Recently, a fraternity at Old Dominion University, Sigma Nu, faced a suspension when suggestive banners were hung outside of an off-campus house. The banners read: “Rowdy and fun, hope your baby girl is ready for a good time,” “Freshman Daughter Drop-Off,” and “Go ahead and Drop Off Mom Too.”
When I saw this, I was disgusted and figured that most other people (and, especially other women) would be as well. However, many people on my news feed and on other social media platforms were defending the men who made this banner, saying that it was “just a joke” and that everyone nowadays takes things “too seriously.” Other people questioned why ODU was being singled out when this happened at other universities all the time and that this was “normal.”
Apart from being disrespectful to women, what really frustrated me was people’s passivity towards the issue and the case they were making for the banners’ normalcy. Given the fact that it has happened at other universities and has happened for a long time, it is tempting to dismiss it all together. However, what I think is important to remember is that “normal” does not equal “acceptable.”
Although the banners may have been meant to be a light-hearted joke, at the core, they were simply distasteful and inappropriate. Not only did they sexualize women, but they also had the potential to make freshmen women uncomfortable in their new environment, which is unacceptable in itself. Transitioning to college is difficult enough for both new students and parents and these banners just created unneeded worries.
It is not enough to tell the women who find this offensive to “get over it.” We need to get rid of the stigma of being “offended” by something and toss the idea that something “normal” is automatically equivalent to “acceptable.” Above all, as a society, we need to stop inappropriately sexualizing women and show some respect.