Spring Break
Sexual morality and business ethics at Notre Dame
John Madigan
Issue date: 10/14/08 Section: Viewpoint
Okay, I admit it, when recently visiting campus I could be mistaken for just about any other alumnus wandering his old haunts with a nostalgic gleam in his eyes…
It's hard not to be impressed by this university - and I visit many colleges and universities through my work. Notre Dame - its students, priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, incredible facilities including numerous jewel-like chapels, each reposing the Blessed Sacrament - is remarkable. I am proud to be a product of this special place, and do hope that one or more of my children might study at Notre Dame, too.
Having said that, we all know that Notre Dame bears special responsibilities as a Catholic university. And that contrary to the "Catholic Disneyland" feel, this place is, as it was in my days on campus more than 20 years ago, deeply conflicted - torn between its yearning for academic and worldly respect and its mission of service to the Church.
A case in point: Cathie Black, President of Hearst Magazines and a Notre Dame trustee, recently spoke as part of the Berges Series in Business Ethics. Why would the University "proudly invite" her (per Observer ads) to deliver an endowed address on business ethics?
Having worked in the magazine business, I am familiar with Hearst. Its flagship magazine is Cosmopolitan. Anyone who frequents supermarket checkout lines knows Cosmo - Hearst Magazines spends millions to place Cosmopolitan right square where American consumers pause several times each week - one step shy of the cash register.
As a father of children aged 4 to 14, I have squirmed, hoping my boys would not view its formulaic, fleshy covers, or that my girls would not be drawn by its lurid taglines inviting them to view themselves as sexual objects. I daresay it's worse inside.
Don't believe me? Take a look at the cover of the October issue: "Guys talk Sex. SHE DID WHAT?! Outrageous things chicks do in bed; For Naughty Girls Only; His Body; How Long Guys Want Sex to Last …" Try Googling Cosmopolitan and you'll see the first subjects which come up: "sex positions and sex." Or try cosmopolitan.com's link to "our friends at Marie Claire," another Hearst property. Cosmo points you there to learn "Ultimate Sex Tips from the Pros: We asked the five leading sex experts in the U.S. for their most frequently asked questions. Here, their answers about hooking up, kinky sex, taking charge in the bedroom and more."
It's hard not to be impressed by this university - and I visit many colleges and universities through my work. Notre Dame - its students, priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, incredible facilities including numerous jewel-like chapels, each reposing the Blessed Sacrament - is remarkable. I am proud to be a product of this special place, and do hope that one or more of my children might study at Notre Dame, too.
Having said that, we all know that Notre Dame bears special responsibilities as a Catholic university. And that contrary to the "Catholic Disneyland" feel, this place is, as it was in my days on campus more than 20 years ago, deeply conflicted - torn between its yearning for academic and worldly respect and its mission of service to the Church.
A case in point: Cathie Black, President of Hearst Magazines and a Notre Dame trustee, recently spoke as part of the Berges Series in Business Ethics. Why would the University "proudly invite" her (per Observer ads) to deliver an endowed address on business ethics?
Having worked in the magazine business, I am familiar with Hearst. Its flagship magazine is Cosmopolitan. Anyone who frequents supermarket checkout lines knows Cosmo - Hearst Magazines spends millions to place Cosmopolitan right square where American consumers pause several times each week - one step shy of the cash register.
As a father of children aged 4 to 14, I have squirmed, hoping my boys would not view its formulaic, fleshy covers, or that my girls would not be drawn by its lurid taglines inviting them to view themselves as sexual objects. I daresay it's worse inside.
Don't believe me? Take a look at the cover of the October issue: "Guys talk Sex. SHE DID WHAT?! Outrageous things chicks do in bed; For Naughty Girls Only; His Body; How Long Guys Want Sex to Last …" Try Googling Cosmopolitan and you'll see the first subjects which come up: "sex positions and sex." Or try cosmopolitan.com's link to "our friends at Marie Claire," another Hearst property. Cosmo points you there to learn "Ultimate Sex Tips from the Pros: We asked the five leading sex experts in the U.S. for their most frequently asked questions. Here, their answers about hooking up, kinky sex, taking charge in the bedroom and more."