The CU radio station has recently been reinvigorated by one Carly Cox, the former dean of CU, known sexual health advisor (and Pornstar) as well as sometimes Observer contributor. Taking the role of a talk show host, Carly has been commissioning a range of articles that cover CU and the surrounding Hathian environment.
The Observer is never afraid of competition and considering most probably think of both our newspaper and the radio as ‘old media’ it is also a positive thing that thoughts, opinions and even (to my surprise) news are getting out over another medium.
So considering there’s this new show, what better than to have the Observer review it? We’ll pick a few of the episodes and review them, forming an opinion of whether the opinions expressed should be must listen / Pass the time or / Pass the trash Bag.
So where shall we start, how about with “A Man’s Perspective on Attractive Girls” which features one of Carly’s radio jock(eys) going around and asking some pretty personal and intimate questions. Will this one fall to misogyny, stereotypes and more, or will Carly steer the conversation between these pitfalls and give us new insight? Better listen first dear reader!
Episode
Synopsis: We find ourselves at Columtreal University, a unique crucible in the heart of Hathian, where boys shed their boyhood and emerge as men, while girls blossom into women. In this pivotal transition from adolescence to adulthood, curiosity about the opposite sex—and sometimes the same sex—intensifies. What is it that captivates us as men when we think of women, and what do we truly expect from them in moments of intimacy? To delve into this intriguing question, I have conducted interviews around campus and in the vibrant community of Hathian Proper, seeking to unearth the deep-rooted truths that shape our understanding of attraction.
Analysis
Well right of the bat, there’s some truths here. The episode highlights a perceived (actual!) gender imbalance at CU with more women than men around campus leading to feelings among men that they “hold all the cards” in dating scenarios.
Roman outlines a scoring system he has devised to assess women on their looks, personality, and sexual prowess (wow – and women know this and still want to be available?)
The three men interviewed; James Rook, Josh Dark, and HPD Officer Knight all provide their own criteria for attraction, including qualities such as intelligence, humour, physical attributes, and specific deal breakers. Each man’s approach varies, with Rook focusing on emotional connection, Dark preferring direct interaction and hard partying, and Knight using a numerical scoring system based on physical traits. I can’t believe I’ve written all that, do you, dear reader want to know this? I mean perhaps the observations of Rook are… well, more balanced? Is that good enough? Is it ok that he likes any body type so long as they’re not overweight? I mean ok… strong and funny. These seem a reasonable starting point… But no, no… let’s see what he likes:
- Tight P****
- Virgin or at least ‘not a slut’
- Giving the Pearl Necklace
I mean we all have our preferences, but I do always love to see that the guys want to find virgins, yet want to do that over and over, yet… don’t want girls who understand and accept their own sexuality? Interesting – Carly also didn’t challenge much on this, which considering her earlier articles on female empowerment and sexual prowess, probably appears a topic she could cover in another show.
Carly & Co-Host: “Caldwell says he feels overwhelmed. He uses the phrase swarm of desperate admirers, like he’s the last man on earth. Viewed mainly as a potential partner for reproduction. Wow. And this feeling, this pressure, maybe it’s what leads him to want to create this, uh, methodical scoring system for women.”
Look readers, much of the discussion (in my view) covers specific slang terms to describe women and relationships, portraying a CU jock / male subculture marked by a transactional view of attraction. CU always talks about empowerment and acceptance, about gender and other things? Yet, I don’t see that much in terms of fair balance or challenge to these stereotypes that appear in the male culture there? I of course find people attractive and of course have my ideas on what I want, but would I be so brazen to tell the world my ideals and also, would my own biases come though? I’ve had one CU relationship a guy and let me tell you, I entirely recognise their approach to treating women as a ‘thing’ to be conquered. Oh well. Perhaps like they wish to avoid ‘skanks’ and ‘sluts’… I can be more straight-forward, there are better dicks out there attached to people with hearts. Search a little harder dear students.
Overall, the episode is worth a listen. It’ll help understand the CU dynamics. I’d like to see Carly, former CU Dean and also something of a woman’s ‘rights’ activist, (at least in the bedroom) challenge these views a bit more.
((With thanks to Carly for working with me to have a joined up approach as we leverage new tech to try and support Nadir’s vision of positive use of AI!))
