The recent news of Playboy coming to MSU has sparked controversy all over campus. It has been hell for some and a chance to make it big for others. All this excitement got me thinking: I needed to do a little research. I do not have a subscription to Playboy, but after today, I think maybe I should. Why would I say such a thing? Because finding a Playboy in this town was about as easy as finding a cure for cancer. I set out Monday afternoon with one goal: I was going to find a copy of Playboy so I could be a little more informed about it and maybe read some “Party Jokes.”
Much to my dismay, Starkville was squeaky clean and smut-free. Maybe I did not visit the right stores or ask the shadiest of characters, but I most certainly made an effort. Alas, all I got out of my quest were snarky looks from store clerks and an empty tank of gas. If you are lucky enough to have a subscription to Playboy or want to drive out to Columbus, then you might be able to catch the “Girls of the SEC” pictorial due out this fall.
I know there are folks out there who will not stand to see the moral fiber of Mississippi State tainted by Hugh Hefner and his band of loyal followers (a.k.a. every red-blooded man in this country). These protesters want no part in the exploitation of these poor, beautiful, amply endowed ladies.
I think protecting the integrity of MSU is a novel idea and probably the right thing to do, but realistically speaking, it is a waste of time. I respect the right to protest the involvement of students in this issue just as much as I respect the right that these coeds have to be in it. It just so happens that nudity trumps chivalry in the good ole U.S. of A.
Let’s look at this from a business standpoint. Everybody knows that the South is full of gorgeous women. Some of these women are even willing to bare it all in spite of their daddies’ good names. Playboy’s marketing geniuses understand this. They know that a topless Southern Baptist girl holding a football will make them millions. If anything, this is great for MSU. If we are not going to be recognized for our ever-impressive football skills, maybe a buxom blonde straddling our mascot could do the trick.
What it all boils down to is that the issue is coming out, like it or not. No one is forcing anybody to read it or to buy stock in the company. This is not a travesty. In no way is this girl “Miss Maroon and White,” so the idea that our student body and alumni are being misrepresented by her actions is ridiculous.
This is a girl who has probably gone to casting calls before and just happens to be enrolled this semester. If some semi-nude photos in one issue of a magazine is the worst to come this year, then I say praise the Lord and long live Hugh Hefner.