Okay, it varies A LOT.
The Barstool Blackout Party — deemed the “Northeastern” leg of the tour, but not officially affiliated with the university, is happening tonight at 9p.m. at the Boston House of Blues, and it has sparked a lot of controversy around campus.
Some students, most notably those behind the Knockout Barstool group are upset with comments made by Barstool Sports’ founder David “El Presidente” Portnoy on the Barstool site. An example can be found within The Huntington News’ coverage of the controversy, pointing out a comment Portnoy made in a post on Dec. 14, 2011 that while he does not condone rape at any Blackout events, if a girl passes out, “that’s a grey area though.”
Knockout Barstool plans to protest the Blackout Party tonight outside the House of Blues. On their Facebook event page, they invite all to “Join us as we Knockout Barstool Sports in protest of their continued dehumanization of women and desensitization of rape and sexual assault.” The university has now made numerous statements disassociating themselves from the Blackout tour, which at the request of the administration, prompted Barstool to remove the Northeastern name, now referring to the event as the “Huskies Blackout.”
Despite Knockout’s concerns of Barstool’s fostering of rape culture, the tickets are sold out (2,400, to be exact) in under a minute, and thousands of Northeastern students still plan on attending this event. While all parties can agree that promoting rape is neither funny nor acceptable, many still find humor in Barstool Sports’ blog posts, and see this event as simply a chance to dance the night away and have fun with their friends.
Where will you be tonight? Protesting on Landsdowne Street, or dancing with your friends inside the House of Blues? Or, as other collegiettes™ will be, at home attempting to stay out of it?
Either way, we remind you to please be safe and courteous of others. One reason we love Northeastern so much is because we all have our own opinions, minds, and the freedom to do as we choose.
We welcome you to continue the conversation and tell us where you stand in the comments below.
Photos: Blackout Barstool, Barstoolsports.com