Paige Miles, Editorial Page Editor
The Behrend Beacon
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News Editor
Erin McCarty
Sports Editors
Scott Softis
Zoe Rose
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Paige Miles
Features Editor
Karl Benacci
Staff Photographers Beacon Distribution Manager
Jeff Hankey Scott Softis
Heather Myers
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The Beacon is published
weekly by the students of
Penn State Erie,
the Behrend College;
First Floor, The J. Elmer
Reed Union Building, Station
Road, Erie, PA 16563.
The Beacon can be reached by
calling (814) 898-6488 or
(814) 898-6019 (FAX).
ISSN 1071-9288.
The reality bites when it comes to celebrity justice
It's no secret that celebrities are above
the law. The most infamous case, of
course, is when O.J. got away with mur
der, literally. P. Diddy and Allen Iverson
walked away from violent crimes. A
revolving door was
the rehab clinic fo .
Downey Jr. When mi
der was the case that
they gave Snoop
Dogg, he got a
slizzap on the
wrizzist. Now he's
rolling down the
street smokin' endo,
sippin' on gin and
juice.
But what if crimi
nal justice goes the
other way for a ce
lebrity? What if celebrities are vi
ciously prosecuted because of their
fame?
This is the case for "Girl, Interrupted"
and "Mr. Deeds" star, Winona Ryder.
A toast to French tarts
by Lenore Skenazy
New York Daily News
Omigod! Did you see what she's
wearing? That ruby red corset! That
see-through gown! And just look at her
bottom--it's as big as a beluga!
Take it easy, J.Lo. No one's talking
about you. We're talking about big-time
celebrities, mega-mamas, the ones who
changed the entire course of women's
history, not just Oscar necklines.
In other words, we're talking about
turn-of-the-century French prostitutes.
Let us raise a thong to them.
It was in the 1880 s that French maga
zines and newspapers started to notice:
Sex sells. So instead of running yet an
other story about some stuffy aristo
crat and her boring wardrobe, editors
turned their attention to the Madonnas
of their day.
These were more daring than the
Madonna of our day, because they did
it first-- and could have been arrested.
"This is the period when courtesans
and actresses moved from being no
torious to trend-setters," says Fashion
Institute of Technology historian
Valerie Steele. "It was in their interest
to create a brilliant and fashionable fa
cade by looking like a very expensive
lady _ an object deluxe. Because if
she's wearing a gown worth 1,000
francs, then (an admirer) will give her
3,000 francs. So the gowns keep esca
lating and the women keep becoming
sexier."
With their pictures on posters all over
town and enjoying their pick of stage
door Johnnys (sometimes even stage-
Interim Editor-in-Chief
Kevin Fallon
Managing Editors
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The Beacon encourages
letters to the editor. Letters
should include the address,
phone number, semester
standing, and major of the
writer. Writers can mail letters
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must be received no later than
5 p.m. Monday for inclusion in
Ryder was arrested last Dec. 12 and
charged with four felony counts: second
degree burglary, grand theft, vandalism,
and possession of a controlled substance,
after an alleged shoplifting incident at
Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
Her trial begins Oct. 24. Ryder, who
has insisted she is innocent, faces 3
Kevin Fallon
ii f
beginning. A judge re
cently threw out the drug charge against
her. It turns out she had a prescription.
Go figure. This is just one example of
vicious prosecution that has spawned a
door princes), these public women were
becoming stars. Soon the fanciest de
signers were vying to make their clothes.
A madam in your gown was a celebrity
endorsement!
"Of course," Steele adds, "you'd still
have a heart attack if your son wanted
to marry one." But your daughter want
ing to dress like one? That was a given.
My, how times haven't changed.
To give us all an "eiffel" of these
shocking French fashions, Steele co
curated an exhibit called "Femme Fa
tale," at the Museum at FIT in New
York.
To modern eyes, this is simply daz
zling stuff: queenly gowns of velvet and
lace. Jewel-colored corsets and bottom
enhancing bustles. Diaphanous tea robes
slit down the front to reveal flesh-col
ored silk studded with sparkling beads.
All super-taboo in their day.
"If you wore this ball gown on the street
in the daytime, children would throw
mud and the police would arrest you,"
says Steele, pointing to an impossibly
gorgeous low-cut red velvet dress. As
for the tea robe craze: These were easy
on, easy-off confections perfect for an
afternoon liaison.
Decent women who had worn white
linen undies all their lives were suddenly
asking their dressmakers for colorful
corsets and slinky silk underthings. A
fashion writer of the day declared, "It is
just as important for a wife to have beau
tiful lingerie as it is to have fine silver."
Such notions didn't only change what
women wore. They changed the way
Advertising Managers
Melissa Powell
Christine Keck
Calendar Page Editor
Etinn Hansen
Humor Page Editor
Ross Lockwood
Associate Editor
Jen Henderson
that week's issue
ears in prison.
Now, I would have no problem
sending a beautiful, talented, doe
eyed actress to prison if she is
guilty. But Ryder is not. Saks
and the Los Angeles district at
torney have singled out and
headhunted Ryder because of her
high profile
The
witch-hunt
against Ryder has been
full of holes since the
Hence their notoriety.
Hence their popularity
LI 1
Friday, October 25, 2002
Reverse discrimination
Ok, it's cold in the mornings,
everyone's sick, it's time to bitch. I
want to hit on a couple of subjects,
but I only have one point here. First
off, I want to complain about racism.
"Oh no!"
Now look, I'm
ist by any means,
fancy myself as a
liberal person.
I'm sick and tired
people complainii
about racism.
This complain
actually comes Dere
from reading an
article in last week's Beacon about
some kid from San Jose City College
who is having his basketball coach
investigated. He basically said that
white kids don't play basketball as
well as black kids.
Who cares? What difference does
it make if he said that or not? It's his
opinion, and he's damn well entitled
to it, and to speak it. I'm sorry it was
taken offensively, but that's where it
should end.
Besides, let's face it, its true. Black
people are more agile and athletic
when it comes to a lot of rigorous
sports. How else can one explain the
fact that even though black people ac
count for only about 13 percent of the
US population, they account for more
than 50 percent of basketball and foot-
national "Free Winona" campaign.
The biggest flaw in the case against
Ryder is the DA's own "evidence," a
"smoking gun" surveillance tape of
Ryder cutting tags of merchandise and
stealing. However when the tape was
released it showed Ryder-gasp-shopping.
Ryder was not even apprehended by se
curity guards leaving the store, but leav
ing one department to the next. At most,
Ryder can be prosecuted by the fashion
police for bad style.
The entire case against Ryder is a con
spiracy. Saks wants a poster girl to scare
people and prevent shop lifting. Rumors
have even surfaced that Saks offered se
curity guards a bonus if they caught a
celebrity shoplifting before Christmas.
The Los Angeles DA wants Ryder's head
to show that they are not easy on celeb
rities and to redeem itself after the
botched OJ trial.
When, as a society, are we going to
say, "enough is enough?" What hap
pened to equal treatment for
women thought about themselves. A
lady in a dowdy housedress is a good
wife and mother. A lady in a tea robe
is sex on a brioche. She's powerful and
pretty! She is woman, hear her purr!
"This was way too sexy for respect
able women," Steele says of a blue silk
petticoat. "But by the 1890 s, women
were saying, 'We have a right be
sexual, too!"
I -
,('; 1°"-^'?"`
Bledsoe
ball players?
The door swings both ways, though.
The race card is played way too often
when most times it isn't even the real
issue at hand. I know I'm not the only
one who's noticed. This isn't an anti
lan, or anti-African Ameri
ing. I'm just sick and tired
ism becoming the big news
ie. Every other problem
it involves two different
ices suddenly becomes a
- ace issue. What is wrong
with people? We're taking
our rights and abusing
I,i, i ii wte them to get what we
want. And nobody wants
to speak out about it. People are so
worried about getting sued, or "of
fending" someone, or angering the
wrong organization. Well, I don't care;
I'll say it. Stop using your race like
it's a shield. Do we, as Americans,
really want to become more unified?
Or are we just going to continue to
separate ourselves?
Here's another thing. When did sud
denly looking good become a prob
lem? Maybe I missed the boat, but
somehow, there seems to be an ever
growing attitude that if I shop at
Abercrombie and Fitch, I'm just giv
ing in to a popular trend, desperate to
fit in with the "American Dream."
Bull. I shopped there because they had
a fall sale, and I needed a pair of jeans.
all...celebrities? It is unjust to let some
off the hook and go after others, espe
cially the really hot ones.
Regardless if Ryder is guilty or inno
cent, have we forgotten that she is fa
mous? Movie stars are supposed to be
our royalty. Is this how we want our roy
alty treated? What kind of world do we
live in where a rich and famous woman
can't steal a $l,OOO dollar Gucci hand
bag?
So maybe Ryder hasn't made a good
movie, well, since ever. But she sure is
fine. That should count for something.
If they really want to punish Ryder they
can just send her to my house and I will
give her a few spankings.
I just hope the jury has the same level
headed attitude towards justice as me, and
is also made up of other horny college
guys. That way Ryder can put this trial
behind her and pose for Playboy like the
washed-up actresses are supposed to.
That's the kind of world I want to live in.
God Bless America.
Yes, they did-thanks to the prostitutes,
actresses and all-around public women
who blazed the trail of trash and flash.
Today we honor their memory with
belly button rings, low-rider jeans and
everything by Donatella Versace.
Has this bettered women's lot? Well,
our underwear sure is softer. And awards
shows are a lot more fun to watch.
The Behrend Beacon
I don't understand when suddenly, just
because I dress perhaps in a preppy
manner, I'm another one of "those."
There's a serious hypocrisy going on
because I hear so much about being
different, and how if you shop at
Abercrombie and Fitch, or American
Eagle, or wherever, you're just not
original. Well, wake up people, be
cause guess who's getting on the "let's
be different" train? It's YOU. I saw
an ongoing argument about
Abercrombie and Fitch in the Beacon
that took up three weeks worth of
newspaper space. Who cares? It
makes no difference to me if I'm shop
ping in A&E or in Hot Topic. I aim to
look like I want, not to be trendy, and
not to be anti-trendy. I refuse to alter
my lifestyle just because some person
wants to categorize me as unoriginal.
Who cares about trends, if I want to
shop at Abercrombie, and then pop
over to American Eagle, then get in
my car and put on some Dave
Matthews, I'm not doing it for any
one but myself. Come on, people.
Why do we have to be so shallow to
care how a person dresses? I just care
about how you act. And complaining
whether others look too pretty (or too
grungy) is the most immature load of
bologna I have ever heard.
What's my point?
Basically, this reverse discrimina
tion is a load of crap.
Letters to
the Editor
The Brothers of Tau Kappa Epsi
lon would like to thank all those who
helped with our annual Barrel Roll.
Through your support we were able
to raise money for the Second Har
vest Food Bank. Thank you again for
your support.
The Brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon
(Behrend)
I love the Humor Page and Sports
Page, they are awesome. They are the
only two reasons I read the paper. I
can't read the humor page without
crackin up. Keep up the good work
guys!
Nina Zinger
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