There are many questions surrounding the controversial “Girls Gone Wild” videos. What does it say about our culture and about women? Does it promote misogyny? Does it victimize women and does it take advantage of inebriated girls?

But one question is continuously overlooked: How does it portray the nature of capitalism?

When “Girls Gone Wild” came to Bar One in DeKalb last Friday, it was not surprising to read that the crowd consisted of 90 percent men, according to the article in Monday’s Northern Star. From this description, one might conclude that girls from NIU either have a great deal of self-respect, or simply feared ridicule from the speculated protestors who never actually showed up.

Despite the controversy, the high hopes, the furrowed eyebrows and the ethical debate, nothing all that wild even occurred. Yellow posters that read, “No nudity will be permitted on Bar One property,” adorned the establishment’s entrance, making it ever more clear the event would not be wild, according to the Star article.

Apparently, the event was held to promote “Girls Gone Wild” rather than harvest sexually explicit footage from rural DeKalb.

But if DeKalb girls had gone wild, lost their inhibitions and regretted it the next day, who would be to blame? “Girls Gone Wild” is now so popular that even my grandparents know about it. So of course girls my age know what they’re getting themselves into when a camera man from the “Girls Gone Wild” crew attempts to bribe them with T-shirts and hats in exchange for a glimpse of their bare chest.

It’s safe to assume that a large amount of girls who participate in “Girls Gone Wild,” especially when the event is held in a bar, are consuming alcohol. Alcohol does reduce inhibitions, making girls more likely to show off their bodies. But drinking is just as much the girl’s decision as exposing her breasts. And although exploiting the actions of a person is a lot easier when they are inebriated, one must question whether it’s ethical.

Arguably, to manipulate someone to do something they would not do under normal circumstances is unethical, let alone tape and profit from it. But isn’t capitalism all about exploitation and making a profit?

Sweat shops produce cheap goods under unacceptable working conditions and big companies profit. Pollutants choke our environment and forests are cut clear while companies increase sales. War rips apart innocent lives and the stock market rises.

The capitalist system is motivated and measured by profit. And if we were to measure the success of “Girls Gone Wild” in terms of profit, then it is safe to conclude that the operation is extremely successful. Sex sells and the multi-million dollar operation “Girls Gone Wild” is just one example of that mantra.

“Girls Gone Wild” is about making money, not about freedom of speech. It is about selling a product, not a form of expression. And although I will defend “Girls Gone Wild” because I believe in freedom of speech, I am simultaneously disgusted by its objectification of women.

Steve Bartholomew is an opinion columnist for the Northern Star.