I am a liberal who thought I could not be shocked. But “Take the Backdoor to Unexpected Pleasure” had me picking up the phone to demand answers on why the Nexus feels it has to resort to sex advice to sell ads.
It is a well-written piece, and I have no problem with the writer’s ideas, but this editorial has no place in a daily newspaper. This is Hustler material. The Nexus is an opportunity for great young minds to learn and practice the craft of journalism. I don’t see the point of a young man’s thoughts on coercing timid females into anal penetration as a lead editorial with a banner graphic for a paper that wants to be respected for challenging us to think about our complex world with sharper insights.
My name is Peter Iliff. I am an alumni, served three years in editor positions on the Nexus in the late ’70s, and I have made a long career as a Hollywood screenwriter (“Point Break,” “Varsity Blues,” etc). I thank the Nexus for helping to hone my writing chops.
I urge the editors of this paper not to treat the Nexus like some personal sex joke. Do you forget your gratitude over living in a country that offers freedom of speech? Is this the best use you can find for this opportunity that others your age have fought for and died to protect?
Please think about the opportunities wasted when you throw away column inches and good ink to a topic that belongs in the privacy of the bedroom. I can’t believe the Nexus editors think it is cool being so aggressive with freedom of speech just for the hell of it. Use your gifts with the written word and the precious vehicle of this daily publication to inflame and rattle cages for issues that matter! Make this a better world. Inspire debate and awareness with your opinions. Wow and impress without resorting to cheap tricks.
Former Nexus Eds Forget They’re Idiots Too (Like this one)
Varsity Blues was a teen sex romp that featured, among other things, a teacher working as a stripper and a girl attempting to seduce the quarterback in a whipped cream bikini because she felt that his coattails could get her out of the small Texas town.
And is it just rumor, or did the actress really cry over the whipped cream scene? Oh yea… http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-479043/Ali-Larter-Holding-hero.html
– Kaitlin Pike
Former Nexus EIC
Also an idiot on a pretty regular basis (give the kids a break, man)
Shhhh….Mr. Iliff makes a decent point. Articles about sex advice and the Wednesday Hump in general do not give off a mature ‘scholarly’ vibe. Mr. Iliff claims good space and ink is thrown away for a "topic that belongs in the privacy of the bedroom". One of the things I have learned at UCSB is that society has made sex a taboo topic- something everyone needs to be quiet about. But why? Isn’t talking about sex beneficial since it is a huge part of our society anyways? I think it is quite advanced of our newspaper to have a column… Read more »
Some former editors are more idiotic than othersKaitlin – you’re inability to discern the differences between the role of journalists from the roll of screenwriters is very revealing – especially considering your role as a former yet recent EIC (as is your immediate use of ad hominem attacks as if a scene in Varisity Blues somehow makes whatever point it is you are trying to make). It’s a shame that people want the Nexus to be a better paper than it is (especially considering the recent influx of student money being poured into the paper due to the increased lock-in… Read more »
Was Point Break the movie where Keanu Reeves gets in a mid-air fight with Patrick Swayze while jumping out of a helicopter?
It’s not ad hominemDemigoddess, my ability to discern the difference between news and entertainment is just fine, thank you. Varsity Blues is a very entertaining film, and I’ve nothing against it. My point is that Varsity Blues, like the Hump, is for entertainment and to bring in viewers (in the case of the newspaper, readers). People like to read it, and if they don’t they can either 1) not read it or 2) work at the paper and change how it’s run. As for lock-in fees, I’ve always held the philosophy that students should vote against the Nexus fee if… Read more »
Ad hominem or not, you still miss the pointKaitlen – No, clearly you don’t understand the difference, given that you continue to compare the qualities of a Hollywood movie to that of a newspaper column. Who cares how Iliff makes his living? Maybe he’s a hypocrite. So what? That doesn’t mean he’s wrong – nor does that mean UCSB students shouldn’t have higher expectations in what’s delivered to them from their student newspaper – especially since they’re now paying for the bulk of it. I think you’re attitude about journalistic responsibilities speaks volumes as to the reason newspapers are in… Read more »