Sex column illustration blows readers away

Dear Muse staff, First of all, I would like to state that I am by no means homophobic; but, regardless, I have a major issue with this week’s issue. I really want to know who thought the guy sucking off the candy cane was an appropriate illustration for this week’s Sex 2.0? This pseudo-Christmas pornographic illustration was not only blatantly suggestive and extremely distasteful, but completely unnecessary and unrelated to the article. I want to make it clear, that the illustration would have equally disturbed me if there had been a woman sucking the phallic symbol in front of the Christmas tree. I've noticed you guys are starting to push the buttons with your sex columns and their illustrations lately and I've had it. They are not only favouring homosexuality, they are entirely unprofessional and non-educational. It’s sounding like the sex columnist just wants to get laid and push his sexual preferences on everyone. The sexual orientation, preferences, and experience of the sex columnist should be completely neutral and remain a mystery to the reader. If things don’t improve soon, this is not the first time you’ll be hearing from me. Give us some real information and real diagrams to look at please and for the love of candy canes realize that this newspaper could fall into the hands of anyone, including my 5-year-old nephew. Please don’t ruin candy canes for children.

I am expecting a reply as soon as possible, as well as an apology to your readers in your next issue; deliver or I will take my compliant to the next level.

M. Flanders [Editor’s note: Letter originally signed “angry and anonymous Muse reader; byline based on email signature from submission.]

Dear Editor,

I am not so impressed with the article written "Fucking Around the Christmas Tree" in this past issue of the Muse. While I really appreciate the flare and personality the new editor-in-chief Nathan Downey has brought to the paper, I find reading his sex column like taking advice from my fifteen-year-old brother. After reading the column, I can't help but smile, I want to put my arm around his shoulders and take him out for an ice cream, all the while reassuring him that life will turn out okay for him, his sexual horizons will broaden, and eventually he too will grow up to be a functional young man with the perspective on life and sex that he will need to comment and discuss sexual matters effectively. This article brings up a really important issue for most couples, whether having been together for a few months, a few years, or even married. The topic of when and if you should have sex while visiting your parents is something we talk about with our friends both before and after the trip. This issue not only plagues couples around the holidays, but is often something most couples deal with on family visits or even a night's stay with parents any time of the year. When heading to the parents house for the holidays it is often in your best interest to follow your parents’ lead. If they put you in the same room, thank them, and try to pretend like you're celibate. If they put one of you on the couch, thank them, and try to pretend like you're celibate. It's a lasting theme of mutual respect and trying to gain their trust so that you can stay in, or move towards same room status for future visits. The last thing most parents want to acknowledge is that you're sexually active in their home. And with good reason. I think this topic is really important to a lot of students going home for the holidays, but I think you completely missed the point. Sometimes you don't have to write anything racy using fancy words for sex like "banging", or slap on a photo of a man sucking off a giant candy cane with his sports watch on his strong hand in front of the Christmas tree. Most students just want to have an honest conversation about something that is a really important part of all of our lives: sex.

Better luck next time,

Elisabeth Charmley

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