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OPINION
www.bupipedream.com | November 22, 2013
Deplorable eating disorder article crosses the line
Off-putting piece which advises dating girls with body images reflects larger societal problems Giovanna Bernardo Contributing Columnist
A few days ago, one of my friends drew my attention to a sardonic, but ridiculously offensive article that popped up on her Facebook news feed recently, titled, “5 Reasons to Date a Girl with an Eating Disorder.” Even before reading the article, I had a problem with the title and the very fact that it was making fun of women with psychological disorders, implying these sicknesses are beneficial to men. However, I read on just to see how far such an article would go to get a laugh. I was appalled at how obscene and ignorant it was. The reasons for dating a girl with an eating disorder can be summed up in the article’s five main points: “Her obsession with her body will improve her overall looks,” “She costs less money,” “She’s fragile and vulnerable,” “Probably has money of her own” and “She’s better in bed.” To me, these ideas are illustrative of our
country’s very superficial tendencies, where there is an increased emphasis on how someone looks, despite what he or she did to achieve that. The inherent narcissism of modern American society stretches to our dependence on social media, where your worth is determined by how many followers you have on Twitter or how many likes you got on your Instagram selfie. But I digress. Such an offensive article exemplifies the American media’s attack on women and how there is a very rigid, standard set for our looks. Women are expected to be skinny and fresh-faced, with makeup and hair done because that’s what the women on the covers of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen look like. Who wouldn’t want to look like the Heidi Klums and Gisele Bündchens of the world, because clearly that’s what men are attracted to based on this horrible article? What happened to being yourself? What happened to wearing what you wanted, when you wanted (and not to please the boy in your life)? There is nothing wrong with being fit, wearing makeup and doing your hair as long
as it is for the right reasons — because it makes you happy, not for the boy you’re texting. More to the point, such a degrading article is symptomatic of the seriously damaging effect of the media on women today, where they are so desperate to be just as skinny and perfect as the Victoria’s Secret Angels that they will develop these eating disorders to finally attain that perfect body. This all raises the question: Where do we draw the line? If this serious topic serves as a joke for today’s America, what does that have to say about our country? Last time I checked, psychological and debilitating diseases, such as bulimia and anorexia, were not funny or for the enjoyment of the boy that girl is dating, such as suggested in the article on ReturnOfKings.com. The author even went as far as stating that, “It’s a well-known fact that crazy girls are exceptional in the sack. A girl with an eating disorder has just the right cocktail of pent-up insecurity, neuroses, and daddy issues to ensure that your whole building knows every time you’re beating it up.” How does anyone, especially the “crazy girl” with said “right cocktail,” take that kind
of a statement? Even if it is a joke, it’s been said that there’s truth in jest, and it’s very possible that some men out there actually do think like this. I honestly think these types of articles should be reported on Facebook because of the implications of their crude humor. Girls, of any age, are more than just objects to boys. We do not need to subject ourselves to radical diets or absurd workout regimens to achieve that ultimate “sex kitten” body. What is saddest about this repulsive article, however, is that it doesn’t even take into account the girls that actually have eating disorders and the effect of such “jokes” on them. They have these diseases because they are truly sick. I have a friend that has an eating disorder, and it is clear that she has a psychological problem when she considers her 98-pound self disgusting and feels the need to run for hours a night to finally achieve her dream body.
The jest stemming from the overly body-conscious society we live in, such as in this article, is only going to make the conditions of these girls, like my friend, worse. These articles are not only feeding into the problem, they are becoming the problem. Where do we draw the line? Let’s start by not writing these morally repugnant articles that contribute to the selfobsessed tendencies of this country. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, let’s start focusing on what’s on the inside now, so we can save the next generation from a world dominated by these outrageous articles that consider “a girl with a mild-to-moderate eating disorder — that hasn’t excessively marred her appearance — is today’s best-buy in the West’s rapidly plummeting dating market.”
Such an offensive article exemplifies the American media’s attack on women
— Giovanna Bernardo is an undeclared freshman.
Not your grandpa’s ballgame Hold on to your own views Major League Baseball sees controversial changes David Forrest Contributing Columnist
With the 2013 Major League Baseball season now officially over, baseball fans will once again have to face the long, cold winter without their beloved boys of summer. However, when fans tune in next spring, they may be watching a vastly different game. Instant replay is another step closer to changing the game forever, thanks to the endorsement of the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, and 75 percent of major league team owners. Selig has apparently rethought his staunch anti-replay position and is set to introduce the measure in January, pending the approval of unions representing umpires and players. Almost every decision on the field is likely to be subject to review under the new system except for balls, strikes, check swings and foul tip calls. Managers will be allowed one challenge over the first six innings of a game and two from the seventh inning until the completion of the game. Calls that are challenged will be reviewed by a crew in MLB headquarters in New York City, which will send its ruling back
to the ballpark. While the details of instant replay are to be ironed out in the coming months, a larger question looms over the issue: Should Major League Baseball introduce instant replay in the first place? Although instant replay would certainly mean big changes for America’s pastime, those changes would be for the better. Any avid baseball fan like myself can recall many instances where the umpires have gotten a call horribly wrong. Sometimes these blown calls work themselves out later in the inning and are forgotten. But far too many calls have drastically affected the outcome of a game and are remembered long after the game is over. Perhaps the most infamous blown call within the last few years took place on June 2, 2010 in a game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians. The Tiger’s pitcher, Armando Galarraga, was one out away from a perfect game when it was snatched away from him by a clearly blown call by the first base umpire, Jim Joyce. Although Joyce apologized immediately and was ultimately forgiven by Galarraga, the incident must be taken at face value; a pitcher was robbed of a perfect game. While instant replay is certainly a step in the right direction for Major
Instant replay is another step closer to changing the game forever
League Baseball, the proposed system is not the best option. The challenge system does not always work well in the NFL, and it is certainly not the best system for the MLB. Challenge plays in the NFL make the game significantly longer, something that the MLB cannot afford as many people already complain about the length of baseball games without review. In addition, MLB managers could potentially abuse the system and use challenges simply to disrupt a pitcher’s rhythm, or to give a relief pitcher more time to warm up in the bullpen. Rather than introduce this flawed system that gives a manager the power to arbitrarily disrupt the flow of the game, Major League Baseball should introduce a system similar to the one in place in the NCAA. In this system, an extra official reviews each play from the broadcast booth and radios down to the officials on the field if he or she detects an error. This system would be good for baseball because it would eliminate the problems of blown calls while preventing managers from strategically using their challenges at the same time. This system addresses the fact that human error is a controllable part of the game without giving managers the authority to undermine umpires. Instant replay is not “an attack on the game,” as many of its opponents view it. Rather, it is an attempt to improve the game by ensuring that a history-making effort cannot be ruined by human error. — David Forrest is a junior majoring in political science.
Ideas about sex will always elicit opposition Jake Lewis Sex Columnist
Society’s perception of sex has been touched on frequently in writings about sex, including my own. What needs to be addressed here is that for every individual opinion on something in the very broad field of sex and relationships, there is a vast amount of opposition in our society. If there is incredible opposition for a single opinion, take all of your views on sex together, and it might seem like you face insurmountable odds. Take a discussion on body image for example. One of the most prominent opinions in society is that the beauty standard set primarily by the media is out of control and people should love their bodies without feeling the pressure to look like Barbies. It would be amazing if society would completely support that opinion. However, there’s a lot of adversity. Fashion, advertising and media outlets typically promote certain body types over others, though positive coverage is also appearing more in the mainstream.
There’s also the atypical opposition. Some people out there say being skinny or not “curvy” is hideous and disgusting. People who work out a lot get stereotyped as being meatheads. You can find antagonism for every body type out there. My point is this: Society isn’t here to coddle us. It’s not going to consistently empower the sex you have, the people you’re into or any of the other views on sex you may have. Societal change is always needed; we certainly see that when it comes to issues like body image and sexuality. Still, we’ve also seen with these issues that society doesn’t respond to change with any form of immediacy. While we work on creating this change in society, we also have to take a minute to reconcile our sex within ourselves. In this reconciliation, we have to try to remove ourselves from society. That’s impossible to completely do, but at our core we must have some beliefs that are steadfast in regards to sex. Society may say you should look a certain way, but what do you believe? Who do you believe is the perfect partner? Are one-night stands good or bad things? It’s even okay to believe that some of the ideas that the majority of society
conveys are correct. I mean, those beliefs must be there for some reason, right? Asking yourself these questions is a great first step to becoming a more sexually confident person. Take these core values and build your sexual self around them. When we talk about all of these awful themes we see regarding the realm of sex, we tend to forget that they’re just opinions. Becoming confident in yourself is a way to combat negativity in the form of these opinions. Once we become confident in ourselves, I feel we open the door to create the greatest amount of change. Others who see us believing in ourselves, regardless of what society says, become motivated by our stories and our presence. We then create positivity to combat society’s negativity. The opinions of society will always be there. The younger we learn to combat them, the better off we’ll be. Combining the concepts present within the social change we wish to see with sexual confidence gives us the ability to hold out and be able to fight for a better future while society catches up to our beliefs. — Jake Lewis is a senior majoring in English.
Who you calling townie? Students are too rough on locals We should embrace, not disparage, people from the broader Binghamton community Anita Raychawdhuri Contributing Columnist
All the time on campus, I hear derogatory comments about “townies.” People here seem to think that the locals have no teeth and are dirty, uneducated hicks. I spent the last five years living in Vestal before I started at Binghamton University, so I have the perspective of being a local and being a newcomer. Binghamton may not be the greatest town in the world, nor the richest or the prettiest. But it isn’t the hellhole everyone makes it out to be, either. Since I’ve moved here, Binghamton has really improved. More restaurants, shops and other businesses have opened, especially in the Downtown area. There are some really nice places too; for example, Remlik’s, Lost Dog Café and Number 5. With First Fridays, Binghamton
is trying to attract a more cultural feel with art, music and food on display Downtown to create a better community feeling. Binghamton is a city with a lot of potential, and some of the old buildings Downtown are beautiful. I’m not going to pretend Binghamton is New York City, but it’s certainly not some grubby ghetto. I understand that Binghamton University and BU students fund a lot of the town, but that doesn’t give students the right to feel as though they are above local people from Binghamton. I haven’t spent my whole life growing up here, so I’m not saying this just because I’m a biased Vestalite. I genuinely think the attitude toward “townies” isn’t fair. No wonder there is such resentment from locals toward BU students. In every town there are going to be people that are sketchy, weird and unpleasant. I just don’t think Binghamton is overridden with them. Most of the locals I know are kind, educated and helpful people. This goes along with the attitude people have toward students from Broome Community College. I have friends that go there, and many times they have experienced
prejudiced behavior from BU students who think that they’re above them. Just because these kids are locals and at a community college does not make them less fun or intelligent than you. Maybe they couldn’t afford a four-year college, or maybe BCC is a second chance for them to become successful. Also, a good proportion of BCC students end up at BU their sophomore or junior year, anyway. This past Halloween I saw someone whose costume consisted of a mullet wig, a cut-off plaid shirt and jeans. He was essentially dressed like a hillbilly; that’s the best way I could describe it. The guy walked past me and my friend and asked us about our costumes. We told him what we were and asked him who he was. He said, “I’m a Binghamton townie.” The costume seemed to me like it was making fun of
people from Binghamton; it definitely felt like a negative portrayal. This further demonstrates the extremely negative attitude toward people from Binghamton in the eyes of BU students. This attitude is problematic because it drives a wedge between the student population and the locals. Both groups can benefit from each other. The economic influx that BU students bring to the area is impossible to ignore. The University is a huge employer in the area, and students’ money goes toward restaurants, bars and recreation, helping to stimulate Binghamton economically too. The community can benefit the student body by providing jobs, internships and services. BU students become isolated from the community because of their attitude. It creates tension between two groups that should really be unified and
Open your mind to the crazy possibility that townies are people too
appreciative of each other. A lot of the negativity toward townies is petty and mean-spirited. I find it immature to have a sense of being above others. Many BU students perpetuate the stereotype of them being spoiled and self-entitled by behaving rudely toward locals. Binghamton can only improve more once students and locals both feel invested in its growth. Go to First Fridays and support local artwork, invest in local businesses or get involved with projects that involve working alongside the community. Open your mind to the crazy possibility that townies are people too. It’s not about defending Binghamton so much as asking for respect and kindness toward others. There is no need to have so much disgust for locals or to lump them in one big group. Being overly judgmental is never a good thing. You’re at BU already; either appreciate the town for what it is instead of looking down on everything, or transfer. — Anita Raychawdhuri is a freshman majoring in English.