Everybody Wants to be Naked and Famous by Liz Gagliardi photos by Brett Lider OK, I'll admit it. I was fascinated. I opened up the Cavalier Daily and there it was, an invitation to U.Va. women interested in posing for Playboy's "Women of the ACC" edition. I sat at the back of GFIR 351 wondering what woman would ever send in a picture and knowing that I never would. Apparently, thousands of U.Va. women had the same thoughts, as according to their spokespeople Playboy received only 20 pictures in response to its pre-casting ad. To increase their pool of candidates, Playboy representatives then came to Charlottesville to do on-site "interviews." When I saw the second set of ads, I started to wonder what an "interview" might consist of. Would they ask these women for their GPAs and extra-curricular activities? For that matter, were they looking at faces or just bodies? Coming home on the bus that afternoon I overheard a female student gripe, "Why don't they just say, 'those with cup sizes smaller than a D need not apply'?" I wondered how correct she might be. Out of curiosity, I called the phone number in the ad and set up an "interview." The woman I spoke with was very kind and reminded me to bring a two-piece bathing suit if I wished to wear anything during the shoot. I arrived at the Playboy suite nervous but determined. I did not know exactly what to expect. I had pictured an airy room set up with a backdrop, hot lights, and lots of camera equipment. What I actually found was a small room with drawn shades and a Polaroid. I think I felt disappointed. The place was far from glamorous. In fact, it was definitely sketchy and bordered on sleazy. I should preface my following statements by telling you that I am average-looking, of average height and average weight. As for many women, the thought of someone taking a picture of me in a bikini is my worst nightmare. But I wanted to be able to share with other women the experience of being evaluated. I wanted them to know how it feels to be critically analyzed solely on the basis of one's appearance. Initially, it felt pretty good. I was interviewing with Playboy, the magazine which every guy has had hidden in his bedroom at some point during his adolescent life -- the stuff of which fantasies are made. I was asked to fill out an application which asked for biographical information such as my name, address, phone number, etc. To my surprise, the application asked for my major and skirted the topic of extra-curriculars by substituting a section on hobbies. The example the interviewer gave me of a hobby was horseback riding. I believe her exact example was, "Along with the 30 hours a week she spends banging the books, Susie also likes to ride her pal Charlie bareback at least twice a day." I felt a vague sense of discomfort while I continued filling out the application and getting undressed (they allowed me to change in an adjoining bedroom). It seemed as though they were talking around me, not around the topic of me but around my physical being. It was almost as if I was not there. The discomfort truly surfaced when I began to pose. The photographer would drape herself against doors and dressers and ask me to mimic her positions. None of the poses were typical daily activities. At one point, for example, I found myself draped across a dresser wondering how anyone could do so comfortably. I was also asked to lounge against a doorjamb and lean up against a wall with my legs crossed and my hips thrown to one side. Despite the contrived nature of the positions, I felt comfortable. One of the last shots was one of me with my arms crossed under my breasts and my head tilted jauntily to the left. It took several minutes for me to achieve the position the photographer wanted. When I finally did, I smiled. I was immediately reprimanded with a curt, "Don't worry about smiling, honey. We're not looking at your face; we're looking at your body." With that comment, all ease left my body and I started to regret the Archer I had had for lunch. You see, I had made a fatal mistake. I had forgotten that they did not care about my character or face, but instead they cared about my figure. I could not rely on all the things I like about myself: my intelligence, my leadership abilities, my personality. Instead, I had to rely on one of the things about myself in which I have little confidence, my body. After I left the "interview," I began to question why women feel the need to have the body of a Playboy centerfold. Maybe it is because we know that our fathers/brothers/husbands/boyfriends line Hugh Hefner's pockets by buying millions of copies of Playboy each year. Why are they buying Playboy? Because the women displayed in Playboy are their fantasy women. They are the women men dream of. They are what men see as ideal. I cannot count the number of men around Grounds who I have heard comment, "I cannot wait to see who gets it," or "I could give them a few recommendations for models." Most of the men I have talked to are psyched to see U.Va. women take it all off. They want to meet the fantasy U.Va. women whom Playboy decides to showcase. I would assume, then, that men would take pride in their daughters/sisters/ wives/girlfriends posing in such magazines, in their being perfect enough to be someone's fantasy. Wrong. Every woman I have talked with who interviewed with Playboy has received the same reactions from the men in their lives, namely anger and disgust. After hearing the reactions of other women's boyfriends and fathers, some of the women I talked to decided not to tell the men in their lives until they found out whether they had been chosen for the shoot. My father refused to talk to me after I told him I had interviewed and it took him several days before he could even discuss it with me, despite the fact that I had posed as an experiment and would not continue with the process if picked. I think it is a testament to the double standard some men use when separating objectification of strangers and objectification of their loved ones. Despite an understanding of such a double standard, it still surprised me that men with vested interests in these women's sexuality balked so violently at the idea that someone else might fantasize about them, may look at them as objects of desire. Furthermore, I have found that many women disapprove of my decision to "interview" with Playboy. Some are shocked, and some are downright disgusted ... until they learn that I did it as background research for this article. Then they launch into intellectual discussions about objectification of women and body image. A sorority sister of mine entered my room while I was discussing the interview with my roommate. Her jaw dropped when she realized that I had actually posed for Playboy. As the reality of the situation sunk in, her lip curled into a snarl, and she asked me why I would degrade myself that way, if I had any self-respect. My roommate quickly defended me by telling her it was research for this article. Her entire demeanor changed, and she smiled widely and asked me all about the experience. We sat for two hours and talked about the motives of other women who chose to pose naked. This was not an isolated occurrence. Many women have asked me why any woman would voluntarily pose for Playboy, why they would debase themselves in such a manner. They cannot justify posing, cannot see any stake high enough for which to sacrifice their self-respect. To these women, I offer two justifications. The first is economic. Playboy pays very well. Past models for the college editions have received well over $10,000 per day of shooting. I could use $10,000. It would certainly come in handy when the time to pay for graduate school arrives. Many women view posing as an easy means to a profitable end. Others have more emotional justifications. They have always been seen in relationship to their bodies and being chosen to pose for Playboy will be a testament to their physical attractiveness. They have been told that their greatest value lies in their appearance and posing reinforces their confidence in their worth. I do not wish to pass judgment on the women who posed. In fact, several of my close friends chose to do so and I support them in their decisions. I support anyone's right to do whatever she chooses with her body. I do not, however, support the negative images and messages that Playboy instills and perpetuates. I think it is important for us all to discuss the presence of Playboy on Grounds, not because of certain women's choices to interview with them, but because beneath the surface issues of morality and decency lie the greater issues of self-confidence and self-consciousness. I have been fascinated by the turmoil that Playboy's presence here has caused, and I am well aware that I am not the only one. Whether we like it or not, Playboy will publish its "Women of the ACC" edition in the fall, and there will be U.Va. women included in its pages. Perhaps it is time we accept that and think about its repercussions both for our community and those women who choose to pose.

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