By: CALLIE WATSON
Staff Writer
I firmly believe that schools should ban Playboy merchandise from being worn. Why? Because Playboy merchandise promotes the hyper-sexualization and objectification of women. Seeing this symbolism on campus can make students feel uncomfortable in their learning environment and it should not be accepted on a school campus.
It has become a trend among teens (not just at EDHS, but nationwide) to start to wear Playboy merchandise. Seeing Playboy merchandise being worn at schools can make other students uncomfortable because of what Playboy promotes. Schools generally want students to feel comfortable in their learning environment. One step schools can take to ensure a comfortable learning environment is banning students from wearing Playboy logos at school.
In my research, I read the Visalia Unified School District dress code to see if Playboy merchandise was allowed. The VUSD dress code states that “Clothing, jewelry and personal items (backpacks, fanny packs, gym bags, water bottles, etc.) shall be free of writing, pictures or any other insignia which are crude, vulgar, profane or sexually suggestive, which bear drug, alcohol or tobacco company advertising, promotions, and likenesses” (VUSD Dress code). Playboy merchandise is sexually suggestive, therefore it is not allowed to be worn at any VUSD schools.
Throughout history women have valiantly rallied against being objectified and the hyper-sexualization they face. Companies, such as Playboy, dehumanize women by depicting them as pleasure objects. Wearing clothing that promotes this ideology should not be welcome anywhere, especially at schools. Schools should take greater steps to prevent Playboy merchandise from being worn at schools. I would implore school administrations across the country to examine their schools’ dress codes and enforce them so the highly questionable company Playboy is not promoted in any way, shape, or form.