Step aside; there’s a new queen bee in town. Karen Owen, to whom you may want to refer as “”God”” from this point forward, is the new poster child for bed-hopping females everywhere. Her recently leaked joke thesis, “”An education beyond the classroom: excelling in the realm of horizontal academics,”” includes the juicy details of hook-ups she had with 13 Duke athletes in her four years at the university. From these hook-ups, she compiled a F*&% List that ranks the athletes based on specified criteria.
Karen’s power point sheds new light on ladies in pursuit of getting theirs. We now have to think twice before assuming that a female who engages in casual sex is nothing more than a slut, because as in Karen’s case, she could be a genius as well. Karen took an inquiry from a hook-up — “”how do I rank on your list?”” — and turned it into a well-thought-out exposition that makes us reconsider how we view women and sexuality.
She may have had no intention for her compilation to reach more than her friend circle, but something that good couldn’t remain a secret forever. Since it went viral, Karen has received some serious backlash. Perhaps this criticism is justifiable if you are her father or one of the presumably embarrassed test subjects who achieved a raw score below 7. If you do not fall into either of these categories, then who are you to judge her?
If you don’t want to be or be with a girl labeled as someone who gets around, then don’t. It is that simple. But don’t be a hypocrite. The double standards that exist when it comes to multiple sex partners and casual sex are alarming. A man is celebrated for his various sexcapades, while a woman is supposed to save herself for a committed relationship. Where is the equality in the realm of sexuality? A woman should have the freedom to be as promiscuous as a man and not have to face repercussions more serious than a high five.
I am in no way suggesting that every woman should be in the Karen Owen state of mind; let’s be real, I am as hopeless of a romantic as you can get. Even still, there is something admirable in her approach to pursuing “”a degree in tempestuous frolicking (D.T.F).”” She is not ashamed of her actions, nor does she feel the need to hide the details.
It is also important to note that this “”thesis”” has some educational value in terms of how people should understand college hook-ups. Rather than thinking she could put out in exchange for a boy’s heart, which is a common misconception among college-aged girls, Karen was conscious that each encounter was strictly a hit-it-and-quit-it situation.
For that, she deserves praise. How many times have you or a friend gotten your heart broken because you thought there was something beyond shacking up going on between you and a man? I would assume the answer is far too many times. Next time, take a page out of Karen’s book and be honest with yourself.
Karen will more than likely be out of the media’s eyes within the week, but keep her in the back of your mind. She can serve as a reminder that, as a female, you should not feel guilty for seeking out pleasure, whether it is from your boyfriend or the entire athletic department at your university. Do what you want, homegirl; just learn from Karen’s mistakes and be sure to avoid documenting anything that you wouldn’t want your family to see when they browse the web.
— Mallory Hawkins is a communication senior. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
