30 minutes of porn film shown at UMD
More than 100 students cheered swashbuckling and sex-crazed pirates in a pornographic film that screened at the University of Maryland on Monday night – a film that, at various points in the past week, state lawmakers and the university tried to suppress.
University administrators, who canceled a planned showing of Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge last week after lawmakers threatened to withhold funding, reversed their position Monday and allowed the screening as long as it included an educational component.
Students packed a campus lecture hall, filling every seat, standing along the walls and sitting on the floor, to hear four experts speak on freedom of speech and then watch the first 30 minutes of the hard-core film.
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Lawmakers said they would ask the state university system to develop a policy on addressing sexually explicit material on campus, stepping back from a proposal last week to cut off funding. Monday, some legislators seemed chagrined by that initial response.
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After the first sex scene, they applauded and cheered – congratulating themselves for having seen it in a campus classroom.
Controversy over the movie erupted last week. The university had originally planned to show the 2 1/2 -hour film, marketed as rated “XXX,” at the student union Saturday. Administrators backed down after lawmakers protested. But then students felt their right of free speech had been violated.
“We’re all very upset that our administration caved to the pressure,” said Mary Yanik, a sophomore from Kansas who helped organize the screening Monday night. “We’re happy they’re standing up for us now. We think they should have done more in the first place.”
The university released a statement Monday saying that it “respects the right of a free society to offer opinion” while not condoning the movie. But, the statement said, “Discussions on topics such as this are characteristic of a vibrant educational community.”
The issue went to the highest levels of the state university system. Chancellor William E. Kirwan conferred Monday and over the weekend with College Park President C.D. Mote Jr., other state university presidents and the state attorney general’s office.
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Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Republican representing Baltimore and Harford counties who led the opposition to the film last week, said he backs the compromise language but would be closely monitoring the policy that the university devises.
“They heard loud and clear that that policy probably can’t include showing pornography for fun and entertainment,” he said. “I am assuming that their policy will make that clear.”
If not, Harris said, he would raise the issue in next year’s legislative session.
But just as some said that politics got in the way of honest discussion in Annapolis, politics on the campus played a role, too.
Monday’s screening was organized by the Student Power Party, which is putting up a slate of candidates for student government offices. It happens that the election is Tuesday and Wednesday.
The University of Maryland is a diverse learning environment that respects the right of a free society to offer opinion, including opinions that may differ dramatically from the larger community.
Last week, following cancellation of this movie as a university-sponsored event, we pointed out that we would explore other ways to return to the topics of responsible decision-making and effects of pornography in our society.
On their own, student groups moved to create a discussion event during which they planned to screen excerpts from a pornographic film and to explore issues surrounding the place and implications of pornography and constitutionally protected free speech in our community.
Although not condoning this movie or any excerpts from it that might be shown, the University of Maryland must allow this event, but has insisted that it include an educational component.
For this event, the students have asked several of our nationally recognized faculty members, representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union, and other scholars to offer their views that will contribute to a full dialogue on these sensitive and controversial topics.
Discussion on topics such as this are characteristic of a vibrant educational community.
Related:
UMD admin won’t stop porn film showing tonight
Students still plan on showing porn film on campus
Breaking News: Porn film showing cancelled at UMD after legislative pressure
Hard-core porn film being shown at University of MD
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I find it incredibly lame that this is even a concern with what’s going on in the world, and even lamer that lawmakers would try to get involved in an effort of suppression. If they think they are advancing the cause of women’s rights in any way, or teaching anything good to our students by behaving like censorious authoritarians, they’re wrong.
Comment by Stephanie Dray — April 7, 2009 @ 9:20 am
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Every now and again, university students find a way to “punk” the administration, and they have succeeded admirably in this case.
With all the publicity this event garnered, both the university administration and the legislators come off looking like a herd of sanctimonious jackasses. Which, I suspect was the point the students were attempting to make at the outset.
Comment by Blogger1947 — April 7, 2009 @ 10:01 am
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Boo degradation of women! Boo censorship! Boo sanctimomnious jackasses! Hooray freedom of speech!
Comment by Nick — April 7, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
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[...] Inside Charm City has the details… More than 100 students cheered swashbuckling and sex-crazed pirates in a pornographic film that scre… [...]
Pingback by Porn Is The New Fad At U of Maryland | Political Vindication — April 7, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
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Yes Blogger1947 I’m sure those students who saw the 30 minutes of the film are right now, as I type this walking around on campus with their chests puffed out, stomachs pulled in, spines as straight as arrows congratulating each other on how they ‘punked’ the administration, legislators, and taxpayers of Maryland. Yes indeed something to be proud of, something they can relay to their friends on how they ‘took it to the man’, by watching 30 minutes of a porno flick. Total victory for those 100 or so students!
And Stephanie, perhaps if Senator Harris makes do with his threat of slicing funding perhaps the students just might learn there are consequences for their actions.
Comment by Bill — April 7, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
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On the one hand, having student forums like this (with porn) is a waste of state money. The University should have funded it through private donations to avoid the spectre of censorship from the State. Their failure to do so was pretty naive and ill-conceived.
On the other hand, it’s always amusing to me that Maryland Republicans are utterly opposed to increasing government regulation of any kind, except when moral values are invoked. This is a fine example. Concerns about forming committees, and funding exploratory studies, etc, etc. all go out the window when there’s an opportunity to regulate or legislate morality.
Comment by Swamp Thing — April 10, 2009 @ 9:34 am