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The Red and Black
Friday. February 2C, 1987
THE RED AND BLACK
Established 1893 — Incorporated 1980
Tami Dennis, Editor-in-t'hief
Andy Smith, Managing Editor
Hector Vargas, Opinions Editor
American Newspapers Publishers Aeeooetior
TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE Of A FREE PRESS
An independent newspaper not a//ihated with the University o/ Georgia
Ignorance prevails
Twelve delegates from 13 of the original states convened
in Philadelphia in May 1787 to frame the U.S. Constitution.
Our first president, George Washington, presided over the
session until the final draft of the Constitution was finished
on Sept. 17,1787.
This date makes the Constitution the oldest federal con
stitution still in existence in the world today.
U.S. government officials have, therefore, set aside 1987
to commemorate the bicentennial of the framing of the most
important document in the United States — a dqcument that
ensures equality and binds us together as Americans.
However, a recent Hearst Corp. poll, conducted in Oc
tober and November 1986. shows that most Americans have
very little, if any, understanding of what the Constitution is.
“The survey uncovered gaps in the public’s appreciation
of the Constitution — what it is, how our system of govern
ment functions under it and the personal freedoms it
accords,” said Hearst Corp. President Frank A. Bennack
Jr.
Here are some of the results of the 1,000 interviews con
ducted:
• Sixty-four percent of those surveyed falsely believe that
the Constitution establishes English as the official U.S. lan
guage.
• Twenty-six percent of those surveyed wrongly believe
that the Constitution was written to declare independence
from England.
• More than 50 percent incorrectly believe that, because
of provisions in the Constitution, public school children may
be forced to pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag and that
public schools may require a moment for silent prayer.
• Forty-nine percent of the Americans questioned incor
rectly believe that the president can suspend the Constitu
tion in times of war or national emergency.
• Finally and sadly, more than 55 percent of those inter
viewed couldn't identify the Bill of Rights as the first 10
amendments of the Constitution.
Shocking as it may seem, the entire U.S. population, Uni
versity students included, could stand to know a little more
about the Constitution.
Blind patriotism has led many citizens to interpret incor
rectly the purpose and intent our forefathers had in writing
the precious document.
It’s time we, as Americans, seriously looked at the Con
stitution so we truly can begin to understand the system of
government we have and why we have it.
Editorial: 543-1809'
Chi#/Copy Editor Tami Drnm«
Managing Editor And> Smith
Opinions Editor Hector Vargas
Chief Copy Editor Tommy Sum
F ront Page Copy Editor Chip Tower*
Copy Editor Jeuica Saunders
News Editor Frank Steele
Sport* Editor Jim Callis
Entertainment Editor Juliet are)
UCA Today and Librarian Jim Farmer
Chief Photographer Warren Kolbert
Associate News Editors Lauran Seer
gaard Christy Richards
Sports Senior Reporter Lori Clark
Assistant Sports Editor Chris Dellecese
Assistant Photo Editor Michael Goolsby
Staff Artist Chris Harmon
Senior Reporter% Bill Kent. Mike Krensa
vage Keith Phillips Carol Schuster. Jett
Turner. Mark Wheeler Tony L Wilson.
Advertising: 543-1791
Advertising Direc tor Bill Wolgasl
Student Advertising Manager Bonnie
Drotmyk .
Advertitmg Support Personnel Mar) Ca
therine Ginn. Lynn Watson
Advertising Representatives Lawson Co*.
Lawrence Creempon. Rhonda Johnson
Mary Laney. Sean McGinnis Keith Nimit/.
Mark Smith. Gary Thacker. Michael Wells.
Stacy Hulsey Scott Scaggs. Becky West
Advertising Art/Photographv Ben Nile*
Advertising Production Manager Melissa
Culp
Editorial Production Manager Michelle
Manic
production Staff Pamela Burn* Laura
Callahan. Kelly Long. Lisa Martin. Tonya
Reed Julie Ann Rowland Drew Wilson*
General Manager Harry Montevideo
Office Manager Mary Slrauh -
Assistant Office Manager Lisa Litue
Clossi/ied Ad Sofes/Reteptionisl Lori
Morrn
THE RED AND BLACK is published Tuesday through Friday with the exception at hob
days and examination periods by The Red and black Publishing Company. Inc a non
profit campus newspaper nut affiliated with The University of Georgia 123 North Jackson
Street Athens Georgia MHoi Third-class postage paid al Athens Georgia Subscription
rate is S24 per year POSTMASTER Send address changes to 123 North Jackson Street.
Athena. Georgia 3WUI
Opinions expressed in The Red and Black other than unsigned editorials are the opinions
of the writers of signed columns and are not necessarily those of The Red and Black Pub
lishing Co . Inc All rights reserved Reprints by permission of the editors
Broadcast condom ads on TV
It’s Friday and you’ve made the decision to
skip class and catch up on a week’s worth of
missed episodes of “Days of Our Lives.”
You’re wrapped up on the couch with a freshly
nuked plate of Stouffer’s Swedish Meatballs and
a glass of last night's leftover wine. You don't
have to go to the bathroom, the phone doesn't
ring and all is right with the world.
So when Fateh and Kayla are interrupted for
the fifth time in one argument by commercials
you've nothing to do but watch them
Undoubtedly, the most socially uncomfortable
commercials come on during the soaps so they
hit you. the consumer-most-likely-to-do-the-gro-
cery-shopping full in the face with ads for
douches, feminine protection, feminine deodor
ants. padding for “unreliable bladders" and
dress shields, tossed in with the usual array of
tempting cure-alls for diarrhea, hemorrhoids,
and of course, “that occasional itch.”
But it doesn’t faze you. You continue to slop
down your meatballs happily and they taste just
great You've been raised on tampon ads and
you’re so jaded with these commericials that you
can sing the jingles and recite them word for
word to the great amusement of your friends and
family.
Next thing you know they’ll be advertising con
doms.
That’s right, condoms.
Supposedly because they help prevent the
spread of AIDS, several prime-time TV shows
soon will be brought to you by the makers of Tro
jans and other fine prophylactic companies.
And suddenly, the viewing public is up in arms
about what kind of advertising TV stations
broadcast. Suddenly, level-headed journalist
George Will is writing his Newsweek column
about the idea that “some products are just too
socially uncomfortable" to be brought into
family living rooms during “Days of Our Lives. "
Last week, the evening news featured a tele
phone poll asking whether people approved or
disapproved of condom ads on TV More than
half of the call-ins were against such adver
tising
To me. condoms seem a fairly comfortable
topic compared with unreliable bladders. Con
doms simply help prevent pregnancy and the
spread of dangerous (and not as-dangcrous> sex
ually communicable diseases. And best of all.
they deal directly with sex. Isn’t sex what the
public wants? Isn't sex why they watch the soaps
in the first place?
Even General Foods International Coffee ad
vertises that their choco-coffee concoction is a
comparable, if not a better substitute for a man.
There is a headache remedy that blatantly sug
gests that if you take their medication, it will get
rid of that annoying headache that was keeping
you from having sex.
After taking this magic pill (which has sud
denly become an aphrodisiac) the woman strolls
back into the room, eyes her man seductively
and switches off the light
Those people aren't planning on taking a little
cat nap in the living room, they’re going to have
some hot sex on the couch. At least, that’s what
we’re led to believe.
For some reason it’s OK to mention sex if you
mince words and the references are vague, espe
cially if the product really has nothing to do with
sex.
The condom ads recently printed in magazines
deal with AIDS rather than sappy indirect refer
cnees to "romantic evenings.” They state some
thing to the effect of "I like sex. but I don’t want
to die for it.”
Now. that's concise. And apparently that’s
what is bothering so many people Just because
these ads arern't riddled with euphemisms,
people gasp and journalists such as Will find
them "socially uncomfortable ”
Well. I find that socially hypocritical.
Not only do these ads say what they mean, but
their purpose is twofold. By advertising on tele
vision the condom will become as socially com
fortable as any .other product, lessening the
embarrassment of purchasing and using them
And though the condom companies may be
merely dreaming of the profits, they are really
doing the public a service. With frequent adver
tisements. saying "condom” will become as ac
ceptable as saying "Cool Whip." or at least
“panty shield."
Now. let’s all try together Can you say
"condom?”
I knew you could.
Julie Carey is entertainment editor of The Red
and Black.
Women’s needs same as men’s
In response to Bill Kent's column Feb. 18 titled
“Relationships: back to basics":
Instead of quitting my job and looking for a
husband as 1 suppose I should be doing after
reading Kent’s column. I decided to be selfish,
keep my career and write a response to the asi
nine views Kent so simplistically expressed
In his column. Kent stated that today’s high di
vorce rate can be attributed to men’s inatten
tiveness to women and women’s selfish pursuit
of careers
Kent’s views can’t possibly be more simplistic,
naive and incredibly ignorant
Divorces may be the result of one spouse s in
attentiveness to another, but don't assume the
entire male sex is callously pursuing their own
goals while women beg for small signs of affec
tion that men may happen to toss their way
Both men and women are inattentive Some
times these things happen This doesn't mean
men are more guilty than women of ignoring
their spouses' needs
In the same vein, women aren’t the only ones
to endure negligent behavior because the other
person is attractive or wealthy Men often are
willing to endure as much as women if the
woman is physically appealing or financially
well-off.
As to women being selfish because they want
careers: please, forgive us for thinking that we.
too. are just as intelligent and capable as men
We actually thought that we should be atilt* to
do interesting things outside the home Shame on
people for putting such preposterous ideas in our
simple little heads
We should go cook something and be totally
fulfilled, delighted and expect nothing more than
to make our better half happy
Tome on, Kent Let’s face reality here
Because women want careers doesn't mean
they are selfish, horrid creatures who are
turning their hacks on all things moral and de
cent
Kent said many of his good qualities are be
cause his mother stayed home with him when he
was young instead of selfishly pursuing a career
Maybe she should have pursued a career
My mother pursued a career and I don't think
it was because she was selfish, because she
didn't love me or because she didn’t want to Ik* a
mother
I also didn’t turn into an immoral and evil
human being. Or maybe I did. after all, I want a
career How selfish of me.
Wake up. buddy
When a woman decides to have a career, it
doesn't mean she gives up her option to Ik? a
loving mother and wife After all. a man doesn’t
automatically become a terrible husband and fa
ther when he gets a job
Men don’t give up all other interests when they
become a father, why should women 0 As crazy
as it may sound, some women actually find
there's more to life than changing diapers,
cleaning house and cooking dinner
No one expects men to be totally fulfilled with
simply being a husband and lather or by simply
having a career Why should a woman have to be
satisfied w ith one or the other 0
I fail to understand the difference,
I also fail to understand why the woman has to
be subordinate in a relationship Kent said the
man should be the authority figure and the
woman should be the "supportive adviser.”
Kent said many of our grandparents had much
more fulfilling relationships than our parents or
us because they knew the proper roles of men
and women.
Give me a break
If Kent is judging whether a couple had a ful
filling relationship by whether they got a di
vorce. then he’s refusing to face facts
Many of our grandparents didn’t get divorced
because divorce was a social stigma. Not getting
a divorce didn’t mean they were happy. On the
contrary, it often meant they were miserable
and couldn’t get out of the situation.
Divorce may not be pleasant or desirable, but
it s better than being stuck in a desperately un-
happy relationship where you’re treated as
slightly better than a servant
But I guess none of this matters as long as
women do what they should and submit to the
rightful authority of a man.
How Kent can say. much less believe, this
"subordinate" bunk is appalling, revolting and
repugnant to all intelligent human beings.
The scariest part is that there may actually be
more men (and perish the thought, women) with
the same views as Kent
I never thought that in the year 1897 1 would
I eel I had to write a column in reponse to the
views such as those expressed by Bill Kent 1
was w rong
Tami Dennis is editor in chief of The Red and
Black
Letters
Munir revieicn uskriv
TO THE EDITOR:
In the past eight years of reading
The Red and Black. I often have
been bemused by its total lack of in
telligent music criticism Julie
Carey’s obnoxious and erroneous re
view of Matt Johnson's new album
(Feb 12) is. however, the last
straw 1 only can assume that she
hasn't actually heard this record
Matt Johnson, aka "The The."
has emerged as one of the most im
portant artists of the British left
wing. He has worked long'and hard
on his latest album and a related
film. Titled infected." it deals with
the first world's relentless infection
of the Third World
The words and images Johnson
has conjured up from his recent trip
to South America are right on
target and shouldn't be missed by
anyone sympathetic to the plight of
those who live under the threat of
first world sponsored “progress,
destruction and death "Sweet Bird
of Truth," a song about the recent
murderous attack on Libya by U.S.
terrorists, is reason enough to buy
this album However, I would have
to have this album for the incredible
music even if all the songs were
about Nancy Reagan's china
Carey somehow dismissed this as
dull synthesizer music. Rubbish!
It’s vital, progressive hook-laden
music. Complex percussion grinds
out a relentless warning behind the
intricate melodies Trumpets
scream like Gabriel on acid The
lower brass and saxes howl In front
of it all. Johnson's distinctive voice
coos, pleads and grow ls.
Simply, by any criteria, this is
one of the best records to come out
of England in the past few years
Buy. borrow or steal a copy today
You won’t be disappointed
llenr> Matter
Research coordinator, vet. school
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M . Athens. Ga. 30601