Please do not audition to be in Playboy’s C-USA photo spread. Even though the possibilities of money and the attention of being in a national magazine are tempting, I ask you not to audition not only for the sake of your fellow females, but also for the sake of my fellow males. Pornography severely dehumanizes and objectifies women. When men view images of nude women, they do not view women as precious individuals with lives, thoughts and emotions. Rather, men see them as merely objects of desire.

Porn turns women into objects. Objects that are simply there to please and meet our unfulfilled wants and desires. Objects that are supposed to be there for the sole purpose of bringing someone else pleasure. When men objectify women because of pornography, they view and judge women solely on their body parts and physical appearance. This, needless to say, severely hurts existing relationships and prevents the development of them as well.

So to protect yourself and your fellow females please do not contribute your body to the dehumanization process of women in the male mind which is direct result of pornography. Also, women who see these magazines have a warped image of how they are supposed to look. Because of the positive attention women receive from males when they dress seductively, other women feel the pressure to dress a certain way to receive that same attention. This distorted self image of women leads to many unhealthy practices that include eating disorders.

So by posing for the magazine you will add to the problem of men objectifying women, and women hurting themselves to appear a certain way. To help curb the problem of porn, I plead you not to audition this next week to be a Playboy bunny. The consequences are just too high.

And to my fellow males, I plead you to avoid pornography at all costs. Just like drugs, pornography is addictive. Though it may feel good for a short time, it will lead you down a never ending black hole searching for fulfillment in pictures.

Once you see/have some, you want more and more to reach that “high” of sexual pleasure. This leads to men not respecting a real girl when she says, “no” because the girls on his computer never say, “no” when he wants more. Consequently, it has been proven in studies that rape rates are strikingly higher where there are corresponding high rates of pornography.

This is another reason for women not to pose nude, because it helps feed men’s addictions, which could lead to increased rapes of their fellow females. So take my advice and do not view pornography. Though consequences of previous actions may remain, being “sober” from pornography will do nothing but enhance your relationships with females and will free you from the emptiness of the downward spiral of porn.

How can one experience wholeness and fulfillment in life? Jesus Christ has filled the empty hole in my life and countless others’ and He can fill the hole in your heart as well. All you need to do is ask.

Nevertheless, regardless of your beliefs, male and females alike, I plead you to do something about the problems pornography brings to our culture.

Stephen Reiff is a first-year business major. He can be reached at [email protected].