For more than 20 long years, Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Magazine has been hunting down college girls for special editions of the publication such as Pac-10, Top Party Schools and Playboy Lingerie. In these editions, the magazine’s staff seeks out “the girl next door” whose look would represent the entire school.
As you may have read in Wednesday’s front page article and back-page advertisement, Playboy is coming to Dallas next week to look for the next Playboy Jane to be featured in the Conference USA edition.
A lot of people may concur that there is nothing wrong with becoming a bunny. But what does being a “bunny” really mean? It is becoming a sexual object, a mere marketing tool used to sell a product. This image – and correct me if I’m wrong – is not what represents this institution. For those of you considering in participating in the casting call because you think it might be a “stepping stool to breaking into modeling and acting,” allow me to clarify this huge misconstruction of the entertainment industry.
Posing for a pornographic magazine such as Playboy limits your boundaries of modeling and acting within that realm. First impressions last a lifetime and that’s what you’ll be known for. Not your college education, not your great acting skills, not even your pretty face: but your “body” in playboy. I asked senior Melvin Brown to give his input about the situation from a male’s perspective. “If someone I knew posed in playboy, I would look at her differently and probably try to get with her because now she’s ‘that girl.’ You know, a looser girl. Even if I knew her before she posed in the magazine and knew she was intelligent, I wouldn’t assume she’s any less intelligent, but I would see her to have little or no moral values. I probably wouldn’t even see her as the ‘smart’ girl anymore, because now she’s presented a different image of herself. You know, that girl that posed in Playboy. And I don’t think I’m wrong for saying that, because girls who put themselves in situations like that bring those stigmas onto their selves.”
Some girls may argue that since they will not be completely naked, like the other bunnies, it is not the same. You yourself may not be completely bearing all, but you are displayed in the same magazine, in the same fashion as those who are. Thus, your image is portrayed in the same way.
I’m not here to judge you on your moral values or beliefs if you consider becoming a “bunny.” All I’m asking is that you consider all possible consequences of doing so because at the end of the day no one can make or be blamed for that decision but yourself. It really comes down to what type of female you want to become. A sexual object – the girl who arouses fantasies of men – possibly John from your Rhetoric class – thus promoting sin? Or a symbol of Integrity – the educated woman who worked hard for her penny and did not have to strip her way to fame or wealth? The decision is yours; make it a wise one.
If you need some words of guidance or clarification, I encourage you to visit joycemeyer.org and listen to or watch a couple of her series. I guarantee you will find answers to whatever you are looking for. Hey, they published the information for playboy’s casting call, why not publish the Web site for the better and actually efficient alternative.
About the writer:
Christene Dino is a first-year business marketing major. She can be reached at [email protected].
