests regarding the recent tear gassirtg of students on S. University and thecontroversw Michigan Union I.D. policy. The Progressives harken back to the good 01' days of Dolgon, and have actually built their campaign around the issue of students' rights. So how has Warren distinguished himself from Dolgon at SRC? To begin with, it is interesting to note that last year, the Conservative Coalition made Dolgon's SRC an important plank in its election platform. Dolgon's idea of advocating Ustuden~' right~" cp~~ of issuing lists of demands, . adrriinistrative offices, having sit-ins, rallies, taking protests, donning gorilla suits, and playing poorly written . ,-\ - , '> , pseudo-Bob Dylan protest songs to audiences of twelve. I: - ' Needless to say, these antics, while they did grab the headlines of the Daily, did little to actually affect policy in a manner that was beneficial to students. In fact, Dolgon and his cohorts were so far out of the mainstream of U- M student opinion, that one might go so far as to say that his actions were actually harmful to student interests. Warren's SRC presents a sharp contrast to Dolgon's. Warren has not sponsored

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any protests; he has not called for any sit-ins or student strikes; he has not issued any lists of demands, nor has he once bad-mouthed the administration. What he has done is remarkable, at least in comparison to Dolgon's accomplishments. Rather than staging a retro-'6O's freak show;as was Dolgon's specialty, Warren has assembled several sub-commissions consisting of interested students, including other law students, that have quietly been assembling information on several key issues. On November 12, the ''TeargassingSubcommisssion'' issued a 50 page report on their investiga tion of the incident. This report included a transcript of an interview with Ann Arbor's Chief of Police, and "also contained analysis of several documents which were obtained by SRC as,a resUlt ' of their filing Freedom of Information Act requests. Another sub-commission is investigating and is in the prOcess of ' preparing a report on the Constitutionality of the U-M's interim speech code. They have done similar research on the legality of the City of Ann Arbor's noise ordinance, which Warren thinks might be enforced selectively against students. When the SRC issues its reports and makes its findings known, neither the U-M administration nor the Ann Arbof Police Department will be able to brush them off as they did Dolgon's left-wing, blanket denunciations of everything that represented the establishmenl In this way, Warren's SRC is not only furthering students' rights, but it is alsO demonstrating that the SRC need not consist of a troupe of Abbie Hoffman wanna-bees acting like it is 1968. Michael David Warren Jr. is to be commended for his administration of the SRC, and is setting a fine example for future SRC chairmen. He has demonstrated that the SRC can be apolitical, that it does not need front page exposure in the Michigan Daily, and that real work and dedication out-perform demagoguery and bluster when it comes to promoting and advocating students' rights.

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

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P.c. Wallows in Intellectual Laziness by Jeff Muir An interesting thing happened the other night. I was sitting in the back row of Auditorium B in Angell Hall last Saturday evening with a few hundred other people, listening to a panel discussion on "Free Speech, Hate Speech, and P.e.," which was part of last weekend's ''P.e. Frame-Up: What's Behind the Attack," conference. During the question-andanswer session, a gentleman stood up and described an event that he equated with hate speech, and then asked the panel what they thought. The gentleman, Jim Toy of the University of Michigan's Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office (LGMPO), said that last ~, following the "Drake's 5" incident, he received an Nanonymous" MIS Jl'le&oo sagewhichwarnedLGMPOagainstsup-

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porting the Drake's 5. The message, he continued, further threatened that if LGMPO did so, the anonymous sender would try to "de-fund" LGMPO. Toy said that he then contacted the people at MTS who handle "ethical use" questions to learn the identity of the anonymous person who was responsible for this hate ~peech. He then paused for dramatic flair. '1 discovered that Jeff Muir of the Michigan Review sent that mes-

sage." Before I go any further, I ought to clarify what really happened with the Drake'5S,the M1S message, and LGMPO.

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As for the Drake's 5: Pattrice Maurer and several ofherfriends were at Drake's one evening when Truman Tibbals, the octogenarian owner, concluded that they hadn't ordered enough food to justify . their being in his establishment for so long. As he has done hundreds of times before with loiterers, Tibbals threw the bunch of them out. Maurer and her cohorts concluded that this was an act of "homophobia." They reasoned that thi~ man of SO, who probably wouldn't know a lesbianfrQm a.thespicm.. realiZed they weRhomosexualsand in a fit ofhysteria ejected them. So MaUrer formed the

Drake's 5. She called for a boycott of Drake's, demanded that Tibbals refund the money they had spent on candy there, and further, that he donate $100 to the LGMPO. The campus community was almost unanimous in its condemnation of Maurer and the rest of the Drake's 5. Even some members of the homosexual community said that Maurer had gone too far. I wrote a column (liThe City Hall 1 Comes Out," March 20, 1991) about the event, in which I was harshly critical of Maurerfor her grandstanding. I sent a message to "LGMPO staff" in which I identified myself as a contributing editor of the Michigan Review. The reason that my name didn't appear is

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caii"or"'africaftA~,·ItShO~· a· ' tt.eUSeofIndIanr0g05?; " ·'~ · : " "" )( " ,'RockyHorro,Altlcle ,' w~t~Jittlepe(;plein~ci5t1 . . " M~irsta~, '1tisoJM(>uSthatN?t'aB ' '; ""cFlictutlily 1tJt:oI1YH;t.. .. Don'f hYset any pJaiset~, YOU . native Americans are athletes, because .· , .. . .. " . . . dorrt~Y<!W're~t9beJievethat . $Orneof'them~ potteryandb.lankets. - . . 1 am ~ to Critique the article,on MidJ\jght, Henri, and Ken can put~n the . Second,theadVeitisementfo'rMui(s .Similarly, women 'are capable of 01()te ' · Rbcky'· ~(lO/23/9t); Myname'is ·· showalone?Whata~ttheotheractors '

, 1~ of respect to Native Amerk.W. Please show the ~ ,respect to our people !hat you w~ to anyone else.

, article in the ~ 5eCtlon of the.first than sex, as is' evidenCed by the many .' Bree BoleraRdIam the co-founderof the ., arid actresses, not to ~tion theaew? page of the MkNgan Review said, "Muir actresses and dancers that are oftbe fe;. VelVet DarknesS ~vue. First of all, the They work damn hard to put on the ol.llndians." Muir did not write an artide . male persuasion-" While we are proud of ' ", 15th aJUUversaryconvention· wasn't in shQw, attending three rehearsals a week on Native A.rnericaM,he wrote an'lrtideotit cWtU.rartra(fiti~ Muir'StateS only -' -New York. itwas at the 20th Century Foxtoass1Jre that everything is perfect. on Indian Logos. There is a vast differthose careers that are traditionally Nastudios in Los Ailgeles. Shock Treatment I appreciate the fact that the article ~e between a- people ~ cn:t~ . tive~. Native Americans are also . wasn~tasequeI, it was the furtheradven· was writleftatall,.butlfeel thatit~uld've . Third;Mwrsta~that HAnti-indian- ' .lawyers; doctotS, teachers, sderitists~ tures of Brad and Janet. Henri Price had ' been better. I sincerely hope that m the symboladvocatesdaimthatthepractice the list is indefinite. It should be noted . little to do with the group's success, in future,therewillbemorearticlesinyour objectifies native AmeriCans, and brain· that women hold these careers as well fact it was a group effort headed up by paper about the Rocky ' Horror Picture. . washes people into believing that aU naa fact overlooked by Muir. myself, Midnight Blessing, and Ken ' Show, but including some of the other tive Americans are collegiate or profesFmally, Muir claims that those who Cassidy. Henri Price didn't even join the facts and people that have kept the show sional athletes." We have never heard this argument. Our opposition to Indian logos stems from the way in which we are characterized by the logos and/or the practices which come out of those logos. One example is the Florida State Seminoles. While their logo is not particularly offensive, the practices engaged in by Horida State supporters are appalling. They dress in what they characterize as Native American dress, wear "war paint," carry tomahawks and run around screaming in the Hollywood stereotype of the '1ndian savage." The only similar

oppose Indian logos never ask Native castforseveralmonthsafterthecasthad running for the past 16 years. Americans how they feel. According to formed. No one to my knowledge has I hope that my criticisms won't keep Muir, Native Americans are honored to ever thrown "meatloaf." Michael Hess, you from doing further articles on our have their like~ss as a schQoI ~l.:' . not Michael Hen is not the only Repregroup. We are there doing the show evThe first problem with this state~fis " sentativ~'for the Natronal Fan Oub. I ~~ , _,. ~ry Sci~rday night without fail and I that Indian logos are not a likeness to also a State Representative for the Fan thihkthafdesei'VeS some attention. PerNative Americans. They portray the myth Oub. haps a follow up article could be done to that Native Americans are brutal savPeople should check their facts becorrect the aforementioned mista}ces. ages. This stereotype was created by the fore they write an article like this. I can't Bree Boler colonists to justify the taking of our land even begin to tell you how disappointing The Velvet Darkness Reuue and the attempted genocide of our entire it is to read this after you gave such high R.H.P.S. Fan Club people. Second, not all Native Amerihopes when finding out that Rocky is Rep, #224 cans support Indian logos. As with any going to get some much needed and deissue in any community, there is a diviserved attention. Some of the comments

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 20, 1991

Essay: Se~ual Assault ~ ,{}".-i>"

SAPAC's Credibility Tarnished by Politics by Andrew Bockelman The Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) at the University of Michigan is frequently a subject of debate on campus. The center was created to effectively deal with the problem of sexual assault in the campus community and, for the most part, it has pursued that task. At the same time, however, it is often criticized as a laudable cause gone awry because of actions that are both controversial and irrelevant to its purpose. SAPAC seeks to further a noble cause, but its credibility has often been tarnished by its dubious positions on the issue of sexual assault and uncalled for attempts at politicization. The idea for a rape prevention center at the University of Michigan originated in 1985, resulting from a general concern throughout the campus community that the University approached the issue of sexual assault apathetically. Public pressure forced the administration to acknowledge the issue, and in June of 1985 a drive was started to establish the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, to be run through the Office of Student Services. In February of 1986, the current director, Julie Steiner, assumed her role as the coordinator of the center and SAP AC officially opened. Since that time, SAPAC has provided a vast array of services to the campus community, including educational programming, counseling services, and coordinating campus safety concerns, for the purpose of Constructively dealing with the issue of sexual assault. SAPACseducational programming services seek to raise awareness about sexual assault by infonning the public about the prominence and seriousness of this crime. In order to disseminate such information, SAPAC produces posters and pamphlets regarding various topics related to sexual assa~lt, such as the number of rapes reported on campus last year, frequent "myths" about sexual assault, Michigan's Criminal Sexual Conduct Statutes, the psychology of a rapist, and how to treat a victim of sexual assault. In addition to sponsoring Sexual Assault Awareness Week every fall and Rape Prevention Month every April, the center also offers programs and seminars conducted by a volunteer staff of 60 trained professionals and students which teach prevention and awareness. Seminars such as the Acquaintance Rape Prevention Workshop, Survivor's Speak Out, and Sexual Harassment Workshop are

presented to residence halls, classes, fraternities, sororities, faculty members, and other interested groups. In fact, over 4,000 people attend SAP AC seminars every year. SAPAC has also established support programs to help survivors of sexual assault. Professional, confidential counseling is offered to survivors on both an individual and a group basis. Similar services are also provided to the families of survivors. In addition, SAP AC operates a counseling phone line which is accessible outside of office hours, and is staffed by trained professionals and volunteers. SAPAC also works with legal and medical organizations in its effort to provide assistance to survivors of sexual assault.

extreme, politicized positions on controversial matters. Since the timeofits inception, SAP AC has generated controversy by taking rather tendentious positions regarding the nature of sexual assault, primarily through making unsubstantiated and often dubious claims, stereotyping males, and unnecessarily politicizing its role. SAPAC has often been accused of manufacturing or fabricating sexual assault terminology with no scientific, sociological, or legal basis. The most infamous example of this is SAPAC's attempt to define a new degree of criminal sexual conduct called "psychological rape." Psychological rape is apparently c8mmitted when rude remarks, heavy

will be offended. In order to maintain justice, those reactions cannot be generalized. By endorsing such exaggerated terminology, SAPAC gives the appearance of trying to dilute the true meaning of rape in favor of making more trivial actions into crimes. In addition, SAPAC's educational resources are replete with stereotypes. Ironically, SAPAC claims that it wants to dispel the "myths" of sexual assault. The most obvious stereotype that SAPAC uses, yet attempts to deny, is the stereotype of "the male rapist and female victim." While the vast majority of rapes are committed by men against women, this is not always the case. Yet according to literature produced by SAPAC, "Rape is an act of force, and the rapist looks for women or girls that he perceives as vulnerable." Apparently, men are rapists and women are victims. But, according to another SAPAC pamphlet, "Most of us grow up thinking that rape only happens to women ... Reoognize that men and boys can and ... will be sexually assaulted." Thisdiscrepancy repeats itselfin other SAPAC literature, even to the point where it is offensive to many males who feel as if their gender is being stereotyped as "rapist." SAPAC's claim that it is apolitically seeking to end sexual assault is weakened by these blatant and obvious contradictions within its own literature. If accuracy were important to SAPAC, the center would promote gender inclusivity when talking about the crime. The terms "rapist" breathing, whistling noises, stares, etc., and "rapee" .are infinitely more accurate are specifically targeted at particular fethan ''he'' or "she." males. SAPAC's goal is to equate such Ma.ny of the positions taken by impolite behavior with rape. In extreme SAPAC in its educational material sugcases, such behavior might rightly be gest that the purpose of the organization labeled as sexual harassment, but in no is to uncover "sexism" in our society, w~y is it "rape." The Criminal Sexual rather than promote awareness 'ibout Conduct Statutes of the. State of Michisex crimes. While some rapes may occur gan, which define the four degrees of b€cause the rapist has sexist beliefs, criminal sexual conduct in the state, list SAPAC attempts to exaggerate this conpenetration, attempted penetration, connection by loosely defining sexism on its tact, or attempted contact as grounds for own dubious terms. SAPAC tends to charges. Thirteen ~ggravating circumpromote the idea that rape exists because stances in addition to the four degrees males are broughtupina "rapeculture," are also listed: NQwhere does it mention where they are taught to be sexist. This "psychological rape" as grounds for charge goes unsubstantiated. It is nacharges. ively assumed that males rape because At the same time, it would be imposthey are brought up to think of women as sible to legislate such a vague standard. nothing more than objects of lust. The Sinc~ different people will have differ.ent fallacy in this thought can be illustrated reactions to the same comment, it is imby referring to a1987 incident at Dooley's possible to predetermine which actions Bar in Ann Arbor, which SAP AC vocally constitute- "psychological rape" and criticized as being symbolic of our "rape which ones do not. For example, in reculture." sponse to an approving, inviting glance, sorne people wi}l Qe. flat\ered and others , P.l~ S~Page 11 -<" • • ,

Coordinating campus safety cems is another of SAPAC's primary projects. Although SAPAC does not play a direct role in providing campus safety, it has worked extensively with other departments, particularly the Department of Public Safety, to implement strategies designed to increase safety on campus. SAPAC has successfully worked for improvements in .the Nite Owl service, the establishment of ''blue light" security phones on campus, increased lighting on campus, as well as. the Safewalkl Northwalk student escort service, which operates with over 100 student volunteers. SAPAC emphasizes that rape can be prevented by men and women working together to increase awareness, and ostensibly seeks to provide a safe campus and supportive environment for survivors. Overall, SAPAC has honored its mission of raising awareness and working to prevent sexual assault. In some respects, however, it has damaged its own credibility by frequently adopting ,' ,'

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November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Essay: Campus Politics

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·buses Questionable Statistics by Tony Gheeea When challenged on their sometimes extreme positions, groups like SAP AC often claim that they base their policies on research done on the issue of rape.The body of data which they draw upon in creating such helpfulhintsas their "Myths of the Month/' however, is often more questionable than it is reliable. The following are two examples of experimental literature done on the topic of rape, accompanied by an observation of Some of the faults of each. Robert Quackenbush (1989) explored the effect of male sex-role orientation on male perceptions of rape. Quackenbush hypothesized that masculine sex-typed males, or "macho manly-men," would express less disapproval of rape than androgynous males (men who possess the supposed "rough nature" of men as well as the "kind nature" of women). He collected data through the use of a selfreport questionnaire which contained the "Bern Sex- Role Inventory," a "Rape ResponSibility Questionnaire," and one of .. two "identical" rape vignettes, one depicting stranger rape, and the other acquaintance rape. Quackenbush, however, only partially supported his hypothesis. He indeed found that so called "macho-males" showed consistently less disdainful attitudes toward rape than androgynous males. Males in geri,eral, however, found the acquaintance rape vignette to be less of a crime, and often not a crime at all, in comparison to the stranger rape scenario. Regarding the "acquaintance rape" scenario, males reported less empathy for the "rape victim, and attributed greater respOnsibility to the "victim" and less to the "rapist." Before we go drawing conclusions· about warped male perceptions and the lack of any difference between acqitain- · lance rape and stranger rape, howeverj we should look at some problems with Quackenbush's·.results. Quackenbush preSE!nted a diffe~t rape vignette't<rto each of his subject pools. One group r~ ceived the stranger rape version, while the other received the acqoaintance rape vignette. This fact makes it difficult to judge fairly the reactions of males to each type of rape, simply because no subject was able to read and compare both versions. An interesting bias is alS<? 81'parent in each of Quackenbush's vignettes. In both cases he presents exactly the same scenario, that of a man taking a woman 9Ut to dinner, taking her home, and then If

seducing her. Anhis point the date rape , pletelynakedand having everything but . scenario shows the man.foroblypen- · · sex tosay,IIStop!" · etrating the woman, while ~e stranger... All 'Of thi~is .oot to imply that acrape scenario shows the man leaving the .quaintanc~rapedoes not exist, or that it house for a moment, duringwhich time isn't a crime. But in the cbntext of a stranger enters the room and rapes the Quackenbush's experiment, such a biwoman. The text of both of the "rape" .. .ased date rape vignette is truly misleadscenes is exactly the same, right down to. ing. Quackenbush depicts the Woman as howeach"rapist"lIquicklyunzipped.his ..being completely uninvolved. in the act pants and slid them down." Fwm3 . of foreplay, What hisvlgnette fails to sim.ple reading oleach scene, an int~rest~ .: recognl~e,~Qwever, is .the exi.stence ofa ing fact immediately becomes apparent: ::.mutual·reljitibnship between a man and ·· inneithervignetteisthewomandepiCteq .. :Cl'v0rnanwIloengageinsexual.behavior. as having anything to do with theposi~·. . . . Males· must recognize· a woman's . . right,tpterminate an encounter before it tion she is in.

a dance for one. a related experiment, Alyce Buoti.ng and Joyce Reeves (1983) examined the relationship between male sexrole orientation 'and belief in "rape myths." Their general hypothesis . was that male sex-role orientation influences a ma:le'sbelief in the v?lidity of "rape myths." The "myths" they chose to investigate included the foliowing: "rape is primarily a sexual act" "women are responsible for .causing rape" "rape is not a crime; and the, victim might enjoy i til "wom~n fantasize about beingraped" "rape is a spontaneous, unplanned act" "rapels primarily an interracial crime" and ~'rape victims are predOminantly young and attractive women." . Buntingand Reeves also took it upon themselves to investigate the effect on "myth~ef" of religlousfaith,academic interests, sister relationShips, and the presence or lack of maternal employ".... ~nt in the lives of their male subjects. ". They used a selfreport questionnaire, based on the "Likert 'Macho' and 'Rape Belief'Scales," to measure, respectively, the degree of male sex- role orientation exhibited by their subjects and theirlevel of "myth-belief." Bunting and Reeves supported their hypothesis, suggesting that male sexrole orientation does indeed affect one's belief in rape myths. They also drew the foUowingconclusions from their findings: "religious fundamentalism increases the strength of the sex-role orientation/rape myth belief relationship," "the strength of this relationship is either augmented or mitigated by participation ifrcertaiItacademic areas," "a sisterrelationship lessen~ the d~grel? of male belief . . ' . . <,:.,' . .~ . _ ':.' . . .. .' . . ... . . . irtsuch <mythS"al'ld:iiwljether OF. not a Inboth caSes itisthe man wliQ'19sses reaches inf¢rcourse; But!;women must · man's moth¢~ was employed has no ef~ Woman, the man who fon:dlts'tlilt} > ~alizet~ftl:teyhave aresponsibiIity to fectonsuch~liefs." ) woman, the miln Who undresses:,the ir\akeitClearto men that they do notUke Quackenb'usti'stesti.ltslhow.woman, the man who fore~ the woman intend' to have sex.' It is hard' to underever, the conclusions of Bunting .and · to'have sex withhim~ The wo~n never s~i1dhoW a rrlah'c.an be the only agent in Reeves alSo appear to be vUlnerable: to ldssesthelnan,never.fondleshitn;never . caSualsexualinte:rcoul'Se,particularlyin very basic criticisms. The spectrum of · undre'sses·him. Sheisneverdepicted as ' Quacket,bush<s example, where the fetheir experimetttitselfwas fartOO$ffiall imtiating' any' sexual','ce1tUl'c-tr ianQ ~~he . male,statesno bbjections to his advances to meri t · any society-Wide generalizanever ' takes any responsibility for the untilsheis compl~tely naked. tions. Their subject pool was composed Qirection in which the scene isneadedWhenQuackenbush~ssubjectsplace of 400 males, 96% of'whom were white (natnelyintercourse).Sheisdepictedollly part of the responsibility for intercourse and 75% of whom were polificallyconas.being acted upon. . inthe."daterape" scenario on the woman, sepvative. . At no point in either scene doeS the it's becauSe that' is where it belongs. The . While this sampling may be reprewoman say, "No, don't fondle'me," or absence Many action on the part of the .. . sentative of the male student body at a "No, don't undress me." Intieed, the Quackenbush'sferria1e suggests that she Texas state university (which, incidenwoman does absolutely nothing until she shares absolutely none of theresponsitally, is where theexperimenttookplace), says, "No, don't have sex with me." One bility for theintert't>urse which eventu~ it is by no means necessarily representawould wonder why a woman who was ally occurs; and this is absOlutely not tive of the nation as a whole, as groups so opposed to having intercoUl'~ with true. As the saying goes, "It takes two to Please See Page 12 this man would wait until she was com... . .. tango." But Quackenbush only presents

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THE 'MICHiGAN REvIEW

Review Forum: Family Housing Debate

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November 20, '1991

- 'I f'"

Should Not Pander to Homosexuals

By Mark O. Stem The recent passage of the so-<:alled "Domestic Partnership Act" in Ann Arbor has added fuel to the flames of this . year's left-wing ciiuse celebre-the admission of homosexual "families" into the University of Michigan's family housing. The activists who have been demonstrating all year for this change in policy orientation have attacked the U-M on two levels. First, they have pointed to the U-M's current policy of "nondiscrimination" in housing, and have suggested that the U-M is hypocritical. The U-M claims it does not discriminate based on sex or sexual orientation, yet it "discriminates" against homosexual couples. It is obviously true that the U-M's policy is hypocritical-the policy itself is an exercise in futility. No one will deny that the U-M makes distinctions (i.e., "discriminates") based on sex, for example. It clearly matches roommates using this criterion, and it even maintains all-female dorms. While few would question the rationale for these actions, they are still "discrimination." The current housing policy ignores common sense if it is read literally, and should be eliminated or modified, if the U-M does not want to make dorms coed by bed, which would be required under a literal interpretation. This is a smokescreen, however. The real issue at stake is a second, deeper issue: whether the U-M may set any policies at all for the housing it owns, if such policies might violate the tenants' "rights." The University ought not be in the business of providing family hOUsing, in which it competes with the free market. If the U-M chooses, nonetheless, to provide such housing (as is likely for the foreseeable future), it does not give up the right to set standards of conduct for those living on its property, including the exclusion of non-families, just because it is a public institution. All students surrender some of their fundamental rights when they enter any University housing sih).ation. The right to bear arms, for example, is specifically guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yet possession of firearms in a dorm is grounds for immedia te lease termination. This policy, along with others such as substance-free halls, and quiet hours, has not been questioned by activists, even though the Bill of Rights is involved. Thus, the U-M has a precedent to set standards for conduct on its property.

"But wait!" you say. Banning guns is encouraged, or even legally protected. "different." What would happen if the Homosexual activists allege that the U-M did allow homosexuals into family ordinance does not encouragehomosexuhousing? How would it be detrimental? ality. But their arguments are a perverThe answer is far more complicated sion of logic. They claim that the status than proponents will acknowledge. The quo promotes heterosexuality by allowcurrent standard for ing heterosexual family housing-decouples into hOUSing. fining a family-is eiIf this is so, allowing ther 1) a married homosexual couples into housing would couple, or 2) a single parent with children. promote homosexuality-which propoSince an avowed homosexual with chilnentsdeny! If the new dren (from whatever policy does not prosource) would be able mote homosexuality, then the old one does to move in as a single parent, the debate renot (by their logic) promote heterosexuvolvesaround the first criterion. ality, so no change Ann Arbor'!i)'A!Qent ordinance not- -' would be needed. Homosexuals may have the right to withstanding, there exists no universal, ... live their preferred lifestyle, but the Uniaccepted definitiol).~of "marriage" for homosexuals. If the U-M is to address versity does not have to condone it. To say that allowing homosexual couples to this issue straight on, it will have to allow into family housing any couple who claim live in family housing does not condon~ . that they are "family." The city ordihomosexuality is nonsense. nance applies only within Ann Arbor; Allowing homosexual couples into family housing is not a neutral action. It there is no national or statewide standard. is an active encouragement of an activity Such an interpretation, though, which is contrary to Michigan law (enwould also include unmarried heteroforced or not). Ann Arbor's recent 00sexual couples living together, or, for mestic Partnership Act is a similar contradiction of the will of the people of the that matter, any two University students who wish to enjoy the benefits of a subsiState of Michigan, as expressed in State law. The rightness or dized North Campus apartment; otherwise, wrongness of State law is another matter, but the U-M would be discriminating. The U-M the U-M, as a state institution, ought not enwould be unable to set any standards, and famcourage violations of ily housing would be state law. no different from any Is family housing other apartment. The an endorsement of heterosexuality? It may whole purpose of famwell be, but heterosexuily housing would be utterly perverted and viality is the accepted tiated. norm of society from The root of this detime immemorial. The bate, which will come out of the arguvast majority of the people of Michigan ment in the end, is the allegation that in a and of the U.S. have endorsed it. While a free SOCiety the U-M cannot discriminate majority may be wrong, in a case where against homosexuals, even if the effect of the government must either endorse or allowing them into family housing would not endorse an activity, the majority be to make it no longer for families. should prevail, as long as it does not Yet once again, things are not so violate people's individual rights to life, simple. There is a difference between liberty, or property. toleration and acceptance. In a free sociAnd the U-M's violates none of these. ety, the government does not have any It does not discriminate against homobusiness regulating a transaction between sexual students in the classroom. Unitwo consenting adults, so long as that versitY-subsidized housing is a privilege, not a right; as noted above, the U':"'M transaction does notimpinge on the rights of others. Because something is permitcan and should set standards in all areas ted, however, does not mean that it is of the University. Students who do not

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like them may choose to live elsewhere, or exercise their preference by going to school elsewhere. Almost all societies and religions have condemned homosexuality. Moreover, many, if not most of the tenants in family housing live there because of the family setting. They do not want their children to grow up among rowdy college students off campus, but instead in a more wholesome, family environment. This is why the U-M gives preference to families with children in admission to family housing. A wholesome environment would not be maintained by allowing any two people, of the same or different sex, into family housing, with no restrictions whatsoever. If the people of the State of Michigan, who in large part fund this University, want to legalize homosexual "marriage," they will make their preference known by passing such a law. But i tis neitherfor the U-M nor the City of Ann Arbor to begin social engineering which is contrary to the will of the people, and which is subsidized by the people's tax dollars. The State is not a moral teacher. But it must at all costs avoid taking actions which legislate against morality, and actively destroy it. Laws and policies destructive of the morality of the citizens will ultimately destroy the state itself; the Founding Fathers realized this when they drafted the Constitution. Finally, the precedent which would be set by allowing homosexual couples into U-M housing is dangerous. This is only the first step down a slippery slope. In the wake of Ann Arbor's domestic partnership ordinance, activists are already demanding that the city confer benefits on the "partners" of its employees. Next, private businesses may be compelled to do so, (if the activists again get their way) and there is even a possibility, albeit remote, of "affirmative action" for homosexuals. Far from getting the governmentout of people's lives, the natural conclusion of a policy change would create still more government interference in the private sector. Homosexuals are endowed with inalienable rights, but the "right" to University-subsidized housing is not one of them. The University cannot create morality, but it must not take action to further fray our nation's moral fabric.

Mark O. Stern is a junior in history and publisher emeritus of the Review.

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November 20,1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Review Forum: Family Housing Debate " ~ ~"" ,'.:.'

'U' Shouldn't Pander by Jeff Muir

change society in ways that it would not The University of Michigan's regents naturally change. aaims that allowing recently voted unanimously to reject a homosexuals into family housing proposal, outlined in "From Invisibility amounts to social engineering are comto Inclusion - Opening the Doors for pletely misguided, however. I would arLesbians and Gay Men at the University gue that by using the institutional force of Michigan," that would have made it of the U-M to prevent a segment of the possible for homosexual couples, nonpopulation which already exists from married heterosexual couples, and exenjoying equal access is ittended families to live in the U-M's famself a form of negative so. ily housing units. Current admission cricial engineering. Changing teria only allows access to legally marpolicies to meet the needs ried couples and single parents. of the people over time is Proponents of a change in the housnot social engineering. In ing code point to one particularly forcerejecting the family housful argument in their favor. The State of ing reforms, the U-M is failMichigan does not recognize homosexual ing to recognize changes in marriages. Therefore, proponents claim, society (such as the high homosexuals are easily discriminated divorce rate and the inagainst by merely stating that a prerequicreasing acceptance of and openness site for access to family housing isa statewithin the gay community). It is blindly recognized marriage. basing policy on outs,ia ted conceptions of This sort of Catch-22 is often used as sexuality and fanlii y , and requiring that a method of discriminating against hopeople fit into these ~.onceptions before mosexuals, just as it has been used against conferring benefi ts. This is social engiminorities. Blacks have often been deneering in the worst sense. nied equal access to comparable educaOpponents also have employed the tional resources, thus producing a large sensationalistic tactic of claiming that alnumberofunder-educated,state-depenlowing homosexuals into the family housing units will somehow threaten the childent people. These people are then criticized for being stupid and lazy, and the dren there, or corrupt what they claim is a pristine, Ward and June familial envifact that they are under-educated and ronment. This argument hardly deserves state-dependent is then cited as "proof." a refutation, but I will nonethless proHomosexuals are denied societal acceptance, legal recognition of marriage, and vide one. First, no credible sociological economic benefits thereof (tax credits and or criminological evidence exists which standard exemptions). Homosexuals are would suggest that homosexuals are any then portrayed as perverted and promismore prone to child abuse than heterocuous social deviants, and the fact that sexuals. Indeed, I would argue that far more cases of child abuse are perpetrated they do not have traditional, monogaby heterosexuals than homosexuals. In mous unions is cited as "proof." any case, a tendency to abuse children is As long as the state refuses to formally recognize homosexual unions, the clearly distinct from sexual orientation. U-M cannot in good conscience make As for the claim that merely having hothis recognition a requirement for its sermosexuals around will somehow harm vices and benefits. The U-M should take children, I merely point to the fact that many things are alleged to harm children the lead in providing for alternative meth- Saturday morning cartoons, pornogods of partnership recognition by estabraphy,2 Live Crew records, Catholicism, lishing its own requirements, recognizetc. - and these are not barred from ing church sanctions, or allowing muexisting in the U-M's family housing. nicipal domestic partnership recognition (such as the one recently enacted in Ann Opponents of revising the housing Arbor). This has been done successfully, policy also claim that by allowing homosexuals into family housing, the U-M is for the purpose of reforming housing in some way "condoning" or "encouragrequirements, at several Big Ten and Ivy League universities. ing" a homosexual lifestyle or homoOpponents of changes in the houssexual experimentation. To begin with, I ing policy have often claimed in allowwould simply ask those who make this ing homosexuals access to family housargument if they run out and try everying, the U-M would be engaging in "sothing that is allowed. If these people are cial engineering." This argument is often concerned that their children will be tempted to try everything tha t is allowed, made against the practice of employing then this reflects more on their talents government or institutional force to

•••

It Should Be Fair

and capabilities as parents than it does ment, some people claim that because the traditional family unit is the most on the power of U-M policy to corrupt children. basic building block of society, the state Opponents of allowing homosexuought to encourage the promulgation of als into family housing often rely on artraditional families. This is often the jusguments grounded in various ideas of tification given for standard tax exempmorality. For instance, they claim that tions for marriage and children. Official homosexuality is simply immoral, and sanction of homosexuality, they reason, as such, the U-M has a duty is clearly detrimental to this cause, and to prevent such immoral therefore, the state ought to discourage practices and lifestyles from homosexuality. Not only does this logic put the state in the position of deciding entering into the U-M community. Unless such imwhat sort of lifestyles individuals ought to lead, but it would logically point tomoral practices are forbidden by law, however, the ward the government outlawing the right U-M has no right to seek to of a man to be a bachelor. enforce some undefined In short, there are no arguments moral code upon its comagainst homosexuality that are relevant .~. munity. Sodomy laws do to the U-M's housing policies. People exist, but the legal definition of sodomy certainly ought to respect opinions reincludes every sexual practice excepting garding homosexuality which are based "'penis to vagina intercourse, and such on religious conviction, but it does not '" lawsdonot specifyanygenderratio, that follow that laws and policies should be is, a man engaging in oral sex with his based on such religious or moral convictions. wife is just as much "sodomy" as anal sex between gay men. So, to argue that the The University of Michigan has U-M ought to do its part to enforce sod- , ..' sought, albeit imperfectly, to create an omy laws by continuing to deny homoatmosphere of equality, and an envircnment which is conducive to equality of sexual couples access to family housing would require, for the sake of consisopportunity, to all people irrespective of tency, that it also forbid heterosexual their race, religion, ethnicity, political afcouples from engaging in what the law filiation, or sexual orientation. Many of these efforts have themselves bordered defines as "sodomy." Biblical objections are also raised on being discriminatory and unfair. In opponents of altering family housing establishing an environment which treats regulationshaveclaimedthathomosexuall equally, the U-M need not confer ality is clearly forbidden in both the Old additional, that is extra, rights on certain groups at the expense of other groups. and New Testaments. Sliding down their slippery slope, they then claim that the The U-M should, however, make certain U.S. Constitution is "obviously" based that all are treated equally before its laws. on Judeo-Christian principles. Therefore, Homosexuals do not need affirmative action, and I would wager that most do they claim, it would be perfectly reasonable to maintain the status quo on these not want such extra rights. Homosexuals grounds. Merely mentioning the constido need to be treated equally, however. tutional requirement of a separation of This means that homosexuals ought church and state is sufficient to persuade to be able to live and work and exist in most liberty-loving citizens of the dansociety as any other group is allowed to. ger inherent in buying this argument. So long as our society continues to deny Citizens who wish to live in a society homosexuals equal treatment before the law, the ugly stereotypes of homosexumodeled after the Good Book ought to move to Vatican City or South Carolina. als as perverted, promiscuous, sexual In addition to the typical religious deviants will remain. Allowing homoobjections to homosexuality, there does sexuals and homosexual couples access exist one philosophical objection which to family housing at the U-M would be ought to be addressed. Some people claim an important step toward changing these stereotypes. Aside from that, reason and that the primary function of any species is reproduction, and that the state ought logic, and compassion demand such a to encourage behaviors which lead to change. maintaining the species and which discourage the opposite. 1 would again arJeff Muir is a senior in general studies gue that mandating reproductivity quoand the special issue editor of the Retients is not the proper role of the state. view. In another version of this same argu-

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November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Interview: 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell \;,

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Rapper, Author Discusses Obscenity On November 4,.Jay Sprout of the Michigan Review interviewed Luther Campbell, the leader of rap group 2 Live Crew. The Crew's LP As Nasty As They WannaBe was declared obscene in some communities. This resulted in th.e arrest of a record store owner in Miami for selling the album, as well as Campbell's own arrest following one of the group's concerts. Their current relEase is entitled Sports Weekend: As

Nasty As They Wanna Be Part 2. Campbell is the author of the soon-tobe-released book about the obscenity trials and arrests, As Nasty As He Wanna

Be.

of people know that it ain't. It's just the older mentality of white people that's after us basically because they see more of a newer generation, a younger generation being more responsive to black needs, people listening to black music, hanging out with blacks.It's these people who are trying to fight this from happening. That's my main thin~ my main fight and struggle to let people, mostly black people, know that it ain't just a black thing. There's white people that are involved in this too. REVIEW: What made you want to do the upcoming -- - solo album?

REVIEW: Tell us about the b®k. CAMPBELL: CAMPBELL: It's called As Nasty As He Wanna Be, by me, the Nasty Man. It's my life story and how it started. It goes back to when I wasa kid and all that. What it's like living in Liberty City, the records, and it goes into the obscenity trials. It tells a lot of things that were happening that maybe people didn't believe was happening. It talks about life on the road and the band and how we started off. REVIEW: What, besides your agent, inspired you to write a book? CAMPBELL: There's a demand for it. Everybody's always asking the same question, everybody wants to know where this individual came from and all these different thlngs. What does 2 Live Crew do on the 'road? People want to know what it's all about and what we're all about. REVIEW: Is there anything in particular that you want to achieve with it? CAMPBELL: I wanted to let people know a lot more about the censorship thing that they maybe don't know. And let people know a lot more about the person who I am. And let them know abouflife in general as a young black kid trying to make it in today's SOCiety. It's real hard. REVIEW: What about censorship-why don't people know as much about it as they should? CAMPBELL: I want them to know that it's not just white people. A lot of people have this thing when something is done to a black person and it's a lot of white people that's actually doing it - they would think that it's the whole white race that's involved in it. I wanna let a lot

Banned In the USA was supposed to· be a solo album but then there were things that everybody wanted to get off their chest tha t I let all the guys be on there. But it was still my solo album. Then this one here, the al- r. _ ~PJF"'~ bum that's out I. .,_ now, I wanted everybody todo the things that they wanted to do and not just do what I wanted everybody to do like I normally do on all the other albums. So what I did was, I did about four records and everybody else did their own thing. I still had a lot of things that I wanted to do and I just said I'll do it on my own album. REVIEW: Will the solo album sound any different from previous 2 Live Crew albums? CAMPBELL: Well, it's gonna be a lot of, you know ... well yeah,it'sgonna bea bit different. But it's gonna be talking about sex. Basically it's gonna be the stuff tha t I do, it's gonna bea little different. I got a great record for your college on my solo album. Y'all are gonna find it very interestin~ butI ain't gonna tell you what it is. It's a song for all college campuses across America. REVIEW: What's the subject matter? CAMPBELL: What do most people do

on college campuses? REVIEW: Do you feel that your arrest and the arrest of the record store owner accomplished anything? CAMPBELL: Yeah, it did. When people saw that, they said ''Hey, this is some serious shit here." If you believe in SOmethin~ you've got to stand behind it. The First Amendment is a serious thing and a lot of people didn' ~ take it too serious until after that happened. They see guys going to jail saying that's my right and I believe in it and I'r.~ willing to go to jail for it. If you're a true blue American you will say "Hey, this is what we're all about and we're going to do it." REVIEW: Your lyrics have been described as vulgar, disgusting, obscene, vile ... / CAMPBELL: All of the above. REVIEW: Do you do this simply to prove that you can? CAMPBELL: No, we've been doing this for years. It ain't nothing we ain't never been doing. A lot of the things we do what we talk about - is straight out of the locker room. What you hear guys talking about, and girls talking about. It ain't like we doing nothing ain't nobody know nothing about. So we just put that in the form of a record. It ain't like we doing it just because somebody says 'no.' That ain't the point. We did three other albums before that that sold a million copies before the people started riding us. The reason people started riding us is because when we was selling those million copies before, it was just only in the black community. But now that white kids are buying it and white adults are getting into it, that's when all the problemscame. REVIEW: What are you thoughts on political correctness and speech codes? CAMPBELL: I believe if you wanna say what you wanna say, you say it. Whether it's good or bad. The KKK can say what

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they wanna say, I ain't got no problem with them. Every man has his own beliefs. I'm not for censoring nobody. There's pros and cons to everything. I want someone to say something good and I want someone to say something bad. I have no problem with that. REVIEW: Is there anything you feel can't be said? CAMPBELL: Well, you can't yell fire in a crowded building because a lot of people would get hurt. Anything that hurts people, I don't think it should be said . REVIEW: Is there anything you consider obscene? CAMPBELL: Having sex with babies and shit like that. People mutilating kids and doing all that shit is obscene. I got a problem with all that. Anything like that I got problems with. ' REVIEW: What's your opinion of the IllUitant Afrocentric movement in mu., being led by acts like X-Clan, Professor Griff, and Brand Nubian?

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CAMPBELL: I believe they have the right to say what they wanna say. A lot of the stuff that they say is really true, but when they start talking about breaking up the races, I got a problem with that. As far as when they're talking about what wenton before and what shouldn't be going on now, I'm with that. I'm all about bringing people together, the younger generation. The older generation is a lost cause. If they're talking about going off to some black country, then they can go by themselves. I'm not going nowhere. REVIEW: Do you consider V aniBa Ice a fake? CAMPBELL: I consider him a fad but I respect anybody who sells records. There's a lot of black rappers who are fads too, he ain't the only one. There's a bunch of them that come and go every year. He ain't the only one that's corny. But, people like him and I respect him. The girls like him and I respect that. If he sells records, that's alright with me. REVIEW: Could you take him in a fist fight? CAMPBELL: I could beat most rappers up. Yeah, man, I'll beat his ass.

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SAPAC Politics Continued From Page 5 At the time of the incident, a lingerie show was held at Dooley's. According to a Michigan Daily editorial, "the show encouraged men to think of women's bodies as objects used to sell other objects, in this case - alcohol." The generaliza tions run rampant. It is naIve to assume that all men are going to think of women's bodiesas"objects" after patronizing the show, or to assume that men in general think this way. If the roles were reversed (men entertaining women) would the offense be any different? The key point to remember is that there are always willing volunteers to provide such entertainment, and there are always willing volunteers to patronize it. The credibility of SAPAC has also suffered from irresponsible attempts to politicize the center on behalf of its director, Julie Steiner. Prior to becoming director of SAPAC, Julie Steiner had a long history of political activism. She previously had worked as an abortion rights advocate and a women's rights lobbyist in Washington D.C, and as executive director of the Tennessee branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. In her current position at SAP AC, Steiner apparently believes

P.C. Debate Continued From Page 1 that transforms an intellectual enterprise into a political enterprise," he said. Saturday f~atured a pair of panel discussions concerning curricular reiorm, and a number of speakers appeared to confirm Balch's allegations. Earl Lewis, an associate professor of history and director of the U-M's Center for Afro-American and African Studies (CAAS), noted a "mental fatigue" in addressing charges of political correctness, which he considets "the greatest nonissue of our time." Lewis then detailed the CAAS curriculum, remarking upon the extensive coursework required for a student to graduate from the CAAS program. His comments, however, revealed a political agenda. "The design of the curriculum is conservative; the courses, I hope, are not," said Lewis. Conservatism has never threatened to overrun CAAS, but it appears that Lewis will never allow it the representation it deserves. How unfortunate that a class focusing upon urban America would not include the recent scholarship

her authority as director of SAPAC to comments appear to be motivated by a she can continue her tradition oP'Political take a stand on a controversial issue. This dislike for both the nominee and those in activism. Her actions have demonstrated is an irresponsible abuse of power. charge of the hearings. a tremendous lack of responsibility on SAPAC was established by the uniSteiner's attempt to rationally disher part as a leader. versity community for the university Steiner has managed to use the cencuss sexism in the article offered insight community. It is funded by this commuinto her own militantly sexist nature. ter to market her own sexist philosonity, and is staffed by volunteers from phies, to use her authority as a mechaSteiner blatantly demonstrates her own this community4 When the leader of any racist and sexist sentiments by stating: nism for political advocacy, and to take community organization i¥es sides on sides on controversial issues in the name "Shame! Shame on the white men in controversial issues in the name of that ofSAPAC Senate Judiciary Committee who ignored organization, it no longer represents the Dr. Hill's statements about the behavior The most recent evidence of this is an of the Supreme Court nominee." Steiner community. The only people being re~ "Insight" article Steiner wrote for the resented are those who hold similar opinOctober 14, 1991, issue of the Daily. The prefers to think of the Senators in terms ions. Those who do not are alienated. piece, entitled "Anita Hill Challenges of race and sex rather than the nature of Such advocacy, furthermore, creates the their position or their personal or profesNorms," discussed the controversy surimpression that the U-M itself sanctions sional records. She would rather label rounding the confirmation of Judge her views. their actions as inappropriate and blame Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Steiner perhaps deserves credit for it on the fact they are white men. In her The result was a biased political statemaking SAPAC the established organiment full of unsubstantiated generalizaposition, one would assume that Steiner zation it is today, but at the same time, would concentrate on the merit of the tions and opinions that amount to outshe deserves criticism, and possibly repsituation: Anita Hill raises public awareright racism and sexism. rimand, for using her position as adminness about sexual harassment. She menSteiner began the article by assumistrator to advance her own political tions this only once in the article. Instead, ing that Professor Hill was being honest agenda. in her testimony and Judge Thomas was , she resorts to repeatedly shouting not, even though the subject of honesty • "Shame!" at "white men." Under any circumstances, this constitutes racism and has not been conclusively determined. sexism. Steiner blame<j..VUs on the "white men" Andrew Bockelman is a freshman in Steiner's gravest error is not the mere in charge of·the hearings who were" feelLSA and a production manager for the expression of her opinions. She is ening [guilt] for their own actions in the Review. . titled to believe what she wants. Steiner's past with femde workers and/or colgravest error is affiliating herself with leagues." Steiner provided no evidence SAPAC in the byline and thereby ~~ing""»"d to support either of these claims. Her

of such black Americans as Nathan Glazer, Glenn Loury, Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, or Walter Williams. The study of these authors could make an interesting class in itself. The position accorded to black conservatives by the" campus reform movement" often reflects the nature of political correctness itself. Ona Saturday morning panel devoted to affirmative action, for example, professor of sociology and urban studies at the City University of New York Stephen Steinberg suggested that Nathan Glazer does not deserve his jobatHarvard because of his "retrograde position" concerning affirmative action. In 1975, Glazer wrote Affirmative Discrimination, a book that severely attacks affirmative action policies. Steinberg added that criticisms of affirmativeactionarenotnecessarilyracist, although they often contain undercurrents of racism. Furthermore, the notion that affirmative action does not go qebated on campus is "sheer political fantasy." "Affirmative action has had fewadvocates and no dearth of opponents," he said. Sunday's session included a panel on excellence in the scholarly disciplines. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, a feminist who has criticized political correctness, was

Originally scheduled to appear, but an illness forced her to cancel. She was replaced by an associate professor of philosophy at Clark University, Christina Sommers. Sommers offered a scathing critique of the intellectual pretentiousness of what she calls "genderfeminism," which looks upon society as horribly patriarchal, the academy as a place of ideology instead of scholarship, and women who refuse to believe gender feminist theories of false consciousness as dupes. "Genderfeminists look at society like van Leeu wenhoek looked upon a drop of water: as a predatory jungle," said Sommers. "They don't seem to realize that many of us consider this a very safe, comfortable environment." Sommers considers herself an "equity feminist," which means that she follows the classical liberal tradition of wanting for women what she wants for everyone. To individuals like Alan Wald, however, this view represents a "Frankenstein's monster." A great majority of the conference participants criticized the notion of political correctness, many paid lip-service to a sort of "intellectual diversity" that would allow a wide variety of opinions within the academy, but very few would defend the eloquent

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expositions of Balch and Sommers. Diversity, alas, seems to have boundaries. Many of the sessions were well attended, perhaps due in large part of Richard Campbell, an assistant professor of communication and conference organizer, who asked the 400 students of his introductory communication lecture class to attend parts of the conference and write a paper on the media's coverage of what happened. The highest attendance was at a Saturday evening panel discussion entitled "Free Speech, Hate Speech, and P.C" Approximately 800 people filled Angell Hall's Auditorium B, and several hundred were reportedly turned away. The conference should be considered a partial success, given its reasonably weU;-attended sessions and occasional moments of insight. Ultimately, however, any assessment should focus upon the conference attendants' responses, which were hopefully able to look beyond the vast amounts of rhetoric and obtain a clear view of political correctness: its origins, its excesses, and its undeniable existence. John J. Miller is a senior in English and editor-at-Iarge of the Review.

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November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Essay: The PC Conference

Curriculum Suggestions Are Misguided by Beth Martin and Dan Spillane Four University of Michigan faculty members participated in a panel discussion entitled "Perspectives on Future Curriculum Refonns at Michigan" as a part of last weekend's conference on political correctness. Prevalent throughout much of the discussion was the expressed need to introduce a more multicultural curriculum in order to reduce racial tensions within the campus community. As coacting director of the Latina/o Studies Program, Frances Aparicio stated classes dealing with multicultural topics are a way in which students can begin to deal with the history of discrimination and oppression in the United States. She went on to say that multicultural programs such as the Latina/o Studies Program "are a way for minorities to survive culturally." Courses that have tried to deal headon with multiculturalism, such as University Course 299: "Race, Racism, and Ethnicity" have not fulfilled the faculty's grand intentions of dealing with prejudices. Bruce Frier, professor of Classics and Law and member of the review board of UC 299, expressed serious misgivings about the class in an interview prior to the conference. "UC 299 was a mixed success as is fairly obvious and is not beingtaughtthisyear,"hesaid. "It doesn't follow from the conveyence of knowledge that values are going to change. It is my assumption that values usuallydon't change vetY deeply as a result of these experiences."

Despite the failure of classes such as UC 299 to meet their pupose of dealing with racial tensions, proponents of such curriculum reforms continue to believe that multiculturalism is one of the best ways to improve a college education. They persist to do so in the face of astonishing statistics that reveal a gross lack of

knowledge on the part of college students in the very basic subjects of their own Western culture. For example, a 1989 survey conducted by the Gallup Organization for the National Endowment for the Humanities found that more than 40 percent of college seniors could not identify when the Civil War occured,

25 percent could not identify the date of Columbus' journey within the correct half-century, and 23 percent could not distinguish the words of Marx from the U.S. Constitution. Professor Frier called these statistics "alarming" and voiced

Please See Page 17

The Affirmative Action "Debate" by Kishore Jayabalan "Political Correctness (P.c.) does not exist on campus." That is what organizers of "The P.c. Frame-up: What's Behind the Attack?" would like students, faculty, and members of the national media to believe about the University of Michigan. But the di? gusting charade that was titled "Affirmative.ACti.9~: Intent and. Effect" showed very cltm}y that the "thought P'>lice" extend a long ann in Ann Arbor. Held S<rfurday morning, the panel discussion was supposed to be an inquiry into the purposes and results of over 20 years of affirmative action policies. What followed wasa crusade against dissension, marked with malicious ridicule, numerous character assassinations, and many misrepresentations of fact. From the start, the panel was biased heavily in favor of Affirmative Action policies. The lone voice in opposition of these policies was David Horowitz, a fonner left-wing political activist who became a conservative because of the abuses and excesses of preferential poli-

cies. Not only was Horowitz forced to fight simply to appear on the panel, but he was also widely criticized, as were two students, for not being P.c. Horowitz criticized the modem day civil rights movement for isolating itself from traditional values. Affinnative action has "crippled" blacks by creating a sense of doubt amongst themselves and other students and colleagues. The movement has shifted from Martin Luther King's dream for a color-blind society to one where race is an overriding factor and racism is the most prevalent crime, said Horowitz. .'_ . ~ Horowitz used one very interesting example. The supposedly biased Scholastic Aptitude Test is often cited as an example of why blacks as a group do not perform as well. (This is far from a proven fact, as Horowitz pointed out.) If that is the case, why do Asian students typically perform better than white students on these tests? This question had potential for an extremely interesting discussion on cultural and personal factors regarding education, but what happened?

Horowitz was scoffed at for this remark, and it was never raised. again. Stephen Steinberg, a sociologist at the City University of New York, was the first proponent of affinnative action to speak. He stated that these policies were necessary as a "last resort to disembody the caste system." He offered no evidence for his claim, and ignored cases in which affirmative action exacerbated the problem, instead of solving it (India, with the world's most rigid caste system, is an example). Another speaker in favor of affirmative action was U-M law professor Theodore Shaw, who criticized conservatives for using ''buzz-words'' to dodge issues. For example, when health care is the issue, abortion is brought up, and when racism is the issue, P.c. is the buzzword. Besides this ludicrous misrepresentation, Shaw ignored liberal buzzwords such as racism, which is used as the main reason why a black person fails out of school, regardless of whether or

males believe in rape myths," they introduce these false generalizations into public debate on the issue. When they quote such experiments they conspicuously fail to mention that the male subjects received a biased. and inaccurate picture of date rape, or that "most males" means most southern Baptist white conservative male college students. When groups like SAPAC neglect to mention those facts, they not only leave their credibility behind, they also mislead the public. When they insist on using facts which are clearly of questionable validity in an attempts to justify their own existence and enlarge their budget and influence, they are not living up to their stated purpose - they are unfairly biasing public opinion. SAPAC recently handed out balloons and distributed fliers with the slogan

"Imagine: A World Without Rape." Unfortunately, we'll probably have to make due with imagination for quite sometime. It can be argued that male attitudes toward concepts such as rape playa definite role in the incidence of rape. But experiments which misrepresent male views through biased methodology and faulty interpretation only serve to feed the fanatic hyperbole of vocal specialinterest groups. Experiments whose original aim was to add valuable information to our knowledge of rape, admittedly an admirable goal, only succeed in adding to the state of confusion which surrounds the issue of rape.

Please See Page 13

Questionable Statistics Continued From Page 7 ative of the nation as a whole, as groups like SAPAC often suggest. The results collected by Bunting and Reeves can in no way be extrapolated to American s0ciety at large because they lack any data for a representative proportion of minorities and men of multiple political viewpoints. Furthermore, Bunting and Reeves failed to explore the opinions held by men who maintained beliefs other than "fundamentalist Christian" or "Protestant" in nature. What do Catholics think about rape? Or atheists? Bunting and Reeves cannot really talk about the effect of certain religiOUS faiths on "myth-belief" unless they have data from males of other faiths with which to compare their results.

Despite their different focuses, both studies arrive at the same general conclusion: males with stereotypical attitudes have a greater propensity for rape and tend to believe quite strongly in the rape myths expounded upon by groups like SAPAC. But, as the basic criticisms here have shown, both experiments are inaccurate in at least one respect. Quackenbush inaccurately represented "date rape," an error which almost certainly caused many of his respondents to take a milder view of the crime, while Bunting and Reeves worked with a subject pool which was far from representative of all American males. The effect of these errors in experimentation, unfortunately, is not limited to the realm of science. When groups like SAPAC dig up data which say "men find that date rape is not a crime," and "most

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Tony Ghecea is a junior in English and a staff writer for the Review. • ! .,

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ovember 20, 1991

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Culture: Legislation

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Bill Seeks to Regulate Nude Dancing / Jay Sprout Individual communities would have e right to regulate commercial nude tncing, if State Representative Kirk 'ofit (D-Ypsilanti) has his way with ouse Bill 4067. The bill, introduced ear~r this year, would strengthen Public 2t 279 of 1909, the Home Rule Cities 2t, which allows cities to regulate or 'ohibitnudeentertainment within their IUndaries. Profit's bill defines nude enrtainment as "live entertainment in hich an individual knowingly exposes s or her genitals or anus to one or more dividuals for payment, or the promise payment, by any person." House Bill 4067 is intended to give dividual communities the tools they I rren tly lack to "crack down on purvey'Sofobscenity," according to the House ~gislative Analysis Section. It would lpport Michigan's present criminal obenity statute, Public Act 343 of 1984. In response to accusations that the 1\ is merely a crusade intended to make easier to shut down nude dancing es-

tablishments, Profit said, 'That would be at the discretion of the local unit. I want to empower the local units to do that if they wish. It passed overwhelmingly in the House and I think we'll have the Senate. If an establishment were a goodstanding member of the community, a location could be chosen where it wouldn't have such a negative impact on the community. The effort is to provide the local communities with the chance to regulate it." Profit stressed that it is not a matter of banning a particular form of entertainment or recreation, commenting that "We've been careful to avoid making it a First Amendment issue. It's about the commercial aspect of nude dancing for money and not as a form of expression. It's not based on an effort to enforce personal morality." "Commercial )ltl~e and bottomless dancing for pay i~ unregulated," Profit continued, "The prob1em we have is negative impact on the community. A certain establishment on Ypsilanti's

Washington Street has impaired the ability of property owners to rent out their storefronts and make their commercial property vital. It has also had a negative impact on the residential community just north of the establishment." William Kinley, owner of Phoenix Construction, discussed a common plight of Ypsilanti property owners. "It's difficult to lease street level retail property with a live nude dancing establishment in the line of sight. Ultimately, it affects property and sale values," he said. Tommy Ciccarelli, proprietor of the Spaghetti Bender, a restaurant located a short distance from Deja Vu, a juice-bar that offers nude dancing, shared Kinley's sentiments, ''I'm not against free enterprise'br sex, but these are outsiders with n(}'vested interest in the community," he said. "They're just a bunch of money grubbers who couldn't care less about the neighborhood's complexion when their business attracts drugs and street whores." Ciccarelli and other sources indicated

that business has been dropping off due to people being unwilling to park or walk by Deja Vu. Ciccarelli stated that the average, middle-class American family does not want to be_seen around_such establishments. What distinguishes Profit's bill from traditional legislative attempts at shutting down skin joints is that it targets renegade places such as "juice bars," which do not serve alcohol. "Topless places are generally regulated by the UquorControl Act and other health regulations. A gap was created when they don't serve liquor," explained Profit. "Other sorts of establishments that serve food are subject to licenses and inspections. !fyou go to McDonald's, the employees have to wear a hat when they're around food. Here, there are.naked women around, dancing over the food! The inconsistency is ridiculous." Jay Sprout is a freshman in LSA and a staff writer for the Review.

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~ffirmative Action Continued From Page 12

woman. If this is not blatant manipulation of the discussion, what is? David Santos, a Hispanic graduate Dt the student was capable of the work ) begin with. student, later described how he felt cheated by affirmative action, how some Shaw also said affirmative action was )pportunity prOviding," and that it did students simply did not work hard enough to achieve the results he did. By vt guarantee results.'Wrong. Equal opsucceeding in a "white man's world," ortunity provides opportunity for all, ~gardless of race; affirmative action this student's accomplishments were lessened by the criticisms of other minority lakes race a primary consideration. students who were not doing as well. The statements were followed by a uestion and answer session during Finally, a white male student ap,hich audience members were permitproached the microphone. He began by disassociating himself from Horowitz, ~ to speak. Barbara Ransby, a founding probably to avoid the wrath and scorn of lember of the United Coalition Against .acism (UCAR), had no question to ask. militants in the crowd. He then asked rhetorically why it is that while blacks lstead, she blasted Horowitz for saying and American Indians were historically lat blacks such as Oprah Winfrey and oppressed, why should minorities like 1ichael Jordan have succeeded in life. Hispanics and Asians, whose ancestors ansby apparently took offense to the confronted very different experiences, lea that blacks were able to be admired be given preferential treatment?A roar y society regardless of their skin color. he made the valid point that "not all of disgust, disbelief, and boos came from lacks are related," but failed to comthe P.c. crowd, the question was dismissed, and the discussion concluded. ·Jete her logic and state that the left hould stop treating them all the same, Sure, go ahead and believe that P.c. ,hich is what affirmative action does. does not exist. But one would have to be Some particularly telling insights - blind, stupid, or both not to believe the ,ere revealed during the session. First, a contrary on Saturday. oung woman mentioned that a confernce organizer asked her if she would tep in front of two others because she Kishore Jayabalan is a senior in eco...as a woman. She refused. The organomics and political science and an assistant editor for the Review. ~zer thought a woman would ask a beter question just because she was a "" ~

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Ma in Bookstore : 549 East University Art/Engineering Store and Electronics Showroom : 117 South University Phone : 313·662·320 1 Monday-Friday 9:00-6 ;00 Saturday 9:30·5:00 Sunday Noon to 4:00

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 20, 199i

Coming Out of the Second Q/oset Continued From Page 1

same views. In fact, Tafel considers his beliefs lar~ly libertarian, though he believes tttat many of these ideals -'- especiallytheroncept ofindividual rightswere once staunchly supported by the Republican party. While ·he considers himself quite conservative on fiscal matters, he parts company with right-wing Republicans on the issue of government and individual rights. "When I disagree with Republicans, it is with the new Religous Right that is for the government inserting itself into the private lives of individuals. I do not see these people as being true to the party as it was founded by Abraham Lincoln." The Party Difference So why is he a Republican and not a Libertarian? "The reality is that the U.s. is a twO-:-party system," he says. '1f you want to be in the fight, you have to work within one of those two parties." ~dmondson, who began as a conservative Republican before becoming a Libertarian, also sees the Republican party abandoning these rights: Therefore, he sees the Libertarian Party as the only viable option for gays. "Gay and lesbian rights are a subset of individual rights of free thought and action. The Republican party has held itself out as the party of individual freedom,asopposed to the Democratic party, which paints itself as more for collectivism. I question whether or not the Republican Party has held to these principles," Edmondson said. Hudler also sees the Republican party - as wen as the Democratic party - as less suitable than the Libertarian party for gays. "It's just a huge party machine. It's veryanti-Ubertarian. We'retheparty of prindple,we don't compromise,.and. theydo.Ji' , . '~ith tI1e Ubertarianparty, hom<r ~1ity is not even an issue~ Nobody c~~ ifY?l.1at"e gay."~IK,i whUe Hudler admits there is some pi'ejl.1dlce against gaysbyli~rtariansin someareaslike..th~

south, he is quick .to :tru!ntion that seven of thEf·Libertarian state presidents' are gay. • . .._ Satan 1!arth? Within the Republican party, acceptance of gays is not that Simple. Reception wjthin the party varies from person to person, according to Tafel. "There are some people who will say 'You're gay? I don't care, it doesn't matter.' There are others who will say 'You're gay? This is Satan on Earth!'" This of course brings in the question

of religion; and Mw Republicans and Libertarians view its relation to homosexuality. Tafel, who graduated from the Ha,ward Divinity School and was ordained as a Baptist ministerJ belivesthe two do not contradict. . "I am very 'much a Christian. Gays don't just give up their faith because their church hasn't come around." Many churc~ - known as "open and accepting churches-accept homosexuals, including many in the Ann Arbor area, such as the'non-denominational Huron Valley Community Church,as well as Episcopalian, Unitarian, and Lutheran churches. There are also special groupswithin these churches for gays, including Dig~ nity for Roman Catholics, Integrity for Episcopalians, as well as groups for ev~ erythingfromJewishpeopleto Mormonit The question of religion, morali~, and homoseXuality does present a prob-~" tern for~~Christians, Tafel says':~'Un fortunately, right-wing churchest have given licen~ to a lot of gay bashing and r homophobIa. Even a lot of non-religous people will look to churches as a moral barometer - if they say gay bashing is ok, it must be ok." . "Bigoted. people have been using scripture for years; They said the same things about women and the same things about blacks." likewiSE!, Tafel sees the future of such church d iscri mi na tion against gays no differently than that against these previoustwogroups."l00 years from now, I think people are going to look back and see these religou$ folkS as not that religous." .. And. while Ta.fel sees the recently passed gay ordipro~ess, nance lawin .An.n what he mJlyqesires is the rights as. anyotheJltaxpayer, including state reco~marri.~ge. .... .. . ...•. "Ilookfol'wardto theday\Vhengay groups can celebrate undertJ:\e ausp'ices of.tI\e cburch." . , ' . While some libertarians are religqus like Dave Edmondson, who belongs to the Huron Valley Church, Hudler admits religion is less of a problemJor libertarians than it is. for Republicans. '1 would say that a majority of libertarians are. non-religous. That's probably what keeps a lot of gay Republicans from coming out." A Second Closet?

Arbor as same

Just how many is a lot? The Log CabinFederation .includes 19 individual clubs in nine states and has over 4500 people on its tnailinglist. Tafel believes there are many"tnany gayRepubUcans in S()(:iety. ''1 contend that the gay community is actually a pretty conservative .community. There are a lot of gay Republicans, but they not only have to fear homophobia, but the gay community. You have to come out of a second closet." How oppressive is.this second closet? For all their differences, Libertarian and Rebublicangaysare united in one thing~ battle for· equal rights, as well as against the ideologies of leftist gays, an ideology against. views of the left, which in some cases hart tile the movement for equalrigbtsforgays'morethanit helps. The problem is that militant n(ltional groups like .the Aids' Coalition to Ul\~ leash Power and Queer Nation demand more than equal rights, and therefore alienate what might be an otherwise sympathetic populace. . '1 see it from both sides," Tafel says of the militant groups. 'We as a community are tired of being kicked ar~9.n&1r\« that respect,I can understand militancy." Things like "zaps" - wherein a group targets an individual for harrassment through either phone calls, shduting down, or attacks in the gay press - are counter-productive, according to Tafel, who has been a victim of such 1'\ zaps. "I don't want that to be the image of my group. These gr()ups simply do not represent any~ tKx1y in the co.mmunity," . Tafel says .he does.not hesttateto. . give interviews with. newspapers like the RevitW;even though he.i&·qisrouraged to daso by Otl\er gays. 1'1 have ,Oeen treated much morefairlymthecortservativepressthan in the gaypress:Tam much morerria.. li~~i~t1'!egaypreSs.1I . Examples of this can be as simple as being maligned for opposing affirmative actiCmtor as complex as being cftitidzed for suppbrtingtbe Persian Gulf War because the money could have been spent to fight AIDS. "My rights, your obligations" Hudler views the leftist gay community similarly, especially on the topic of health care. "There are some things they've done

that I agree with, but the vast majority I disagree with. One argument that needs to bemade:-and I admititisa.n unpopular view - is that 1 don't see why the majority ofthe heterosexual population should have to pay for AlDScare. I think it's really wrong to do that. It's immoral for them to. ask for other people to pay for their health care." As far as demands for other "rights" - including those on the U-M campus like the "right" to have gay lounges or other exclusionary places, Edmondson disagrees. ''The philosophies ofmost gay rights groups can be SUnuned up in four words: 'myrights,yourobligations.'I don't think . that it would be appropriate for universities to set a$i(je areas· for members of student groups; I think it's counter-productive; As a gay person; 1know lcan't· run and hide from mainstream society forever, nor do I have any intentions of doing so." Another controversial tactic of such groups is the practice known as "outing:' -revealing to the public the fact that someone is a closet gay. "I don't like it - that's notthe popular opinion, but I don't like it. The enemy is not each other, but society," says Tafel. One of the main reasons he is opposed to the practice of outing is the arbitrariness with which it is done. For example, says Tafel, the gay communi ty knew that Rep. Barney Frank was gay long before the rest of the country did, It was only when the leaders of these national groups decided to out him that the rest of the country learned of his homosexuality. Tafel says he does not trust the people who are making these decisions. Orientation or Preference?

There are, of course, some issues on which nearly the entire gay community agrees. Qneof these is theissueofwhether or not homosexuality is a question of orientation or preference. HMy personal opinion is thatit is not a preference; Heel very strongly that it is oriEmtation," says TafeL '1 look at mYself as a case stUdy. With all of the hatred out there, ltan't See why 10 percent of the poptilatioh ~oUld choose to be gay." Edmondson agrees, stressing that from a personal freedom standpoint it shouldn"treafiy matter although head.: mits it does. "Personally, I believe it IS orientation. From a philosophical stand'" point, it's irrelevant. But if you are going to argue before the courts, you have to argue orientation," he says. "When sometKx1y mentions the belief that being gay 'is a preference, most I

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: November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

Arts: Feminist Theory <~ '~lrf

Wolf Examines the Beauty Myth The Beauty Myth NaomtWolf WIlliam Morrow and Company Hardcover, $21.95 348 pgs.

by Adam Garaglola In The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf sets out to analyze a diverse set of social and economic forces which she claims pres~ sure women into conforming to a social~ ized ideal of beauty. This mythical image of the perfect woman, she argues, is a product of a male-dominated hierarchy of power, which seeks to keep women "in their place" by channeling theirenergies into the futile pursuit of the beauty ideal. While Wolf writes with passion and conviction, marshaling scores of statis~ tics from various sources(including the Hite report, surveys from Redbook and others of dubious authority) and providing countless examples in support of her arguments, a close reading finds her analysis wanting. Though dressed up

and greatly elaborated, this book is just more of the same old leftist / feminist cla ~ trap that women's studies departments have been spewing since their inception. Before looking at her arguments in detail, a few words about Wolf's prose style are in order. It is best characterized as disconnected, at times bordering on incoherent; the effect is that her arguments frequently seem rantingly dis~ jointed (take, for example, the opening sentences of the chapter entitled "Violence"; "Hunger makes women's bodies hurt them, and makes women hurt their bodies. Studies of abusers show that vio~ lence, once begun, escalates. Cosmetic surgery is the fastest-growing 'medical' specialty." Res ipsa loquator.) This style perhaps best suits her pur~ pose; a barrage of bald-faced assertions is q\lickly followed by anecdotes meant to shock or hOrrify, so JRat the casual reader, forgetting that the problem with anecdotes is they are anecQ.9tal, and do not constitute convincing evidence, is likely to buy wholesale what she says,

simply because the example she gave was so disturbing. To take an anecdote regarding botched cosmetic surgery, for example, and assert on the basis of this story that similar tragedies occur all the time, is not only irresponsible, but sloppy scholarship as well. Now, on to this so called ''beauty myth." Examining the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry, the ever-increasing number of dietary regimens, and the rapidly expanding field of cosmetic surgery, Wolf concludes that that a combi~ nation of socialized attitudes and power~ ful advertising messages force women into accepting and pursuing a socially dictated ideal of what is beautiful, to their own detriment. Arguing that the profound,social changes brought about by the women's rights movement have strip~ away much of the power and influence that the "patriarchy" formerly asser1ed over women, she points to the beauty myth as a new form of social control. According to Wolf, the beauty myth

exists primarily as tool of economic domination. She basically argues that when women buy skin care products by the gallon, shell out thousands of dollars for breast enhancement and liposuction, or dump a week's paycheck on their wardrobe, it is because the social forces behind the beauty myth pressure them to do so. That is to say, society, through the operating of the myth, dictates that women must wear the latest fashions, use overpriced make-up, and get a face lift regularly. Yet in the course of making these arguments, Wolf repeatedly states that the messages and images put out by the advertisers of women's products have little to do with the reality of physical attractiveness, but rather are simply a false idea of attractiveness that serves the purposes of the market (which she conceives of as some .ominous monolithic force compels woman to make purchase ' after purchase).

".,' .......

,,"]lease See Page 17 "*,,,<,.. ,...

Paglia Goes Against the Feminist Grain Sexual Personae camlUe Paglia Vintage Books Softcover, $15.00 by Eddie Amer The purpose of this book is to udem~ onstrate the unity and continuity of western culture." Paglia accomplishes this and displays an amazing breadth of knowledge in the process. Paglia begins in Ancient Egypt with Nefertiti and concludes in late 19th century America with Emily Dickinson. This assertions made in this book will infuriate almost all who read it. Carnille Paglia has produced a great work, which will force it's readers to re-evalua te their views on almost everything. She gives an iconoclastic view of human na~ ture. She calls the MarquiS de Sade, the most unread major Western author. She follows his interpretation of human nature instead of the idealistic Rousseau. Rousseau was a naive fool , who has influenced most Western thinkers. Human nature is not a malleable oblect to be molded to a given social ideal. Social engineering will always fail because it misses this critical point.

Paglia shows that Western culture is a male culture which developed out of a need for men to free themselves from women. In her opinion, nature is the driving force of culture and nature is an amoral daemon. Nature creates and d~ stroys without care or pause. Paglia states that, 'We cannot hope to understand sex and gender until we clarify our attitude toward nature. Sex is a subset to nature." Sex is the dominant theme throughout our culture. Art, litera ture, film, and other media are all loaded with sex and vi~ lence, which according to Paglia, are one and the same. Paglia's conclusion comes from her observations of nature, which, "creates by violence and destruction. The commonest violence in the world is childbirth, with its appalling pain and gore. Nature gives males infusions of hormones for dominance... Lust and aggression are fused in the male hormones." This is the facet of nature overlooked or ignored by most people in their analyses. Paglia feels that people generally do not understand the true nature of sex and interpersonal relationships well at all. She feels that feminists especially have misread the problem of sex and power by

treating them as separate. But for Paglia, sex is power. "Feminists grossly oversimplify the problem ofsex when they reduce it to

a matter of social convention: readjust soci~ ety, eliminate sexual inequality, purify sex roles, and happiness and hannonywill reign." This is where feminists are heirs to Rousseau's theories, which Paglia feels are flawed. Rousseau and the political left, which descended from his theories, completely misread human nature. Following a daemonic view of human nature, Paglia characterizes it as cruel and destructive, not loving and kind. Paglia also feels that feminists have missed the point on rape and .pomography. "Society is woman's protection against rape, not, as some feminists a~ surdly maintain, the cause of rape. Rape is the sexual expression of the will~to足 power, which nature plants in all of us and which society rose to contain." Fur~ thermore she argues that society is not the cause of rape and pornography does not incite rape. "Pornography cannot be separated from art; the two interpenetrate each other, far more than humanistic criticism has admitted. Geoffrey Hartman rightly says, "Great art is al~ ways flanked by its dark sisters, blas-

phemy and pornography.If Paglia cites as an example, Donatello's David is set in the pose of a whore, but it is great art. Sweden has a thriving pornography industry, but it has a much lower violent crime rate than the U.S. Pornography is unnecessary for violent crime. Paglia notes that "from Nero and Caligula to Gilles de Rais and the Nazi commandants, have never needed pornography to stimulate their exquisite, gruesome inventiveness. The diabolic human mind is quite enough." Paglia attributes this violence to the natural difference between men and women. Women are more in tune with nature because they bear children and have a monthly reminder of nature's dominance over them. She classifies the difference in men and women as the apollOnian and the chthonian. The male, apollOnian, strategy is to focus on the beautiful parts of nature and ignore the ugliness of nature's innate destructiveness and power over all. This leads to the male view of objectifying the world. This characteristically male world view fu~ eled the great advances of technology

Please See Page 17

November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

But Wait, There's Muir t.. 14,·i'

speech," yet Maurer's incessant taunting like ACT-UP and people like Pattrice Continued From Page 5 ofTibbals was mere political activism. Maurer do the cause of homosexual rights that due to my computer illiteracy, I In any event, after Toy finished irreparable harm with their ultra-radihadn't yet realized that! needed to regisassasinating my character in fronf of 800 calnessand their posturing. Many people ter my name in the "Userdirectory" for it people, John J. Miller, editor-at-Iarge of come to the U-M without ever having to show up on my messages. For Toy to the Review and a panel member, said that had contact with homosexuals. They get charactenzethismes- ~ he doubted the here, they watch sage as "anony- p~~t; accuracy of Toy's Pattrice Maurer in r statements beaction, and they armously sent" is really .~~ ., stretching things. l cause I was not rive at the concluFirst, most everyone ~ :.! anti-gay. After sion that that is the panel discuswhat the moveknows that it is im- ~.~ . possible to send an .. sionended,Miller ment for homoand several other sexualrightsareall anonymous message over MTS. Second, people asked about. They then anytwo-bits1euthcan whether or not conc1ude that if this think of dozens of Toy'saccusations is indeed what howays to successfully were true. Their mosexual rights are send an anonymous questions were all about, they are message (over the particularly steadfastly opphone, under a door, meaningful, and posed to it. I have etc). Third, why led me to write seen this sequence would I have i d e n t i - t h i s column. One. of events take place fied mytitl~ and the nOted 'that 1 had, many times. paper I WOrk for ill . .._::. ... taketi· seenungly That is why I was trying to be '::"'-:: ~ tontradictory . am so hard on anon~? . '. . . . . . " ,\ . $tan.c:tsOl\ipdesre~gf(:)~al~/.cr~4P and .Maurer, and thatis why I

I could tell that most of the assembly anticipated that I would blast Polk and comeoutstronglyagainsttheresolution. Instead, I praised Polk, and I then implored the assembly to pass the resolution unanimously. I have no way of knowing for certain, but I suspect that my comments swayed enough conservativevotestoensure the resolution'S passage. In addition to urging the Review to take editorial positions supporting family housing reform and the 00mesticPartnership Ordinance, I also decided that I would devote a special issue of the . Review to issues re- . lating to "Sex and Culture," ~ , th~t I would ,i nclude ~~ , . .•

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.. . SO '~' 'did ~,~,.y? ~. ,>~ ·)tylrt4 '~xu,8lri~tS.on~~' · ;:.: have.tried >.todtsCreditthemmmyar" .c"many piece,$ .ICo1.Jldwbidlpositively. ~,, · '. identifyinK ~ htatedthat'jn light ' <· IWta,fbacfwJ,ittentwOarticleStR«t'were ' tides. I~ bavenevet, however, written '" portrayed hom0sexUalrigh\S. I aMcOO-'," .:' . ,~ oftbe~tbat ~WIS ~~ng" ,Jughly Criti,<:al Qf~ac::tivi~groupson , aJlythillg, »,hichcri~ gays ~lyy,in<;ed that most true cor:;ervativesand .' . .;, <' thatT\t;a.l.• give I..GMfO$l~. .ifl.found. '., · ftIIlPU&J,A<:'I""URand.tJ\t, I)rakets 5:>~" . ,~ggay,)'o label me.horoopho~,,& libertarians will agree that the gOverJl'o' outtbatl..9MPO w. in~ with ~ . Y~9n\he~ ~.iJ ~.~. ~g\ ' .$ld bigoted ,forcri~~ngACl':.lJP-and ment has no right to~.n individuals how

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.ttIe,~r ' .. ..., ; .; ' ., . " , ... :.. I have made tbemisalceofbelievhlg ;' '. ~~~. agp,: ~Y P~';my , that mos:t reasonable people Woufd not . id~y.O&the~ · ·~•.;,~·SO;;~.«J(:OJlCIude.·,that':l'am

people I know would greet that with derisive laughter. As if we would really choo5e to be pariahs~" The Future ., So what l5f t~mfUie fofgay Republicans and Libertarians? In addition to LGLC and the Log Cabin Federation, non-traditional gay groups are growing in strength and numbers. Some groups include the "Liberty Belles," a libertarian group based in Philadelphia, and uGays and Lesbians for Individual liberty," a Washington D.e. groups that

includes many prominent members of the Calo Institute. Locally the campus contingent of openly gay students is growing as well. " think that there are a fair number of conservative and Libertarian gay people on campus," says Edmondson. " have noticed a number of people say 'Yes, I am gay, but I don't buy into the PC orthodoxy' and instead lean toward libertarian or conservative politics." "People are coming to the realization that there are gay people everywhere," says Tafel. Part of what prevents the number of non-traditional gays from coming out is the relationship between the gay community and the right ac-

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. an~basedsolelyonmyoiti,. · resolut;iOncatJingon'theassemblyto~ , ,dsm of the Community's most radical the 'U-M to refunn itsfainilyhovsin& . homosexualactiviSts.JgueSS1wasw'rong· po~toallowgay.coUpJes~.She '. There is an important point to be madeiil .' Wa$ first o~ the speakers list,. and 1. was; all of.this, especially in light of the recent . . secorui~Af,ter shehaQ finishedspeaking ~ P.e. conterence,andespecially in light of in favor,of the resOl~on, itwasmy turn. . the hate speech portion of it. During the hate speedlsegment~ uo

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a clear definition of what constitute5 hate , " . ;', cording to Tafel Although he encounters a lot of anger from the leftist gay community for his political beliefs, he also has problems with the right. "Because I am a moderate and don't toe the line, the leftist gay community is offended: However, there are also a lot of right-wing bigots in the Republican party. There is a lot of hatred on the right, which I find equally disgusting. In a lot of ways, the ultra-conservatives and leftist gay groups have created each other." Brian Jendryka is a senior in English and economics and editor-in-chief of the Review.

...

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speech, though. Given 'the number of times that I, and the Review, have been called fascist, Nazi, racist, homophobic, and so forth, merely because of our p0litical beliefs, and given Toy's opinion that my MTS message constituted hate speech, I think it is safe to say that on this campus, conservative thought in general would be labeled hate speech. Needless to say, such tactics are for the intellectually lazy. Those who cannot debate ideas on their logical merits resort to name calling and wild accusations instead. And they claim that P.e. is merely a mirage. Jeff Muir is a senior in general studies and the special issue editor of the Re-

view.

November 20, 1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

The Beauty Myth Continued From Page 15 Wolf seems to assume that women as individuals not only lack the will to make purchasing decisions for themselves, but also lack the intelligence to see advertising for what it is: an image, designed to sell products, with only (perhaps) a tangential relationship to reality. In characterizing women as slaves to the ideal put forth by the mythical myth she has constructed, Wolf credits the average woman with no more brains than did the Victorian doctors whom she so harshly criticizes. Wolf, laboring under a deep misunderstanding of how the free market really operates, does not seem to grasp tha t in order for these products and services,

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which she says are so "oppressive" to women, to have developed at all, there had to be some demand for them in the first place. If a women decides that makeup will make her look more beautiful, than it is within her own discretion to spend money on such products. Advertising might convince her that one particular prod uct is better than another, but advertising is not going to be of any influence at all if she hasn't already decided to participate in the cosmetics market as a consumer. Wolf argues, unconvincingly, that SOCiety creates this original demand, but can do little to substantiate this claim, other than piously recite the usual "society is inherently oppressive to woman" rhetoric. Women are portrayed by Wolf as

Against the Grain Continued From Page 15 and standard of living made by western civilization. Paglia does not see the male Western culture as evil and oppressive, as the radical feminists do. Rather, she feels that it is a great accomplishment which should be applauded. As she points out, Western culture has greatly improved

the quality of life and has given her the time to write this book. Men have followed their Nietzscheanw1ll to power in a futile attempt to control n~tJlre. Man may impose his creations on nature, but it can remove them in the blink of an eye. Hurricanes and earthquakes can tear down anything man has built so far. Nature also has black holes and supernovas, which are more destructive than

addicted to Cosmopolitan, Galmour, and Vogue. unable to sort out the differences betwren the professionally-prescribed beauty of the fashion model, who is paid to maintain her appearance in comformity with whatever standards the fashion industry dicta tes, and the subjective interpretations of beauty that are more germane to interpersonal relationships. Wolf should give women in general more credit; most of them seem to know the distinction between being beautiful and making a profession out of it. In the end, Wolf demolishes her own case against the "patriarchy" by hypothesizing the development of a male counterpart to the beauty myth. As Wolf puts it, "Ad vertisers ha ve recen tl y figured ou t tha t undermining sexual self-confidence

works whatever the targeted gender." In doing so, she undermines all arguments of uniqueness she had developed by saying the myth specifically harms women. Her study of society' s treatment of women is really just a vehicle for an attack on operation of the free market itself, which she evidently sees as not only misogynist, but oppressive in general. Although Naomi Wolf paints herself as a reasonable social critic, and is careful not to come across as a raving Marxist, it is apparent from her disdainful analysis of the workings of the free market that that is exactly what she is. Adam Garagiola is junior in comparative literature and creative writing, and is the literary editor of the Review.

anything man will ever possess. The'dichotomy between civilization and nature is Paglia's main point of contention. From that, she builds her entire thesis on the continuity of Western culture. Her arguments arewell supported, but some of.her conclusions are hard to swallow for all but the most cynical of people. Overall, this book is a fine piece of scholarly writing, who's only fault is

occasional verbosity. Eddie Arner is a junior in English and political science and a staff writer for the Review. â&#x20AC;˘.>l'''~'''''

Hi-Fi' Studio

Curriculum Continued From Page 12

the need for a more "systematic" education at the U-M. "I favor a move toward some sort of core curriculum. I think the faculty believes that freshmen and sophomores are pretty much at sea. This is a fairly crucial period in their education. It is possible to come to the U-M and take a series of courses that are inconsequential. I would like to see us discourage that." . Many claim that the U-M lacks the funds necessary to implement such a

Mr. Boffo

curriculum. Perhaps the money was spent on the "crucial" curriculum changes of the diversity requirement and other multicultural reforms such as the New Traditions requirement within the English department. People must be acquainted with their own culture before they can appreciate the glories of ancient Zambian bisexual poetry. Shouldn't we understand our own cultural heritage before we spread ourselves thin over a "diverse" range of topics, selling ourselves short and ending up mediocre in all subject areas? Current reforms such as the ones

by Joe Martin

presented at the poli tical correctness conference are completely off-base. The UM is only leading the way toward the downfall of its curriculum and thus its students' education unless it can begin to concentrate on the elements of the Western tradition that have contributed the foundations of our prese1\t-day society.

Beth Martin is a junior in Engl~sh and a staff writer for the Review. Dan Spillane is a sophomore in economics and a staff writer for the Review.

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

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U-M Prepares for Grandpappy of 'em All by Corey Hili The speculation has ended, the postseason bowl bids have been formally announced and Michigan State did not receive a bid this year. Here is a preview of this season's major games on New Year's Day. Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Michigan vs. Washington The Wolverines are coming off a decisive victory over Illinois last Saturday. Desmond Howard scored his usual two touchdowns per game and Ricky Powers secured the victory running behind our mammoth offensive line. The 'defense has improved since the beginning of the season and it can only get better against run-oriented Ohio State on Saturday. The Washington Huskies suffer from playing in the obscure region known as the Pacific Northwest. The Huskies have a stingy defense lead by All-American Steve Emtman. Emtman is surrounded by a very capable group of linebackers and defensive backs who can spell trou ble for any defense. The offense should not be ignored either. Billy Joe Hobert leads this unit that features a solid offensive line and two excellent receivers, Mario Bailey and Orlando McKay. Washington has defeated the top two contenders in the Pac-lO, Californi, 2417 and Southern California, 14-3. Their last game was a victory over Oregon State and they finish the season Nov. 23 against intra-sta te rival Washington State in Seattle.'During the 1980s the Pac-10 has sent average teams to the Rose Bow I, but not this year. Washington walloped a good Iowa squad 46-34 in last year's Rose Bowl. The Huskies are a serious contenderfor the national championship, and if taken lightly, Michigan will be in for a long and tiring afternoon. Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Miami Hurricanes clinched their spot in the Orange Bowl with a 17-16 victory over the despised Rorida State Seminoles. The Hurricanes are likely to play for the national championship in the stadium which they have a 40-game winning streak. Their opponent is not yet deterrnined. The Colorado Buffalos were last season's champion largely as a result of the infamous fifth....down play against Missouri. Nebraska currently leads the conference but a loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 23. would send the Buffs to the Orange Bowl. Miami will be expected to win, but do not underestimate Nebraska. The question remains, will Miami be declared the undisputed national champion? Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. ,.

Notre Dame was awarded this bid despite two consecutive losses to Tennessee and Penn State late in the season. Notre Dame has struggled with a young defense all season and opponents have exploited this weakness. The offense is very capable withtailback Jerome Bettis and quarterback Rick Mirer. The Rorida Gators earned its first undisputed and recognized SEC title by virtue of its victory over Kentucky. HeismancandidateShane Matthews will have his first chance to shine after his likely disappointment from not winning the Heisman. Rorida has moved up in the polls all season, but if they are not careful, Notre Dame can find a way with its luck of the Irish. Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. ~ The Southwestern Conference champion Texas A & M return to the Getton Bowl \YJttfout long-time coachlackie Sherrill. Sherrill was ran out town a few years ago, but the Aggies have returned to form posting an 8-1 record with their last victory over Arkansas. Texas A & M finishes the season against Southern Methodist Nov. 23. Florida State will make their first appearance in the Cotton Bowl. The Seminoles have posted a 10-1 record this season losing only to Miami last week. Florida State has a dangerous offense and an aggressive defense. The Seminoles may be too much for Texas A & M, however, and they will hope for a Miami loss in the Orange Bowl. Fiesta Bowl in Tempel Arizona Penn State clinched its Fiesta Bowl bid witha 35-13 victory over Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions are a solid "Chicago Bear" type team, with an adequate offense and a tough and gritty defense. Penn State is not a flashy team but they are very capable of winning the big game . However, Penn State may not accept the Fiesta bid because Coach Joe Paterno has offered his black players the option of deciding not to accept the bid. The state of Arizona does not celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. The Tennessee Volunteers have quietly fielded good tearns throughout the 19805 and this season is no exception. The Vols have posted a 7-2 record and they defeated Mississippi last week 3625. Wide receiver Carl Pickens is one the most heralded Vols and he is a potential Heisman Trophy winner. Tennessee has defeated Notre Dame this season yet they may not be ready for the big show. Hall of Fame in Tampa, Florida Our beloved rivals Ohio State will be looking forward to another post season ..:. .;:. .:

bid to erase the memory of their embarrassing loss in last year's Liberty Bowl. The Buckeyes lost Robert Smith to,academics but Carlos Snow and Butler By'not'e' picked up the slack. The Buckeye defense is Woody Hayes-tough which will keep the Buckeye's in close games. This may John Cooper's last game as OSU's coach. The Syracuse Orangemen are no pushover. The Orangemen know how to recruit athletes like Derrick Coleman, and they recruited Quadray "the Missile" Ishmail, the Rocket's brother. The defense is solid but breakable by the right opponent. This isone of better matchups outside of the major bowl games. Florida Citrus in Orlando, Florida Thanks to Russell White and a lot of players who had career years, California is playing in a bowl game. The Bears have a 9-1 record and are ranked sixth in the country. They were not expected to mount a minor challenge against Washington for the Pac-10 title. California is definitely a team of overachievers a.ne ~ they may not see the promised land this season. Clemson stands in the way of the promised land for California and the rest of ACe. The Tigers were the ACC'schampions posting a 5-0--1 conference record and 7- 1-1 overall. The Tigers love the running game but DeChane Cameron passed for 213 yards in last week's 40-7 victory over Maryland. The Tiger defense has a tough bite that may stifle Russell White. This game could be a good primer before the Rose Bowl comes on. Peach Bowl in Atlanta East Carolina Pirates are this season's Cinderella story. The Pirates have posted a 9-1 record this season. North Carolina State has posted a 8-2 record this season. The Wolfpack was surprise this season, as they were expected to finish near the bottom of the ACe. Sleep in on this game, there are better games later in the day. The rest of post season bowls: Copper Bowl Dec. 31 in Tucson, Arizona Indiana vs. Baylor John Hancock Bowl Dec. 31 in EI Paso, Texas UCLA vs. Illinois Holiday Bowl Dec. 30 in San Diego BYU-San Diego State winner vs. Iowa Gator Bowl Dec. 29 in Jacksonsville, Rorida Virginia vs. Nebraska-Oklahoma loser Liberty Bowl Dec. 29 in Memphisl Tennessee Air Force vs. Mississippi or Mississippi

State Independence Bowl Dec. 29 in Shreveport, Louisiana Arkansas vs. Georgia Blockbuster Bowl Dec. 28 in Miami Alabama vs. Colorado or Oklahoma Freedom Bowl Dec. 27 in Anaheim, California Tulsa vs. BYU-San Diego State loser Aloha Bowl Dec. 25 in Honolulu Georgia Tech vs. Stanford California Bowl Dec. 14 in Fresno, California Bowling Green vs. Fresno State or San Jose State

Corey Hill is a sophomore in political science and an assistant editor for the Review. He says he can pancake Greg Skrepanek any day of the week. Special hello to Katie and the field hockey team.

USA TODAY TOP,25 . FOOTBALL POLL 1. Miami

2. Washington 3. Michigan 4. Florida State 5. Florida 6. CalifOrnia . Penn Stat 8. Alabama 9. Iowa 10. Tennessee 11. Nebraska ' 12. TexasA&M

13. Clemson 14. East Carolina 15. Colorado

16. SyracuSe 17. Oklahoma 18. Ohio State 19. Notre Dam~ 20. Virginia 21. Stanford 22. N.C. State 23. Georgia 24.BYU 25. Bowling Green "

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

November 20. 1991

Music: Concert Review

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Canadian Power Trio .Rocks the Palace By Adams DeVore and Garaglola Rush's choice of Eric Johnson for their opening act when they played the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 14 stood not only as a much deserved tribute to Johnson's masterful guitar playing, but also as a tadt recognition oftheir own musical expertise. Johnson, who has released but two albums thus far, showed himself to be one of the most distinguished guitarists on the music scene today. As the Palacevision screen featured lengthy close-ups of his nimble fingers flying deftly over his Stratocaster, no witness, sober or otherwise, could deny that with a bit of maturation and refinement of stage presence, Johnson will soon find a permanent place among the ranks of truly great guitarists such as Satriani, Clapton, and Vaughan, especially after hearing his inspired performance of "Trademark." Johnson's upbeat but mezmerizing rendition of "Oiffs of Dover" brought many concertgoers to their feet, Zippos aflame. While the Palace shook with series after series of overpowering riffs and daunting solos at top voulme, we were slightly disappointed by Johnson's comparatively unimpressive vocals: though smooth and soothing on his latest release, Ah Via Musicom, his live singing was disappointingly rougher and unrefined. Great guitarist, mediocre vocalist. Rush's opening tune, "Tough Times," was accompanied by a highly stylized animation sequence, including a scene of a ticket-taker returning a curiously ambiguous-looking "ticket stub" to an obviously twisted Rush fan. And as Geddy Lee sang "Look in to the eye of the storm! Look out for the force without form," the backdrop flashed with aweinspiring scenes of Mother. Nature's windy fury. But this concert was not merely a display of stunning musical talent; it also must be appredated asa gripping multimedia spectacle. "Big Money" and "Subdivisions" were both nicely complimented with fitting video sequences consisting of cartoon scenes of highschool halls, architects' renderings of undistinguished, indistinguishable subdivision dwellings, and film clips of confonnity in action: both in seedy basement bars and in the backs of 60s convertibles. And as Lee sang the chorus of one of his favorite songs, 'The Pass," carefully synchronized panning spotlights added to the disorientation so honestly captured in the lyrics, "Turnaround and! Tum around and! Tum around ... Tum

around and walk the razor's edge." The pair of enormous inflatable whi tish-grey rabbits that appeared toward the end of the performance added an appropriately surreal atmosphere to the whole affair.

tive element was how the band dealt with an atypical rap interlude in "Roll the Bones": an enormous, non-threatening cartoon skull appeared on thf ~ck颅 Tilrk-rp\il")(/ Get jusy

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with the facts ... " as the stage lights dimmed. Notably absent from the performance, unfortunately, were Rush favorites such as "Passage to Bankok," and ''Working Man." Long-time Rush fans, however, were not left wanting when the band returned for a stellar encore. Begining with "Spirit of the Radio" and playing all but its last riff, they faded into a nostalgic medly, seguing cleanly into excerpts from "2112," "Finding My Way," and "La Villa Strangiato" before finishing withthe final chords of their intro-piece. This structured encore lent a sense of continuity to the performance, emphasizing their tradition of producing complex and aethetically pleasing music. Combining lights, lasers, and video effects, the concert was an experience that no Rush freak could soon forget.

Rush's Geddy Lee has an easy time with some powerful "Tough Times" riffs.

DeVore and Garagiola are really, really rabid Rush fans. ' , .'

Commanding a barrage of state-Dfthe-art equipment, the trio was able to faithfully reproduce the richness of the sound so characteristic of Rush albums. When the band finally played "Tom Sawyer," one of Rush's better-known tunes, Lee adroitly alternated between bass and keyboards, maintaining a driving bassline with foot pedals while energetically working the keyboard. Given the chance to impress, Neil Peart embarked on an shockingly lengthy and technically masterful drum solo, occassionally employing a gizmo of xylophonic appearance and making excelent use of his elaborate rotating set. Peart's sound engineers also made effective use of the Palace's enonnity by quickly shifting Peart's rolls from one set of speakers to another, thereby emphazing the various tones withineach series, separating in spaL'e what ordinarily would have been distinct only in intonation. If the audience had been flecked with fiery flickers for Johnson, it was positively aglow once the opening chords of "Ooser to the Heart" spilled from Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee's guitars. As many of these highlights suggest, there was little old music in the concert that could not be found on Chronicles, itself a compilation album. Lively renditions of "Roll the Bones," the title track of their newest album, and ''Drearnline,'' the album's first single release, provided an interesting stylistic contrast to their older works. Perhaps the most innova-

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November 20,1991

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

20 "1,1

Arts: Music Review

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Crusty's Corner

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It's Del, the FunkeeHomo Sapien! by P.J. Danhoff

Wha(s in a name? In the rap world, a name projects an image of what the rapper is all about. And if anyone in music is living up to his name, it's Del the Funkee Homo Sapien. Although his new album! Wish My Brother George Was Here is his first release, the 18 year old is by no means new to the industry. He has cowritten songs with both Yo-Yo and his cousin Ice Cube. But don't expect any gangster rhymes here. Though he's from Oakland, Del's rhymes are far from the slow, X-rated style of Too Short, yet he doesn't fit the image of a crossover pop artist, such as Hammer, either. The combined production of Del, Ice Cube, and The Boogie Men creates an infectious blend of funky bass lines and catchy samples, many taken directly from the immense P-Funk catalog. When integrated with Del's clever rhymes, the net result is an album that is both mentally stimulating and full of butt-shaking funk. Throughout the album, Del deplores

many present rap artists, and their gimmicky styles. On "Pissin' on Your Steps," he asks, "Now watcha gonna do with the boy with no talent, use a step-one and step-two to keep the show valid?" He's not afraid to mention names, either, dropping in such lines as "Ice is cool, but I can't stand Vanilla" and "Realize a Hammer's just a mallet." Del does not limit himself to rapping about the worn-out topics used by so many other MCs. On "The Wacky World of Rapid Tra~it," he effectively mi)(es

social commentary with a quirky sense of humor. A simple bus ride to San Francisco becomes an adventure. The rapper waits an hour for the bus, has a brush withgang-bangers, confronts crack dealers and baseheads, then misses his stop. Interestingly, on "Dark Skinned Girls," Del raps in the chorus "Dark skinned girls are better than light skinned, Light skinned girls aren't better than dark skinned." According to the Funkee Homo Sapien, light skinned Afro-American women are rude, snobby, and desire to be white. He makes an unfounded generalization based on skin color on this track, while on others he criticizes the prejudiced. His intentions may have been good - to condemn those who sell-out their culture - but Del misses the mark on this song.

Michigan Daily Ann Arbor News Eastern ECJ10 Ann Arbor Metro Times.

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Miranda Sex Garden are three young women from England who have released an album of 25 acappella songs on Mute Records. The songs are all 400 year old madrigals (poetic love songs that were very popular in 16th and 17th century England) guaranteed to make the love-sick weep. Madrigals are . The group is currently working on a new record that will include lots of instrumental accompaniment. Paroxysm Volume 1 is the name of a compilation of tec:-hnc.H:iance matp...

P.J. Danhoff is a freshman in LSA and a staffwriter for the Review. ..,.""",,.,,r,,..'

A Campus Tradition

Free

by Crusty Muncher

rial from the underground. Featured on the disc are six D.J.s from the U.K. and the U.S., including D.J. Massive, DCB-A, and Detroit's own Underground Resistance. The stuff is neat but very repetitive. If you want good, danceablemusicthatincorporatesiess techno and more live instruments, go out and get the latest releases from The Brand New Heavies and The Family Stand ... Girly-metalers Shotgun Messiah have released a new album titled Second Coming. There are a few good, catchy cheese-rock tunes here, but these guys follow the formula to a 'T.' They've got exceptionally lame lyrics, a bleach-blond lead singer, a speedy guitarist, and a drummer named Stixx ... Follow For Now is the most recent Atlanta-based band to break. Fishbone, The Time, and Living Colour all come to mind after listening to their debut, which features a cover of Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel ~ro." The band is touring with 24-7 Spyz and Drivin' n' Cryin' ... Liverpool's latest is The Real People. Their self-titled debut is a collection of very familiar sounding British-pop songs. Despite the many recycled riffs, the release includes several potentially strong singles.