Regarding the reactions to the Women’s Alliance protest of sexism in the DeKalb Nite Weekly, I would like to make a few comments.

The allegation is that the Weekly’s treatment of women is sexist. The publisher and others deny that this is true. I wonder, what IS sexism? Webster’s defines it as “1) prejudice or discrimination based on sex, especially against women. 2) Arbitrary stereotyping of social roles based on gender.” Clearly the treatment in question is entirely concerned with women, confining it entirely to one sex and creating a distinction or discrimination based on the sex of the model.

But the publisher does politely ask us to look at the other side of the issue, that the women posing are gaining valuable modeling experience. Interesting. But I wonder, what are they modeling? Are DeKalb-area clothing retailers hiring these women to display their merchandise? I am not aware that they are. Again I ask, what is being modeled?

Four times in the article in the April 19 Star people explain that the women who pose volunteer to pose, that it is their choice. It is indeed. However, does this make it any less sexism? If a model chooses to cooperate with a sexist effort, does her volunteering negate in any way the portrayal of women that occurs?

But wait. It hasn’t been settled that the Weekly is sexist. I’ve only pointed out that there is a discrimination in what sex the model is—women only. How can I assert that the Weekly is sexist?

Let’s think about another comment from Mr. Trebusak, the publisher. He seems to think that the women of the Women’s Alliance are a bit “jealous of the beautiful women in the paper.” Now that’s interesting. He makes the distinction (or discrimination) between the protesters and the models hang entirely on the word “beautiful.” Webster’s says that beautiful is “having qualities that delight the eye.” I think that there is a wider interpretation of the word “beautiful” and using that, I would say that the women of the Women’s Alliance are beautiful, too. But the publisher seems to think that the models are beautiful and the protesters, sadly, are not and are jealous of it.

What does he mean by beauty? Is he referring to all those wonderful qualities that are publicized about his models? Honestly, I don’t think the mere mention of the models’ favorite interests and pursuits is anything but a token effort at displaying their whole character. Instead, the women seem to be presented to us on the basis of the “qualities that delight the eye,” that is, their physical attractiveness, and if that is the emphasis, then the women have been stereotyped as having their worth or interest come primarily from their implied sexuality.

That is sexism.

Michael A. Novak

Junior

History