In the months since The Koala has put out “”Jizzlam: an entertainment magazine for men,”” the UCSD campus has had strong reactions to it, either supporting the paper or condemning it.
The paper was certainly extremely offensive to a large segment of the UCSD population. But the main problem with “”Jizzlam”” wasn’t that it was offensive, though that was certainly a large part of it. The Koala has been offensive before in their journalistic quest “”to put Œmotherfucker’ into print more times than any other newspaper in the world,”” as the description on the S.O.L.O. Web site states. The problem was that it reinforced a negative stereotype during a time when negative stereotypes are a popular view in the country.
We all know that the Koala isn’t trying to promote any kind of underlying political agenda. They’ve insulted everyone before, from Mormons to Mexicans, and having people’s feathers ruffled isn’t going to stop them from printing ‹ that’s the main reason they print in the first place. The issue with printing “”Jizzlam”” is that many people aren’t aware that the “”jokes”” they print are not necessarily true. What the Koala has introduced is the need to clear up many of the issues that “”Jizzlam”” brought to light.
One of the classic misconceptions is the role of women in the Middle East. Throughout “”Jizzlam,”” there are continued references like: “”Women can’t talk, ever”” and “”Women can never take off their burka or expose any part of their body or they’re killed in a funny manner.”” There is also mention of a “”Keep Girls from Reading Fund.””
These statements encourage the stereotypes that all women in the Middle East are oppressed, unable to work, or go to school and have to cover every part of their body. These stereotypes have come from, quite literally, ancient history. In the early A.D. years, stoning used to be the common punishment for people who committed adultery. While some extremists (such as the Taliban) continue to enforce this practice, it is not a typical punishment in any way.
Except for Saudi Arabia, women in the Middle East are able to work and drive; even in Saudi Arabia, women in the medical profession can work and drive. Although you have to wear a veil in Iran and Saudi Arabia, recently the rules have begun to change. In Iran, it has almost become a fashion statement to wear the veil, as you don’t have to cover your hair completely. Provided the clothing isn’t too revealing, anyone can wear just about anything. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans won’t put anyone in danger of abuse.
“”Jizzlam”” also featured a how-to guide for making mail bombs, as well as continued references throughout about suicide bombings, feeding the idea that all Middle Easterners are terrorists. Much of this sentiment comes from the media, and its coverage of events happening in the Middle East. When there is a mentioning of Muslims in the media, it always has to do with them being militant, radical or terrorists. When the Middle East is mentioned, it’s always in the context of terrorism and many people don’t seem to recognize that there is more to this culture than just violence.
The fact that students in one of the best universities in the country put “”Jizzlam”” together is sad. But in the end, free speech is free speech and trying to change anything about it would cause problems all around. The best advice is to think of them as your annoying younger brother: the more you egg them on, the more they’ll bother you, because they know they can push your buttons.
