A close-up of three mouths kissing. A nearly-nude Giselle Bundchen washing a car. These and other sexually provocative images, while perhaps not standard fare for tableslips, have made appearances all over campus.
The images, part of a series of advertisements for the Male Sexuality Workshop, are part of the group's plan to encourage a more diverse group of participants, said MSex coordinator Andrew Vottero '09.
The campaign focuses on images of eroticized women, portrayals of threesomes and heterosexual couples as part of an effort to reach out to female and straight male students, Vottero said. The impetus for including these images, he said, is partially to dispel the idea that MSex is primarily for gay men.
"We wanted (the tableslips) to feature images that were interesting to people of all genders and sexualities," Vottero said.
But some students questioned whether the advertisements were not too overt an appeal to certain groups.
"It seems to me like they are trying to recruit straight people who are afraid of joining something that is not overtly masculine," said Adison Lax '11. "I think more men will look at these because of this."
"It's all really catchy," she added. "It makes it seem really sexy."
The advertisements, Vottero said, "grabbed people's attention immediately."
The images - all chosen by Vottero - aim to do more than provide simple shock value. Vottero said that all of the images were taken by respected art photographers, like Terry Richardson and David LaChapelle.
"The aesthetic of the ads is where I started," he said.
Vottero also said that each image represented a topic addressed in the MSex curriculum or that might be broached during a session. The scenes depicted in the advertisements, he said, depict a variety of relationship models, genders and sexualities.
He said his intention was to find "interesting, beautiful images that were relevant to the subject matter."
But many students said they were confused by the images in the advertisements.
"Is this supposed to be a safe place for discussing gay and transgender things?" Miriam Joelson '11 asked.
"I just kind of thought it was ironic," she said.
Each advertisement also contains a brief testimonial from a past MSex participant about what he (or she) got out of the workshop. These quotations, Vottero said, were included to give students a better idea of the kind of content the group covers and of what prospective participants might learn.
While the MSex curriculum will remain similar to the one followed in years past, Vottero said that curricula are fluid between groups. He added that while one notable addition to this year's curriculum is a class devoted to a discussion of the anus, the ultimate goal is to find and address material that "everyone can respond to."
Despite the suggestive nature of the advertisements, which Vottero admitted could be "bothersome to some people," he said he has received no complaints about them. In fact, he said, the tableslips have been doing their job in attracting interested
students.
Vottero reported that approximately 30 students attended the information sessions. "I think the turnout was really good," he said.
But some students did think the images were causes for
concern.
"I can understand why people might take issue," said Sam Yambrovich '11, a post- Magazine columnist. "These are all heterosexual images, and I think MSex has to do with anything and everything with male sexuality."
Despite positive feedback, the provocative images may also deter potential members. After viewing the advertisements, Alex Hare '12 said he was "probably less" likely to join MSex. A few of the images "have been pretty intense," he said.
- With additional reporting by Sydney Ember
