TRENDS Women’s rights ADULT: HIV epidemic shuts
8 - The University Star
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Are females abusing what was fought for? BY PORSHA THOMAS TRENDS REPORTER “Don’t compromise yourself; you’re all you’ve got,” is something we should take seriously. Who knew these words uttered by Janis Joplin could provide today’s woman with a foundation to base values on? The millennial woman is powerful and carefree. We have come far from the gender-rolebased society the United States was founded on. We are provided with opportunities unfamiliar to those who came before us. We own property, work jobs once reserved for men and are guaranteed the right to vote. Today, we are given a choice. Women of the past who fought for our rights did well; however, our actions have the ability to unravel all that has been so greatly achieved. What do I mean by this? With a little click of the power button on the TV remote control, maybe a few channels up, a few down, what do you see? A commercial showing blonde “Bettys” with silicone D-cups sexily opening beer cans, or perhaps scantily clad video girls shaking what they have in their jeans. The list continues. Exploitation of women is normal in
today’s society. I realize all opinions, liberal or conservative, have a home on a college campus, but this does not mean I have to agree. Remember the fliers distributed for Sex Signals, the event hosted by the Student Association for Campus Activities? It had a blonde looking sexily into the camera, sporting the “I’m a Calvin Klein undies model” look. I distinctly remember asking my girlfriends if the use of a half-naked man to grab our attention ever crossed the creators mind ... half of us on campus are women. Maybe we wanted to drool over eye candy to make us anxious to attend the event. Nevertheless, we are used to it and easily ignore it. Media are the culprit, the cause that makes insecurities swirl around in our brains and flush into our bodies, triggering those not-really-there flaws we point out to our friends. Let me not solely blame others who partake in the manipulation of women. We control ourselves. Who forced questionable role model Britney Spears to wear rhinestones instead of clothes and kiss a set of men in her “Toxic” video? Is it freedom of expression or a desperate attempt at high
album sales? The line is thin. I would rather my 7-year-old niece idolize Anna Julia Cooper than Britney Spears. Departing from the stars and landing on a level of mediocrity, the oppression continues. Recently, my enjoyment from getting my boogie on at Nephew’s was cut short at the sight of the couple next to me. A guy had ever so cleverly propped his dancing partner’s leg up to fondle her on a public dance floor. Embarrassed that my friend and I noticed, she quickly put a stop to it. Appalled, my friend and I danced over to another spot. Telling the story later to a male counterpart, I learned I may have been overreacting, but I still felt the girl shamed herself. It would be ignorant to think that this doesn’t happen all the time. Women, whether it’s for attention or some reason I’m unfamiliar with, succumb to levels that make it acceptable to call us bitches or sluts. It is our job to put an end to this. Women in Afghanistan must endure threats and violent attacks for exercising rights we’ve had since the ’70s, and we flaunt our freedom by making the conscious decisions to get fondled in clubs and selling our bodies in a place of music.
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claim that existing regulations give them the authority to require prophylactics during filming. About 1,200 adult film actors are tested monthly for HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. The results are generally a required part of good filmmaking ethics, but with a general sixmonth dormant incubation period, and much of that time being medically considered contagious, are these tests really effective? As of now, four of the 12 firstgeneration women who had direct contact with James have tested negative for HIV. Contrary to popular belief, it is likely that many of the women in contact with James will, in fact, test negative for HIV. The virus, when being passed from a man to woman, must enter the bloodstream. This is highly unlikely through “traditional sex.” The vaginal lining is actually a very difficult partition for sperm to penetrate and, unless weakened by sexually transmitted infections, remains virtually impermeable. The anal lining, however, is significantly weaker and often yields to transmission. That’s not to say cases of viral transmission through vaginal sex don’t exist, but the likelihood is far greater
through alternate means. This sudden epidemic isn’t exclusively affecting the actors and actresses in the film industry, but it has the potential to possibly create trans-industrial, political and commercial tidal waves. The ripples have already reached the Los Angeles County Health Legislature, of whose docket includes the possibility of mandatory condom use in film. Many production companies are willing to shoot condom-only films according to the stipulation that everyone agrees; unanimous consent is next to impossible. A condom-only agreement between production companies may never be reached. There will always be lone wolf companies trying to get ahead of the game by featuring actors and actresses willing to go condom-less. Aside from production companies, local area dealers of the explicit material haven’t yet felt the effects plaguing the upper chain. San Marcos’ own Talk of the Town has been dealing with condom-only films for quite some time now. “I haven’t heard nothing about what’s been going on. I don’t watch the news much,” said an employee who wished to withhold his name. “We sell and rent mostly exclusively condom-only videos anyway.”
Whether the production stigma will affect prices on a local level is yet to be determined; as the dry spell continues, time will yield these answers. Direct economical effect is said to be minimal by some economists. The multi-million dollar industry generates a large majority of its capital on the consumption end; that is, the money put into production of material is severely minimal when sided next to sheer return. Many people will likely pay similar prices on vintage titles and “new material” alike. All this, of course, is only related to the more popular and still legal adult entertainment. Gonzo/amateur and other such material may become a more available medium but, again, the speculation will give way to the fact of how long the industry spends in quarantine and productive moratorium. Blessing in disguise or boldfaced disaster; either way you view the epidemic, the facts still remain. These are human beings faced with a uniformly terminal illness. The vicious political debates historically follow every threat to humanity and have only yet to get up and run, some with and some without the aid of a rubber. Art or abomination? Liberty or liability? Freedom or folly? The issue is out there, what will you do with it?
Red Letter Salute to present eclectic artists, musicians in Austin BY BRANDON COBB MUSIC REPORTER Austin’s underground art consortium Red Letter Salute will present Not Punk Enough, a diverse showcase of local artists and musicians, Thursday at The Church of the Friendly Ghost in Austin. The group, dedicated to creating a space
for underground art, will present a multimedia amalgam of paint, graphic design and indie rock artists in a melding of the visually stunning with the aurally intense. Featured visual artists Nicky Davis, Charlie Young, Steven Lee, Alan Dennard and Matthew Crawford will present an array of paintings and graphic
design concepts encompassing a myriad of artistic genres. Musical acts will range from electronic-singer/songwriter “Economy” Rob Landerman to indie and hardcore bands Seaflea and In Praise of Folley, with acoustic sets by Dennis O’Donnell and Dale Beach. The Church of The Friendly Ghost, Austin’s resident experimental artwork
and music venue, is located at 209 Perdenales St. between Second and Third streets in East Austin. The show is free, but donations, which enable The Church to continue its crusade for a meaningful underground art scene, are appreciated. The Church hosts a variety of experimental “services” throughout the month; check the calendar on its home page.
The Red Letter Salute is proud to bring together this eclectic blend of visual and musical art in a celebration of the inextricably beautiful link between the two media. The mayhem is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Thursday, but this is only the first in a series of Red Letter Salute productions; consider yourself warned.