So maybe UW gets some bad publicity for being named Playboy's No. 1 Party School. Maybe most mothers don't want their daughters to be seen on the pages of the famed magazine, but although the content of Playboy definitely comes with a shock value, it isn't all negative, according to some of the girls who posed in the group photo.
Women like Marilyn Monroe have posed for Playboy, but the magazine has definitely changed since Monroe said her infamous line about her 1953 photo shoot: "All I had on was the radio." In Paris-Hilton-talk, that's hot.
Today, there are definitely some gross photos in Playboy. But I guess that's all relative, because some people would find any naked picture of any naked woman distasteful. After picking up the new Playboy on my way to class — from my boyfriend's apartment, because everywhere in Madison was sold out — I tried to glance through the issue once I got into Vilas, and umm … I had to slam that one closed after some big boobs were staring back at me. Not really before-class reading material.
But I finally opened it back up, after being instructed to the page number by a girl friend in my class. And there was our party school picture: lots of girls and guys cheering and wearing Wisconsin gear. It looks like a regular football Saturday crossed with Mardi Gras because there are a few chicks flashing their boobs. Wait, what is that butt-naked girl doing? I know that guy by her … hold on, is that DU? This totally looks like a picture from Bump Set! Wow, DU is going to have a great rush next year …
Playboy has named us No. 1 Party School and the three women I talked to who posed for the group photo didn't do it to get naked, they didn't do it to become the next pin-up girl … they did it for the University of Wisconsin and because they have Badger pride — I wonder if Bucky would approve?
Bethany Reed, a UW senior, was happy to wear a Wisconsin jersey and represent our school. "I'm proud of Wisconsin for it," she said of the party school title and the photo shoot.
Katie Gerding, a sophomore, even used her real name "because I'm not naked."
"I mean I love this city," she said. "Wisconsin has a perfect balance between academics and partying."
Gerding is wearing a red Wisconsin skirt, a Wisconsin halter-top and red gym shoes. "I would wear that outfit to Badger games. It's not something I wouldn't show normally," she said. Even though she planned on keeping her clothes on, her parents weren't too excited about the photo shoot.
"Obviously, as a parent, you don't want your daughter in Playboy," she added. And she is still waiting to hear if they have seen the May issue. Gerding's boyfriend at the time wasn't too keen on her taking part of the Playboy shoot, either. No one knows why.
Senior Colleen Glandt went through the interview process at the Hilton Hotel thinking she wouldn't make the final cut — which is why she said she would pose topless. The next day she got a phone call to be in the group shot — topless. After speaking with her parents, she decided only to only participate if she could keep on her top and she appears in the magazine in a bikini.
"I did it for shits and giggles," Glandt said. "I'm from the side so you can't see anything. I think I look pretty good."
A lot of people, including myself, are impressed that the three girls got to be in Playboy and were able to keep all of their clothes on. I didn't know Playboy gave that option. Other people, like some of the girls' brothers, are bragging to their friends.
According to Reed, the girls got $100 for the photo shoot and she heard the others who posed naked got $10,000 … but that could just be a rumor.
But being No. 1 party school isn't about how many girls you can get to pose naked in front of a frat house — obviously because we only had two completely naked girls (only wearing tattoos) and 3 topless ones, followed by one full-page picture of a naked girl bending over to grab a thong at what clearly looks like Laundry 101. At least we had 12 clothed girls. Other schools in the top 10 managed to have trashier naked girls partying and getting all touchy-feely with other girls (ahem, Georgia). Gerding said the judging for party school was based on academics, athletics, night life and the music scene among other credentials.
"I think we're getting so much bad publicity when no one takes into account how they found the best school," she added.
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that in the little paragraph about Wisconsin, Playboy writes, "Every April, the mayor of Madison gets his underwear in a bunch" over the Mifflin Street Block Party. I am a big fan of Mayor Dave and he has every right to get his underwear in a bunch when a bunch of drunk-ass college students run wild on Mifflin Street.
Either way, the photo has definitely blown into a bigger deal than the girls thought it would be. At the signing at Capitol Centre Foods during the week, Glandt said there was a big turnout and the grocery store sold out of all their copies of Playboy. And since Cap Foods is conveniently located right near a fire station, they had a few visitors.
"The firemen came and wanted to take pictures of us," Glandt said. "We all got to go on their truck."
If you missed the Badger Bunnies at Cap Foods, they will be at Brother's on Friday night for a signing from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m.
So although I have never seen a naked girl at a football game, at Laundry 101 or at DU … wait, I totally take that back … the popular picture may have captured the University of Wisconsin whether administrators want to admit it or not. Take out the naked girls and it's a football Saturday.
"Study hard, party harder," Gerding said. Spoken like a true Badger … whether you read Playboy or not.
Aubre Andrus is senior double majoring in journalism and communication arts. She plans on buying her first Playboy as soon as she can find a copy of this sold-out issue. She can be reached at [email protected].
