Funny Fotos sends a dangerous message
By Christopher Smith
Although the Funny Foto booth has been gone for a month, its memory lives on and has some people on campus questioning the sensitivity of the college.
On Sept. 2 the Student Government Association set up a Funny Foto booth at the Pow Wow. The booth which would take a picture of a person’s face and superimpose it a body. The booth had many bodies to choose from, like athletes, funny features or in some cases celebrities. The booth also had a couple of posters which featured Playboy models in very revealing attire, and men who were dressed in the same fashion.
About 150 people participated, according to the Funny Foto representative, and about 80% of the pictures were from the scantily clad posters.
So what kind of message does this send? A very dangerous one says Instructor Pat Cole who teaches sociology and women’s studies.
"My first response was shock. I could not believe that a poster of big breasted, bare-butted women was out on the quad. That sort of thing belongs at a beer bash, not on the commons."
Cole went on to say "there was a lack of awareness as it relates to gender discrimination, and there should be swift education". Cole added "that a good number of faculty and staff will participate, and that training should not be looked at as an opportunity but a necessity."
Cole also added that women have progressed tremendously since the 1950’s. "Even with all the advances we have made, we still set up our young women for failure. Eating diseases like bulimia and anorexia are caused by women trying to attain what is believed to be a perfect figure."
According to statistics from the National Organization for Women, only 5% of the women in the U.S. are physically capable of possessing a super-model-like body. NOW also reports that 80% of 4th grade girls are dieting. What message is being sent to young people?
In a survey of 290 students at IVCC, over 54% of the women surveyed were offended by the display of scantily clad women to only 12% of men. Interestingly, only 30% of the faculty and staff surveyed were offended.
Kim Radek, who teaches English and women’s studies, said "We should consider what images we are presenting. We should try and be more comfortable with who we are."
Radek went on to say "our campus should have a policy that defines what an environment conducive to learning and respect should consist of. It might be or be perceived as a hostile environment if photos of scantily clad women are displayed."
Radek also stated that anxiety could be created in women by thinking they need to look that way.
"It would appear that we have taken a step backwards," she said," but we can still make this a place that is actively promoting equality among the sexes with the right training."
Jerry Corcoran, the director of human resources, said "Gender sensitivity is something I feel we need to address." Corcoran who is the head of a new diversity task force has said the group has already met, and will present their findings to College President Dr. Jean Goodnow sometime next week.
Discussions about the need for a diversity group came up after a survey was taken of the faculty and staff as a result of the North Central Accreditation self study. The study revealed a need for training in diversity. The budget for fiscal year 1999 has already allotted the money needed to provide the faculty and staff for training.
Corcoran also stated there was no correlation between the SGA sponsorship of Funny Fotos and the formation of the task force. Instead, Corcoran said the booth "all the more underscores the need for training."
SGA advisor Cory Tomasson said, "It was not our intention to be degrading to women, but just to have fun. If these pictures offended anyone, I am sorry."
Representatives of Funny Fotos, which was contracted through the Smith Agency in Grand Rapids, Mich., could not be reached for comment.
The student organization People Of the World End Racism is planning to continue the discussion with a short video presentation, and discussion on October 28.
"We hope to share perspectives, concerns and thoughts, with some pizza, pop and people," said Kim Abel, advisor of POWER. "We want to find out why some people find this objectionable, and others think others are overreacting. This is what college is all about, sharing our ideas and being open to others."
Oct. 8, 1998 the Apache