Playboy Magazine

[boycrazy]

I guess I'm not the type of person who finds out some Playmate is in a sorority and researches names, chapters, and universities to satisfy my curiousity, and then turns her into her national headquarters. Maybe the people who are doing this need to find something to do with all the time on their hands.

Originally posted by boycrazy
I guess I'm not the type of person who finds out some Playmate is in a sorority and researches names, chapters, and universities to satisfy my curiousity, and then turns her into her national headquarters. Maybe the people who are doing this need to find something to do with all the time on their hands.

Fine, but it seems like you still don't seem to get it.

It's not a matter of how much time a person has on her hands. If a girl decides to pose, she needs to be ready to deal with the repercussions that may happen. boycrazy, if you yourself are in a house, you'll know that word travels fast...sometimes secrets can't be kept. I'm pretty sure something like this would raise red flags on a local level... and it's only a matter of time before I/NHQ finds out. If a girl doesn't want her membership eligibility in jeopardy, maybe she should think twice about posing. So yes, this is ultimately her decision, she just needs to think about what's more important to her.

And this isn't only limited to Playboy. We are to be considered representatives of our respective organizations, and when we get caught misbehaving... our HQs find out (especially if we have our Greek affiliation in our usernames!)--just ask some of the GC members who have already been contacted by THEIR HQs because of something they had done on GC. I'm aware that there are members of my International Council who read our posts daily, and that's fine with me because I try to be on my best online behavior as much as I can.

Though I'm just adding my $19.04...I think it's time someone else gets off their soapbox.

[boycrazy]

Yeah, yeah...preach on. I understand that some people think Playboy is dreadful and sinful, but there are also people who think the magazine is just fine. I'm just raising the question of why it's "misbehaving" to be a Playmate and why someone's membership is in jeopardy if they do. After all, did your pledge book say, "Thou shalt not appear in Playboy and whoever does gets expelled"?

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by boycrazy
Yeah, yeah...preach on. I understand that some people think Playboy is dreadful and sinful, but there are also people who think the magazine is just fine. I'm just raising the question of why it's "misbehaving" to be a Playmate and why someone's membership is in jeopardy if they do. After all, did your pledge book say, "Thou shalt not appear in Playboy and whoever does gets expelled"?

No, boycrazy, my pledge book does not say, "Thou shalt not appear in Playboy and whoever does gets expelled."

However, my book DOES say: "The purpose of this sorority shall be to unite its members in the bonds of sincere and lasting friendship, to stimulate one another in the pursuit of knowledge, to promote the moral and social culture of its members, and to develop plans for guidance and unity in action; objects worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort.

It's all about living up to the standards of the organization of which you are a member... Many sororities pride themselves on selecting women with high moral worth -- they want women with good reputations who are going to be an asset to the rest of the chapter. In my sorority's case, women who want to pose naked for a full-color Playboy centerfold aren't doing anything to promote the moral culture of Delta Zeta's members. In fact, they're doing exactly the opposite. And that's why any DZ who posed for Playboy would be reprimanded.

This isn't to say that women who pose for Playboy aren't nice people -- it's just that they don't fit in well with the standards of my sorority. And that's fine -- as long as they aren't members of my sorority.

My point is this: Anytime you join a structured organization, there are going to be certain rules and regulations that must be followed. The rules are out in the open, and if you don't agree with them, then you can leave. However, if you willingly break a rule while you are a member of an organization, then you must take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences.

[Cheergrl!]

http://www.alligator.org/edit/offcen.../playboy8.html

[lionlove]

Cheergirl,
I'm not sure what your problem is with Phi Mu but I get the feeling there is one. I read the article and it says that there is no written policy regarding Phi Mus and posing in playboy. While I believe this is true - as I know of no such written policy, it does say in our creed "To walk in the way of honor, guarding the purity of our thoughts and deeds." I will be the first to admit that no one is perfect, but we are taught during our pledge period that our actions reflect on Phi Mu sorority and that in public, especially on a national scale, that our actions should reflect the values of our creed.

[dekeguy]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by boycrazy
[B]Yeah, yeah...preach on... I'm just raising the question of why it's "misbehaving" to be a Playmate and why someone's membership is in jeopardy if they do.

Seems to me it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if one's National's policy is generally understood to be dead set against certain conduct one should not be too surprised if there are penalties attached to one's decision to go ahead and take these actions. I was under the impression that taking responsibility for one's actions was one of the things we learned when we gave our words to uphold certain values and ideals. We agreed to hold ourselves to a higher standard and to accept the consequences of our actions.
This was a troubling issue for our Playmate and she asked for advice. The general tone of that advice was whether or not its OK in the broader scheme of things your National is not going to be happy and you should consider the consequences.
I suppose there are a couple of issues here. Personal responsibility is key. If an action is not illegal or otherwise legitimately prohibited no one has the right to forbid you to do something. It is your decision and you must take responsibility for it. Which brings us to the next issue. If you elect to join an organization and agree to uphold its ideals, rules, and traditions then you are obligated to do so if you wish to remain a member of that organization.
Whether or not you consider it perfectly acceptable to be a playmate is largely irrelevant. Society at large has a generally held view that a woman who displayes herself in pointedly provocative photographs of a prurient nature and does so for money and/or other percieved rewards and benefits is simply stated not a lady. Now this may sound hopelessly outmoded and completely out of date and out of place in the modern world, but, every Greek woman I have ever spoken with about Greek life has used words like Ideals, Values, Womanly Virtues, Ladylike behaviour, "to be in all respects and at all times - a Lady", "to cause no scandal and to give no cause for the perception of scandal". I think all sorority women will recognize the foregoing words and quotes from open literature and publications of their own and other orgs. Nationals and their chapters have in my experience been pretty clear as to what they consider appropriate and what they consider inappropriate conduct and actions.
Then there is the unfair reality that we all wish had died out a long time ago. As my sister likes to point out, the old double standard is alive and well and has teeth to bite those who refuse to understand this.
So, the bottom line has to be that if you want to be a playmate then go ahead and do so. If you do so then don't complain that the rules should not apply. They do. Life is not necessarily fair, life simply is - so deal with it.

Side thought: On a fantasy level it's hard to beat the air brushed perfection of a playmate, and I freely confess to being a red blooded straight male of the species who enjoys looking at beautiful women. However, in all honesty I prefer to look at a real woman, not perfect, not technologically altered image of a fantasy, but a real honest to God woman. Like the guys all used to say, there are the girls you want to go to bed with, and then there is the one you want to wake up with. Part of that magic quality is that she is a lady. And, you know what? When I am with a lady its a lot easier to be a gentleman.

More side thoughts: My sister describes the whole playmate question in one word - tacky. Wasn't it Jonothan Winters who said "tacky should be a capital offence".
Wasn't it Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes who opined that "Life would be so much easier if we could understand that life is not fair". And finally, Capt Jean-Luc Picard, "I hereby assume command of this vessel taking responsibility for myself and my crew in all that we do and all that we fail to do". Then, turning to the crew, "I am confident that you will do no less."

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Cheergrl!, I agree. You're out of line. I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with your sorority, but it's ridiculous of you to consistently post these angry, negative references to Phi Mu.

Hundreds of thousands of us are proud to wear the letters, proud to be part of the sisterhood.

Let it go.

[James]

Are you people wierd or something? Or are you privy to some posting pattern of Cheergrl I'm not?

I searched her posts. She had 7. She has two posts that reference Phi Mu. Neither post is negative, both are informational, and the one in this thread is completely on topic and relevant.

So I am giving you a fair opportunity to explain exactly what you and lionlove mean by saying that she is consistently posting ". . . angry, negative references to Phi Mu."

If you are unable to explain your position for personally attacking her because you disagree with the content of her posts, I am going to respectfully ask you all to stop verbally attacking one of our infrequent posters. IT doesn't exactlky make these people feel welcome.

I am not asking you as a moderator but as a concerned member of the community.

Thank you and have a nice day

James

Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
Cheergrl!, I agree. You're out of line. I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with your sorority, but it's ridiculous of you to consistently post these angry, negative references to Phi Mu.

Hundreds of thousands of us are proud to wear the letters, proud to be part of the sisterhood.

Let it go.

[lionlove]

James, I PMed you

[meheron]

something like this could do great harm to a chapter. Think about your dicision before you do it and consider both the consequences for you and for your chapter. Would you be willing to give up friends and your chapter to have your picture in a magazine?

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

She's definately deleted at least one of her posts. Every time I've had the opportunity to read something she's written, it reflects negatively on our sorority. Furthermore, when called on it, she just kind of disappears -- doesn't back up her statement in any way.

With rush coming up I think it's important for PNMs to see that although, YES, there are many different sides to any organization in the greek system -- no GLO is going to stand by and watch it get trashed.

[The1calledTKE]

Switching topics, In the October issue for the girls of the Big 12 section some of the pictures were taken in front of the Kappa Sig house not sure which school.

[iamachiogirl]

Clemson sorority member expelled for
posing in Playboy
By Bryan Torres
The Tiger (Clemson U.)

(U-WIRE) CLEMSON, S.C. -- Last year it was discovered that Playboy was planning a trip to the Clemson campus to look for perspective college women to pose in their recently released "Girls of the ACC" issue. Some sororities warned their members that posing could be grounds for expulsion.

This lesson was learned first hand by Mary Elizabeth Haselden, a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority here at the University.

Haselden, a second semester freshman in general engineering, posed nude for the "Girls of the ACC" pictorial in the November 1998 issue of Playboy under the assumed name Veronica Traub.

In meetings late last week, Zeta Tau Alpha decided to begin the expulsion process of Haselden.

Haselden did not comment on the present matters surounding her impending
expulsion.

According to a source close to Zeta Tau Alpha, the expulsion process is taking longer than expected because of complications with the national office.

Farrah Sullivan, the president of Zeta Tau Alpha, was unavailable for comment on the situation.

This expulsion has caused quite a stir on the campus. Many people on campus believe that the expulsion of a member of a Greek organization due to the participation in a Playboy layout is wrong.

"It is not our role to pass judgment on Clemson women," stated Mary Anne
McDonald Bigger, president of the Clemson Women's Council. "Personally, I feel that if an individual, male or female, wants to pose for a magazine, then that is their right as an American. This is a choice that they have to make, realizing that many individuals may be offended by their actions."

Teppi Waldron, a senior in PRTM and a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma, added, "There was nothing about Zeta Tau Alpha in the magazine. She did not use the sorority to boost her image, so I don't think that she should be expelled."

A central issue seems to be that since there was no mention of the sorority in the pictorial, then there are no grounds for expulsion.

"I think that it is stupid, ludicrous," stated Jeremiah Kenworthy, a senior in
management. "It doesn't make any sense to me. If she is comfortable with it then that is fine. She is not wearing letters anywhere in the picture. I don't think that there is any relationship with her posing for the magazine and being able to perform as a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha. It seems like sororities, and all groups, should support their members instead of deserting them."

Aaron Sipe, a junior in pre-veterinary science, said that posing for the magazine is a personal decision and that is does not reflect anything on her sorority as a whole.

"They let her in because of the type of person that she is, and I don't think that posing changes that," he said.

From Playboy's meager beginnings to its ascension to national recognition, anything vaguely related to it has been the object of debate, controversy and interest to many people.

It appears that the campus of Clemson is no exception

[iamachiogirl]

University of Oklahoma junior Kristi Bryan was rejected by her sorority, Delta Delta Delta because she posed in Playboy. The organization stripped Bryan of all membership privileges for appearing nude in the magazine's "Girls of the Big 12".

As of October Bryan was seeking legal action to keep her sorority membership. On Nov. 8, 1996, Kristi was on Inside Edition. The program made the Tri-Delt Headquarters look unorganized and uninterested and the local chapter look like prudes after shovelling the Inside Edition camera people out of the chapter house