Censorship in UCD

lizzyvera

EthanWM wrote: »

The majority of the Artssoc committee is in fact woman including the auditor. We have both intelligent events, and non-intelligent events, lewd and non-lewd posters. It's not to make people directly to go to an event, as in the image alone will not make someone attend an event, but if it's a beach party, it might promote a theme.

There has recently had to be a committee established in UCD in which every poster has to be analyzed before gone to print. This costs money and time, money which could be spent on free health care UCD.

Silly complaints.

Honestly, does anyone care if the committee are mostly male or female? Arts Soc keep using it as a defence. Girls can be low brow and sleazy too, and I'd say the posters appeal equally to boys and girls.

I don't think you should be promoting the idea of losing your virginity on a drunken one night stand either. It goes against all the campaigns trying to people to be responsible and safe.

If you've ever been in the health service on a Monday morning and seen the number of worried girls, you'd know the REAL way to keep health costs down.

btw "The majority of the Artssoc committee is in fact woman including the auditor. We have both intelligent events, and non-intelligent events" Gold.

EthanWM

Are you serious, if you honestly take all the titles of events seriously then you need to grow up. I have problems with certain societies who air their opinions but I don't harp on about it purely because it would create unnecessary problems.

And you can't start another debate about health services, nothing to do with us. I'm just adding to my point that it's all ridiculous stuff in which energy can be focused elsewhere. Just like feminism, if you feel that passionate about it, go to oppressed Islamic countries where you can actually make a difference.

lizzyvera

EthanWM wrote: »

Just like feminism, if you feel that passionate about it, go to oppressed Islamic countries where you can actually make a difference.

Are you talking to me?

Did I say it had anything to do with gender? I thought I clarified that when I said that women can be just as low brow and sleazy as men. In almost every post the Arts Soc crowd has tried to hit out at these imaginary militant feminists. Some people just have taste. It has nothing to do with politics.

I was very glad when they were taken down because Kandel gave a talk on memory today and I would have been mortified if he'd seen them and thought the college was full of morons. Your posters would have embarrassed me and made me ashamed of UCD. It's not a moral issue.

My point about the health service is that it's clogged up with girls who need the morning after pill, which is usually due to drunken stupidity because contraception does not fail that often. Sorry, I implied it, but I thought that stating it explicitly was unnecessary. I guess I overestimated Arts Soc :rolleyes:

triseke

personally, i dont give a toss about what the larger societies do. Frankly i think they a bit of joke. I mean, when was the last time Artsoc did anything to do with arts? (just choose any other ampersands and its the same thing).
Their posters all seem to blend together and none of them really advertise anything. I think using half naked women and sexual innuendo is the only way they can vie for attention.
I do agree that it lowers the whole atmosphere of the place. Jesus, are the people this posters are aimed at 13 or 19? I thought there was a bit of maturation at the latter age but clearly im wrong!

mad lad

EthanWM wrote: »

Just like feminism, if you feel that passionate about it, go to oppressed Islamic countries where you can actually make a difference.

EthanWM

First of all, the best form of contraception is a false name..

But seriously, I can see I'm surrounded by people who need to actually break out of the whole militant buzz about seeing college as only an education rather than an experience.

I was merely expressing my distaste towards feminism in UCD and comparing to the whole mountain out of molehills argument.

In fairness, at the end of the day, I don't mind if a person comes up with a genuine argument in relation to censorship, but these societies are here and their expressing views in certain ways, and they don't care about a someone who feels that the only way they feel big around campus is if they complain about a topic which doesn't even effect them.

Seriously though, before I go on to other points, and before you answer, do you have any affiliations in UCD to any sort of society?

EthanWM

And mad_lad, i find that star Trek losebag stuff fairly offensive, could you please remove it?

Bollocks you will..

logic123

im not sure about you guys but i love the feminism in UCD the girls are bloody hot in UCD its unreal

Riamfada

EthanWM wrote: »

And mad_lad, i find that star Trek losebag stuff fairly offensive, could you please remove it?

Bollocks you will..

I dont mean to be rude but alot of people in UCD do not support your idea of free reign on lewd posters. There are alot more people in UCD as staff, graduate students who do not wish to see it. UCD is not the sole property of the society party animal and wide eyed first year wearing too much makeup.

This forum is populated by alot of older members of UCD like myself who have seen all of this before numerous times. You say people on this forum need to grow up but ive been an undergrad, and auditor for a few societies.

I never understood Arts Soc. Each arts faculty has its own society yet there was a massive umbrella soc called "Arts Soc" set up which actually does nothing (or has done nothing) for the majority of Arts faculties. I think you should keep your head down before someone realises that Arts soc is just another useless party soc.

UCD Students are famous for not being able to respect anyone else. I know its a generalisation but ive seen it. Many times in the past two weeks so a result they must be controlled. When you hit 30 im sure you will agree that 20 year olds need the same treatment.

/rant

Blut

Useless party soc? Bit of an oxymoron there. If a society does good parties then its doing its job fairly well.

Personally I enjoy seeing posters of half naked women wherever and whenever I see them, more power to anyone who wants to put them around campus.

Red Alert

Grimes wrote: »

graduate students

Speak for yourself - I have absolutely no problem with the posters and the people in my lab don't either.

mad lad

EthanWM wrote: »

And mad_lad, i find that star Trek losebag stuff fairly offensive, could you please remove it?

Bollocks you will..

Done

lizzyvera

EthanWM wrote: »

these societies are here and their expressing views in certain ways, and they don't care about a someone who feels that the only way they feel big around campus is if they complain about a topic which doesn't even effect them.

Oh sorry- they're EXPRESSING a VIEW! I thought it was a marketing ploy to get randy ugly sexually frustrated virgins to come to their event- I didn't realise it was an artistic endevour to get their view on something across!

Are you trying to say that I constantly complain about small things and it makes me feel important and powerful... now that would be a bizarre psychological disorder. No. I just have taste. Is it really such a foreign concept to you? Taste. That is why the rules are there, it's not an ethical matter. It's not even feminism. I wish I had posted with my other username so you couldn't tell my sex.

And I agree about big societies Grimes. Dutch soc was the only fun social drinking society imo and even it has gone down hill. I liked going along to small society things. I miss the What's On guide too. I never know what smaller societies are up to anymore. You used to be able to wander around and get free cake and coffee from Italian Soc coffee morning, then go to a lunchtime Newman talk on evolution and why it's gay with sandwiches after, then a Dutch Soc piss up... ahhh.

EthanWM

mad lad wrote: »

Done

Smooth..

Handsome Bob

I couldn't care less tbh, the posters are mostly shit anyway that make their respective societies look like tools.

bnt

Sure, sex sells. Just look at the Tabloid newspapers with the topless bints on Pg. 3. It's the lowest common denominator, an appeal to our basest animal instincts. If you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel that way, it's hard to see how your event has anything to offer, other than a promise of sex. Call me a prude if you like, but it takes more than that to get me in the door. :rolleyes:

Riamfada

Blut wrote: »

Useless party soc? Bit of an oxymoron there. If a society does good parties then its doing its job fairly well.

Yeah those Royal Society of Irish Antiquities and the Irish Medical Society should really stop holding conferences and advancing the understanding of their fields and get into Club 21. I mean seriously, these guys are way off what they were set up to do. And dont get me started on the L&H and their debates ... who do they think they are!

/sarcasm

@Red Alert: I generalise. Would have assumed that most postgrads and staff dont attend the "Fuck a Fresher" events.

Tea-a-Maria

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that UCD is a popular spot for family walks and for the elderly.I don't know about you but if I was a parent and I had to walk my kid past those posters I would not be impressed!

A little consideration goes a long way.:)

El Siglo

It's supposed to be (last time I was there anyway) a fucking university. Hence, decorum and not having scantily clad young ones on the walls, if you want that go out to Craw Daddy's or D2. I believe in free speech and freedom of expression and all of that monkey spunk, but it's a university, would you expect to see such things in Oxford, Cambridge etc... No of course not, then why would you expect to see such things in UCD?

Riamfada

El Siglo wrote: »

then why would you expect to see such things in UCD?

Because its way way down the list of top Universities in the global rankings. A hundered and what now?

IndigoStarr

EthanWM wrote: »

I was merely expressing my distaste towards feminism in UCD and comparing to the whole mountain out of molehills argument.

To be honest, I think the above statement has shown your ignorance. Feminism is not to do with butch lesbians giving out about everything as stereotype may have you believe. Feminism is about wanting equal rights for women. To be honest, the term egalatarian works a lot better but who am I to argue? :rolleyes:
I honestly have no problem with pornographic images. I just that they're a bit much in an educational institution where people are working and studying. Plus, it assumes that we can only be attracted to an event by the lowest common denominator, which I think is unfair. I'd agree with the above statements about ArtsSoc. Try doing something that actually falls within the Arts bracket instead of jumping on the PartySoc bandwagon.

Blut

Grimes wrote: »

Yeah those Royal Society of Irish Antiquities and the Irish Medical Society should really stop holding conferences and advancing the understanding of their fields and get into Club 21. I mean seriously, these guys are way off what they were set up to do. And dont get me started on the L&H and their debates ... who do they think they are!

Those societies were established to fulfil a certain function, which theyre doing. C&E, B&L, Qsoc etc were established to fulfil a completely different function (primarily social events/networking) which theyre also doing quite well. Not all college societies need to have the same goals. If C&E and their ilk can consistently attract both high levels of participation from the student body and turn a financial profit then there is obviously a demand for their services. If you choose to disagree with their modus operandi thats fair enough, ignore them and dont get involved. Your current argument against them just makes you look either ignorant or perhaps bitter, depending on ones point of view.

El Siglo wrote: »

It's supposed to be (last time I was there anyway) a fucking university. Hence, decorum and not having scantily clad young ones on the walls...would you expect to see such things in Oxford, Cambridge etc... No of course not, then why would you expect to see such things in UCD?

Have you ever been to either Oxford or Cambridge during term time? I can assure you that theres plenty of both scantily clad girls on posters and wandering around in person. Liberalisation of sexual norms is a fairly intrinsic part of the college experience, regardless of the prestige of the institution in question.

Riamfada

Blut wrote: »

Those societies were established to fulfil a certain function, which theyre doing. C&E, B&L, Qsoc etc were established to fulfil a completely different function (primarily social events/networking) which theyre also doing quite well. Not all college societies need to have the same goals. If C&E and their ilk can consistently attract both high levels of participation from the student body and turn a financial profit then there is obviously a demand for their services. If you choose to disagree with their modus operandi thats fair enough, ignore them and dont get involved. Your current argument against them just makes you look either ignorant or perhaps bitter, depending on ones point of view.

Arts soc was set up to promote academic aswell as social aspects of the arts faculties. If I recall there has been very little if anything done since Arts Socs inception that promotes anything other than partying. Perhaps you should look at the history of the society as im sure one of us was around for its birth.

it was me

Was the same with Quinn Soc (Business) before they stole all that money, Commerce and Economics, Business and Legal. Why do you think they have these names?

I designed posters for a while. Every semester for the last 3 years there was one or two of mine on the concourse for a few societies. Never once did I use a flash of sideboob and my events were always well attended.

Red Alert

Do you object when you see Shakira scantily-clad on the big screen in the Dundrum Centre? No I suspect.

Riamfada

Red Alert wrote: »

Do you object when you see Shakira scantily-clad on the big screen in the Dundrum Centre? No I suspect.

I have never noticed. Perhaps im a homo. But sure while I wouldnt complain and Im not your chirstian freak by any stretch of the imagination I just think this reliance on a bit of skin in advertising both within UCD and in the world is a testiment to our complete intellectual patheticness as a race and the laziness of advertising folk.

I just think as third level students we should be putting something a bit more "educated" on the walls of our library concourse. But well...most students are still in puberty.

Blut

Grimes wrote: »

Arts soc was set up to promote academic aswell as social aspects of the arts faculties. If I recall there has been very little if anything done since Arts Socs inception that promotes anything other than partying. Perhaps you should look at the history of the society as im sure one of us was around for its birth.

it was me

Was the same with Quinn Soc (Business) before they stole all that money, Commerce and Economics, Business and Legal. Why do you think they have these names?

I seriously doubt the founders of Arts Soc ever intended it to be a bastion of intellectual thought, based on its social focus since establishment anyway. If its initial goals mentioned "promoting academic aspects of the arts faculties" I would imagine it was solely to assure approval from UCD. I've been in UCD since 2004 and am currently on my third degree here so I can assure you I was around for the foundation of Arts soc. I've also seen plenty of people come and go from Belfield (and this forum) giving out about "typical UCD attitudes" (nice edit there by the way) because they dont quite fit in.

Qsoc and their ilk have their names because when they were founded a large number of those involved in the societies were from certain courses/faculties. I've no figures off hand but I would imagine this has continued. I know B&L for one in the last few years have had quite a substantial number of B&L students involved.

It seems like youre using the 'NAKED GIRLS BAD' debate as a reason to attack these social societies in general. It's fair enough if you personally don't approve of their events, just ignore them and dont get involved. Its very silly to question their legitimacy though. When societies like DutchSoc can exist in UCD then B&L etc's worth are surely beyond question. C&E, B&L and Qsoc may not organise academic events but their social events play a huge role in making UCD what it is. Beach balls, Mystery Tours, Traffic Light Balls etc play a major role in attracting people to a college, ensuring they have a good time while students, and in creating lasting memories of their experience. Among my contemporaries (most long since graduated from their undergrad and off in the working world) I can assure you its not the quiet pints in Doyles that get talked about wistfully, its the 1500 people on buses going around the country drinking in random clubs in the middle of the day style events.

errlloyd

I have waited before posting because I believe my view here is unpopular.

I agree with raunchy posters, everyone in the world uses sex to advertise, at the moment there is a tv ad for alpen bars which says something to the effect of "why do we need a hansom man to eat the bar", then goes "well we don't but it looks so much better". Sex is used in advertising.

smashysmash

right so fair enough thus far artssoc has been a party soc his year, but i know that they have helped fund well over 30-40 class parties in arts last year, which is a substantial amount of money and just to refer to almost every one who said it above, is that not arts related?

same with the careers week they did last year with the other socs and careers office, there's something non-social which wouldnt be a bad shout for the 100s walking out this year to the doll q or a masters' after their degree.

generally i would view that yes they are a party soc, but not one just full of social climbers but their committee has a bit of a mix to it over the past few years (they even have country people on it, unlike nearly all the other 'big' societies!) something which really bugs me with the likes of c&e and b&l etc!

and from knowing people in big and small societies (which changes year to year, sure did qsoc clock in many at all this year?) there is always "oh we're small therefore u get to know people therefore we're better!" and believe thats not the case. As with any of these kind of things, it's a bout you (yes you!) just coming along to something and having a bit more fun with it!

ah rant over i think. fair enuf the title of the event wasn't the classiest, but in fairness they were just saying what the other posters were trying to.

i know last year this was the funniest thing ive seen in a while but was too offensive for ucd supposedly!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/photo.php?pid=1757114&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=54347874251&aid=-1&oid=54347874251&id=507026079

griffdaddy

How can a University ever function to its full potential when it's being censored? Maybe we should stop reading Ulysses cause a guy pulls himself off in one of the chapters? The poetry of Catullus is all about getting blown off by little boys, lets get rid of that. I know somebody is going to say 'Yeah but there's a difference between that and scantily clad girls in a poster.', but that's the problem, there's no effective way of drawing a line when it comes to censorship. If you have any censorship at all, you practically have total censorship because the decision of what is acceptable has moved to somebody else to make, and has been removed from the certainty of objectivity. If anyone thinks UCD is bad you should try walking around the University of Amsterdam, or the Sorbonne or any German university. You'll be in for a bit of a surprise.