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Show WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY THE SIGNPOST WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10,2010 Signpost Viewpoint We want to know: LARRY QOT A C K Utah in the throes of cutting back our access to govt arrest last month to be handled Ethics is generally defined as internally, or at least would have the rules of conduct recognized had he not resigned. It will also in respect to a particular class of make the records unavailable to human actions or a particular the public, unless one of two very group, culture, etc. However, specific things happens. according to the Utah State Legislature, ethics should be 'According to the bill, if controlled and kept hidden from the complaint turns out to be the public, which has brought them meritorious, then the commission to the forefront will make the of the public's findings public," "The most recent attention. Petersen said. "The other way "There's issue at hand is the that findings can been a big bill that went before be made public public outcry in the last year the State Senate on is if a member of the legislature or two to hold Monday morning. has a complaint members of against them and the legislature ... If the people of it gets dismissed, accountable," Utah wanted a feast, he or she can said Linda choose to make Petersen, this is no doubt the that public so president that it's known." of the Utah legislature's way Foundation Not only is the of giving them a of Open decision to make Government. a dismissed case famine/' "There have public that of the been different legislature, there's even fine print that protects the issues on ethics and the public offending party through secrecy. has been very concerned about it. "There's actually stipulation in There's even a group called Utahns SJ.R. 3 that says if anybody at any for Ethical Government, formed point makes it public'that there's because of this very issue." even a complaint, the complaint The most recent issue at hand will automatically be dismissed," is the bill that went before the Petersen said. State Senate on Monday morning, proposing that state legislature So why all the cloak and dagger? handle ethics disputes internally. If Why keep everything behind the people of Utah wanted a feast, closed doors? Why is the great and this is no doubt the legislature's way powerful Oz telling Utahns to pay of giving them a famine. no attention to the man behind the curtain? Because this way, The two Senate bills were they can address the public voice broughnCTJirfloor and passed for action on the legislature's part faster than any other bills-in 2010. without actually having to appease Considering t^eir content, it's not the public. Surprising that members of the Senate voted to have all of their "The legislature has responded misdeeds handled internally. to this, which is a good thing," Petersen said. "But unfortunately, "Senate Bill 136 makes its so much of what they're doing, so meetings exempt from the Open many of their hearings, are going .• Meetings Act, and Senate Bill to be closed, that it's information 138 makes its records exempt the public isn't generally going to from GRAMA (Government be able to access." Records Access Management Act) requests/' Petersen said. "SJ.R. It's almost as if the legislature 3 details how it's formed and is wearing a big rubber mask, who serves on it while Senator and once it's removed, you can Valentine, who is the sponsor, is hear each one of them saying, "I'd considering S.B. 136 and 138 as have gotten away with it, too, if it companion bills." weren't for you meddling voters!" The passing of the two Senate bills will allow issues such as Comment on this column at Senator Sheldon Killpack's DUI wsusignpost. com. met Frances Kelsey [Managing Editor Gina Barker 626-712^ 626-7614 [Sports Editor Matthew Maynes 626-7983 I Features Editor ShayLynne Clark 626-7621 Adviser (Office Manager lison Hess Georgia Edwards Jessica 626-8526 626-7974 ,;626-7624 -The Signpost is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during fall and spring semesters. Subscription is $18 a semester First newspaper copy free, each additional copy SO.50. -The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited, and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not Necessarily endorsed by the university. 77ie Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff, and the writer's signature. -The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial office in the Student Union 401, or mail to: The Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408-2110. Attn: Frances Kelsey. E-mail thesignpost@weber.edu A bit of common sense Taylor Swift is a sex-ist symbol Gina Barker • Signpost THE COMPLETE WORKS OF TAYLOR SWIFT A SYMBOLIC ANALYSIS columnist People learned two things about the last VMAs: it's easy to hate Kanye and easier to love Taylor Swift. But in a recent, and absolutely brilliant, online article, the issue I have (and I hope others have) with Taylor Swift was put into words. The first time I listened to the song "Love Story," I listened to the words thinking, "This is ruining 13-year-old girls!" The song focuses on a teenage girl who needs to be saved. She's in love, her father doesn't understand, and this boy must save her. Sure, this song is nothing new; we've seen this topic emerge from the music industry before. Taylor Swift just happens to be the best example at the moment of dated sex values in America. Some readers might be thinking, "Who cares aboutTaylorSwift? She's a pop phenomenon." But she matters to the thousands of tweens who pick up her album and style their hair after her latest Seventeen shoot Girls emulate her. My question is, should they? "Virginal, sweet and innocent, she is succeeding in her market because she sells a clean image mothers support. The danger is, that's usually what people notice. The unrelenting story that a women needs a man to, save her is overlooked. Why is it Juliet needs to say, "Romeo, save me, they try to tell me how to feel"? Why can't Juliet say, "This is how I feel about Romeo!" At the same age Beyonce was singing about "being independent." Girls should be emulating empowering role models. What music, television and books that attract throngs of teen girls are really doing is perpetuating the Madonna-whore complex. On one hand, the Madonna is virginal and innocent; on the other, the whore is a sexual being and therefore the villain who is consequently unlovable. This double standard on female sex roles has existed for centuries. Women are capable of two types of sexual roles, a virgin and a whore. But women are far more complex than that and deserve to be treated like they are capable of being more than just one or the other. While men have enjoyed sexual freedom throughout history, women fought to be taken icwrs nnttsur *OMU* of SOKS f unorarc iwnr S><S5>O>o HMDlD PfSCRlPTIPti'S OF HTIULIS ACilYUY !'i ifif P't'i rtmuus i nmassa mrswu/srr BOMS tmcoot/M omwu /[[i\ f'^\ WMT1MG Bf THE PHOHS FOB IT TO KIK c?mws iuii!i:tr fvJ IMICXI ViRC'Kil WdS CflYlVS ctuaM HMUtmtf m*fm*annmmtfm Each graphic represent the number of times Swift references certain themes in her songs. seriously and selling unoriginal music shouldn't negate these efforts. Perhaps the issues with Swift spring up from the same issues floating around Twilight. Twilight actually does a lot of the same things Swift's music does. The books hint at sex throughout the series in a way that gets younger audiences stirred up but sends a message that sex is bad. Sex with Edward equals Bella's death? But it's OK to push sexual messages as long as those messages aren't acted on; female sexuality needs to be locked away. The image Swift pushes follows the same veins as the Disney crowd. Good clean fun that never pushes the envelope and reinforces sex roles for girls. Her songs are flat; mere is no weight to the words. Her songs could be written and rewritten for 100 years and nothing new would ever come out of the lyrics. Corporate images like Taylor Swift perpetuate classic stereotypes on gender roles, and while she is probably a fine person, she's an awful image for young girls. Half the population, women, are being corralled by a conservative image, pushing younger generations to idolize unhealthy ideas on women's roles. And none of this even begins to address the awful escapism behind Hollywood love stories. Women don't change men, so the stories that keep this idea alive are another cruel trick on teen girls. Comment on this column at wsusignpostcom. |