Editor:
I am writing to protest your recent running of the Playboy Magazine advertisement on March 9. I am not arguing for the prohibition of the sale of Playboy; although the magazine caters to puerile and unrealistic fantasies about women that help perpetuate misunderstandings and confusion between the sexes, I realize that individuals have the right to buy or subscribe to it.
I do question, however, your judgment in running an advertisement for the magazine that takes up three-quarters of a page and features the April 1995 cover, depicting a practically nude woman, adorned only in sparse vegetation and a thong bikini bottom. Is the Wildcat so caught up in profit that it will accept any advertisement no matter how demeaning?
Although the editorials and columns from editor Sarah Garrecht consistently promote equality between the sexes, it appears that the Wildcat is ready to sell out convictions when money is on the line. The views of the paper on gender issues will only be taken seriously when those in control of the Wildcat's advertising have the guts to reject ads that are exploitative, that objectify women, and that communicate the message that, even at major universities, women are still just a piece of flesh.
Shelly Dorsey
Tutor for Writing Skills Improvement Program