Comment & Analysis
Survival Of The Fittest Students: It’s ‘Fucked Up’
It is not imperative for students to mold themselves, but there is tremendous pressure in order to do so; it is not essential for girls to expose their cleavage to the extent it looks like a bum crack in order to engage in a sexual experience.
Backed by Loaded, Nuts and Zoo magazines, Carnage claims to be the ‘UK’s BIGGEST AND No.1 Student event’. After an outcry of rage and protest in response to the event’s 2012 theme ‘Pimps and Hoes’, it was a relief to know I was not alone in believing there was something a little off about casually associating “lad mags” with students.
I wanted to know why Carnage chose this theme, so I contacted the Head Office. Their media team responded as follows:
The fancy dress themes for our events are chosen by the students and not by us. The selection process is conducted via social media polls in June and July of each year. This year, students across the UK, which includes the students in all cities, have chosen “Pimps and Hoes” as the fancy dress theme for their first event and “Beauty and The Geek” as the fancy dress theme for their second event.
Whilst there has been some criticism from a small minority of individuals in connection with our “Pimps and Hoes theme”, we would like to point out that attendance at our events, is of course, entirely voluntary. If that small minority do not like our themes, we would kindly advise that small number of individuals not to attend our events and to seek alternative social events.
What is worrying here is that events like Carnage are not the problem, they are merely providing an outlet for the problem. The true issue is that the excuse to dress up provocatively is a student demand. Whilst every individual is absolutely entitled to clothe their bodies in their desired apparel, what needs to change here is the motivation behind the way we may choose to dress.
The practice of females dressing in a sexual way purely to get attention from the opposite sex is quite frankly, relatively fucked up – according to Charles Darwin. His exploration of ‘sexual selection’ discovered that a number of male animals necessitated certain types of attractive characteristics in order for them to successfully reproduce. Peacocks with the fanciest feathers for instance, attracted mates more easily. The brighter a rooster is coloured, the likelier he is to get laid (or, preferably, get another bird laying – I apologise…). Similarly, deer with the largest antlers attract mates most easily.
With humans, there has seemingly been a role reversal in who has to look the most appealing in order to attract the opposite sex. For students in particular, although the motivation is rarely for mating purposes, the sexual element axiomatically remains.
University is a jungle of young, vulnerable animals trying to find themselves, and the sexualisation aspect is only one major pressure that they increasingly face. Its role has evolved from an academic institute, into a social milieu of competition; who can drink the most alcohol without being sick? Who can consume the largest combination of drugs without being hospitalised? Who can get off with, or sleep with, the most girls during fresher’s week?
Do you have to be a “fittie McVittie” to survive University? No, but it often feels as if it is a necessary characteristic to achieve social acceptance. Of course there is an argument that invokes the bigger picture, which is the conviction that that’s just the way it is in life – physically attractive people winning at the cost of the less attractive. But the reason the focus of change here is on students, is because students really are the instrument through which the future can be played.
When I was living in halls in my first year, a particular flat mate was extremely inconsiderate and highly disruptive. Regardless of me expressing how his behaviour entailed negative externalities, he insisted he didn’t feel bad or the need to apologise because he was “just living the student life”. If the majority play this game to survive by accepting that this is merely the expectation of a student, then how will it ever be an environment other than one that promotes unpleasant, competitive behaviour?
It is certainly not imperative for students to mold themselves into a certain stereotype in order to survive university, but there is tremendous pressure in order to do so. It is not essential for girls to expose their cleavage to the extent it looks like a bum crack in order to engage in a sexual experience. It is also not compulsory to immerse yourself in the alcoholic binge drinking culture. But what the representatives for Carnage said pretty much embodies the entirety of the point I am making here, that being “If that small minority do not like our themes, we would kindly advise that small number of individuals not to attend our events and to seek alternative social events.” In other words, if you do not want to behave like the majority of students, then quite simply you cannot be a part of the “normal” student community.
At university Social Darwinism is merely superficial smoke and mirrors, for if the fittest are all subjecting themselves to carnage, then surely the only survivors are those who opt not to take part in the first place.
Photo credit: used with permission / theriskyshift.com
Tagged alcohol, carnage, Darwin, evolution, fancy dress, Feminism, lad mags, sexual selection, sexualisation, students, University
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SAH87October 24, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Never saw ‘Ugly McButters’ getting laid at uni. They didn’t entitle it survival of the ‘fittest’ for nothing
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 2:09 pm
SAH87 Honey you won’t survive for very long with that attitude ;)
JubbJubbOctober 24, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with getting involved in the ‘student life’. You don’t have to dress like Slutty Galore or drink ’til you puke to be involved but going to these events and parties, having a laugh and generally mixing in a variety of social circles can be a rewarding part of the student experience.
Yes I drank a fair bit and occasionally made questionable clothing choices – but that didn’t define me as an alkie hoe. What you’re doing is labelling people who DO choose to get involved in the standard fare as sheep and that smacks of insecurity.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 1:59 pm
JubbJubb
You seem to have misinterpreted and subsequently distorted the message. Many student based opportunities are absolutely brilliant…. The problem here JubbJubb is that the ‘student life’ you speak of, is one that entails an outlet for negative behaviour. The point I was making with the article is that the whole getting pissed and getting ur tits out for the lads is not what ‘student life’ is about – but it is what stands out the most. (Hence the whole smoke and mirrors conclusion).
To go in to more depth, being a student does not anatomise you from life. There seems to be this shared ignorant belief that behaviour that isn’t OK in the ‘real world’ is perfectly fine in the ‘student world’. The current, accepted student bubble allows negative attitudes to flourish and excuses to thrive. For instance, take the stereotype that students are poor. University is a middle-class institution, so I think Simon from water polo shouldn’t be telling me he can’t get me a drink cos he’s a student.
The ‘student life’ manifesto needs to be burnt, because there’s no such thing. Our superlative values should be human-based, not occupation-based.
In terms of clothing my argument is people should not dress in order to satisfy other people’s sexual needs. Looking hot and sxc for yourself is a different story!!
In terms of alcohol, drink and be merry! But there is too much emphasis on drinking excessively which not only isolates a number of people but puts pressure on them to do it. I enjoy a drink, and we all have a bit too much sometimes… but to have to be wasted every time one goes out, in order to have a good time means there is something very wrong with the way we socialise.
In terms of labelling, that is precisely what I have intentionally not done – the article in actuality is about undermining the expectation of a label and upholding the will of the individual.Tell me, what label have I put on people here? I certainly did not label anyone an ‘alkie hoe’.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 2:04 pm
JubbJubb You seem to have misinterpreted and subsequently distorted the message. Many student based opportunities are absolutely brilliant…. The problem here JubbJubb is that the ‘student life’ you speak of, is one that entails an outlet for negative behaviour. The point I was making with the article is that the whole getting pissed and getting ur tits out for the lads is not what ‘student life’ is about – but it is what stands out the most. (Hence the whole smoke and mirrors conclusion).
To go in to more depth, being a student does not anatomise you from life. There seems to be this shared ignorant belief that behaviour that isn’t OK in the ‘real world’ is perfectly fine in the ‘student world’. The current, accepted student bubble allows negative attitudes to flourish and excuses to thrive. For instance, take the stereotype that students are poor. University is a middle-class institution, so I think Simon from horse polo soc shouldn’t be telling me he can’t get me a drink cos he’s a student.
The ‘student life’ manifesto needs to be burnt, because there’s no such thing. Our superlative values should be human-based, not occupation-based.
In terms of clothing my argument is people should not dress in order to satisfy other people’s sexual needs. Looking hot and sxc for yourself is a different story!!
In terms of alcohol, drink and be merry! But there is too much emphasis on drinking excessively which not only isolates a number of people but puts pressure on them to do it. I enjoy a drink, and we all have a bit too much sometimes… but to have to be wasted every time one goes out, in order to have a good time means there is something very wrong with the way we socialise.
In terms of labelling, that is precisely what I have intentionally not done – the article in actuality is about undermining the expectation of a label and upholding the will of the individual.Tell me, what label have I put on people here? I certainly did not label anyone an ‘alkie hoe’.
NA25October 26, 2012 at 10:54 am
WheresOurVote JubbJubb By saying ‘Simon from horse polo soc shouldn’t be telling me he can’t get a drink cos he’s a student’ you seemed to have invoked 2 stereotypes, one that he would automatically be rich because he does polo, and another he should be buying you a drink as he is a guy.
The points made in your article do have an essence of truth, however the problem is that your writing is too emotive and is based on assertion which in the end takes away the from the strength of your argument.
WheresOurVoteOctober 26, 2012 at 10:34 pm
NA25 WheresOurVote JubbJubb Yeah I don’t actually know anyone called Simon who does horse polo, it was a joke.
Peter KellyOctober 26, 2012 at 10:39 pm
WheresOurVote An ironically stereotype-using and clique-propagating joke?
WheresOurVoteOctober 27, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Peter Kelly WheresOurVote Only the finest!
ClarabelleOctober 24, 2012 at 2:09 pm
This scene that you speak of – the one I most associate with ‘BANNTTEERRR’ and the ‘LAD’ culture – is merely one of many at most universities. And yes, I agree, it often does attract those that rely on their looks more than their personalities and who are happy to exploit themselves for attention from their peers. I don’t think you by any means have to engage in the behaviour you describe to have a good time at university – only if you want to be a part of this small self-selected group. I know that I don’t.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Clarabelle Completely! Which is why the conclusion is: ‘survival of the fittest students is superficial smoke and mirrors’.
ClarabelleOctober 24, 2012 at 3:49 pm
WheresOurVote Clarabelle My point being that I think the pressure to conform to this behaviour is not an issue for the majority for students. I know from personal experience that very few of my peers engaged in going out in few clothes, drinking till they passed out or sleeping around irresponsibly. Those that want to be a part of this culture do it entirely willingly. The rest of us just stare on with a mixture of mild amusement and disgust.
HenrySeversOctober 25, 2012 at 2:34 am
Clarabelle WheresOurVote @Peter Kelly ..Absolutely Clarabelle. I’m not going to reiterate previous points because a great deal of what I was about to write in response to this has already been articulated well by Peter. I would add this however; you’ve claimed binge drinking/promiscuity as the sole domain of ‘students’, when actually you can stroll through any city centre you care to mention on a Fri night/Sat morning in UK, and find all manner of women rocking dental floss for boob-tubes and men flexing their ‘peacocking’ skills. This, regardless of your perception, is nothing new, and transcends all British society, students and non-students alike. The immaturity of some students can be grating, but I can assure you that are not alone in finding these ‘scene’ a joke, still, try to treat it as such, ridiculous, and not be so indignant about it. Your article comes across a little bitter.
WheresOurVoteOctober 27, 2012 at 1:02 pm
HenrySevers Clarabelle WheresOurVote Henry, the reason I focus on students here is because young people ‘are the instrument through which he future can be played’ and considering a lot of this joke scene occurs amongst them, it is only tactical to target them when trying to bring about change. I’m not bitter! Just frustrated by the lack of individuality and genuine self-security and confidence amongst many peers.
Peter KellyOctober 24, 2012 at 2:49 pm
‘In other words, if you do not want to behave like the majority of students, then quite simply you cannot be a part of the “normal” student community.’ – Not at all, if you don’t want to behave like the majority of students… then don’t. This article dramatically over-states the pressure placed on students to conform. No where is there less such pressure, in fact the pressure to conform is much higher in professional and private life outside of the student world.Further more, what you’ve described isn’t the ‘majority’ at all, only the most visible of students. It’s fairly common sense to understand that the most attractive, loudest, most obscene and heaviest drinkers are going to be the most noticeable, but they aren’t the majority, in any sense of the word (outside freshers week).
As for: ‘With humans, there has seemingly been a role reversal’, this entire section could not be more absolutely sexist. In a student world where to not play sports is a major handicap for male students in finding partners and where good looks and (increasingly) sexual performance is a point of discussion about everyone is is simply unabashedly sexist to say there has been a role reversal and this only applies to girls. Only someone completely without friends of the quiet introverted male geek variety could possibly stumble into this pitfall, or one so blinded by the one-sided nature of feminism that male problems just don’t turn up on the radar.Overall this article is a fairly shallow and one-sided glance at university society.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Peter Kelly Hi Peter, thanks for your comment. Wish you had taken time to read the previous responses to other comments though! ‘The whole getting pissed and getting ur tits out for the lads is not what ‘student life’ is about – but it is what stands out the most. (Hence the whole smoke and mirrors conclusion).’ – in other words my conclusion is that you do not need to be part of the most extrovert and flamboyant social milieu to survive, it just often comes across that way.
It is interesting that your personal experience was that uni was a place where individuality could flourish (where did you go?!).
The pressure to confirm is not over-stated, it’s just unspoken.
What I describe to be ‘fucked up’ is purely based on Darwin’s theory, which I’m sure you wouldn’t call feminist considering it’s scientifically proved human nature. Now I did not say men have an obligation to pretty themselves to attract women, I merely made the point that it is pretty messed up that girls are making themselves look a certain way for the other sex.
Overall your comment is seemingly based very much on your own experience, which makes your response one from a blinkered perspective. The general student situation I have describe here is one based on what is generally seen or heard.
Peter KellyOctober 24, 2012 at 3:44 pm
WheresOurVote I did read the other responses Anastasia, although I am aware you believe the issue to be a smokescreen, I disagree that screen even exists.I went to Durham and Bristol Universities, amongst the most homogenised and upper-middle-class institutions and yet this was still the case. University is not only a place where individuality can flourish it is THE most evident place it can. There is no where else in life this can happen more easily. It is absolutely not messed up to change the way you look for the other sex, everyone does it. From the way you eat, the way you dress, going to gym, wearing certain brands or styling a certain way, the way you speak, the way you laugh, the way you hold yourself. The vast majority of our outward mannerisms are in some way geared towards the other sex (or same sex, depends). There is absolutely nothing messed up about that, it is natural. Problems occur when it is taken too far, of course, but it is of itself not an actual problem but simply part of human nature. There are no humans who do not change themselves to an extent to fit their friends or those they find attractive. To focus this on women is a sexist approached.What makes you think my comment is any more of a personal experience than your article? You have nothing to base that on other than that it’s an opinion different to yours.
WheresOurVoteOctober 27, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Peter Kelly WheresOurVote It is an extremely bold statement to say that uni is the only place in the world where you can truly be yourself. Like you said yourself, university remains strongly connotative with the middle class and it is certainly not accessible to everyoen from all walks of life. According to you the, only these exclusive few who get the opportunity to go to university will also only get the fantastic opportunity to really let their individuality flourish. Peter you cannot base your opinion of this on your own wonderful experience. You also cannot accuse me of doing the same – uni has and still remains a roller coaster for me, I absolutely love it some days, other days I can’t wait to leave education and get on with my own thing.
Just as you put it, what’s messed up is when the dress to impress etc. the other sex is taken too far – the article is based on the idea that amongst students, on a whole it is taken way too far hence why there is a problem.
The article was intentionally not female focused – I have had a fair bit of positive feedback from boys saying they have felt the pressure that I speak about. Your opinion is valuable, but your approach is too defensive in the sense you are too keen to assume I am anti-male and urber-feminist and men ruin the world etc etc. This isn’t about females or males, it’s about students and the pressures they face.
WheresOurVoteOctober 27, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Peter Kelly WheresOurVote It is an extremely bold statement to say that uni is the only place in the world where you can truly be yourself. Like you said, university remains strongly connotative with the middle class and it is certainly not accessible to everyone from all walks of life. Also according to you, only these exclusive few who get the opportunity to go to university will also only get the fantastic opportunity to really let their individuality flourish. Peter you cannot base your opinion of this on your own wonderful experience.
Just as you put it, what’s messed up is when the whole dress to impress. the other sex is taken too far – the article is based on the idea that amongst students, on a whole it is taken way too far hence why there is a problem.
The article was intentionally not female focused – I have had a fair bit of positive feedback from boys saying they have felt the pressure that I speak about. Your opinion is valuable, but your approach is too defensive in the sense you are too keen to assume I am anti-male and urber-feminist and men ruin the world etc etc. This isn’t about females or males, it’s about students and the pressures they face.
Peter KellyOctober 27, 2012 at 3:42 pm
WheresOurVote I said the most evident, not the only. My first year at university was awful, so I’d hardly call my whole experience wonderful. But yes, one of the best things about university is that those who go get an unparalleled chance to start afresh, express themselves, and find like-minded people who express themselves the same way. There is no comparable situation to this opportunity. I think we’ll have to agree to disagree that this taking things too far is so common, as as far as I have experienced, this simply isn’t the case. The pressure exists, of course it does, but less so than in other walks of life. It is rare that university students will ever encounter the tolerance to eccentricity and individuality that they enjoy at university when they leave and enter working life. Some do, and that’s fantastic, but it’s rare. As for the female focus, I fail to see how your constant references to the two genders in the article could possibly be read any other way. If you had stuck to just ‘students’, maybe, but that isn’t the case.
ypipiolaOctober 24, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Themed nights out for university students are simply an excuse to wear ridiculous things that wouldn’t be ‘acceptable’ during normal daily hours walking down the high street. Whether it be ‘Pimps and Hoes’ or ‘Where’s Wally?’, guys and girls have the opportunity to express themselves with as many or as little clothes as they like and if they feel comfortable enough to opt for the ‘as little’ approach then fine – just don’t be surprised when you end up attracting plenty of unwanted attention!I can hold my hands up and say I was one of those girls who went to a student rave and ended up with my vest in my pocket, bikini exposed, but never blamed anyone for the attention I was getting from it but myself.What we need to understand is that most students are not stupid. They know exactly what they’re doing by dressing and behaving the way they do. Some do it for sexual attention, some do it because they like showing off their body and others do it because they’re simply sweating in a poorly ventilated club. Granted, nights where you are obliged to walk around in lingerie don’t leave you much choice in flaunting some flesh, but it does give you the choice not to go.As for this scenario depicting ‘student life’, if you’ve ever been a student you know that there is way more to it and that a large percentage of students never attend such events or feel the need to. ‘Seeking alternative social events’ does in no way exclude you from the ‘normal student community’. University isn’t about getting your tits out, its about choosing how you want to have fun and embracing it. If you have a problem with students going out with no clothes on and becoming paralytic, simply don’t go to the events. Maybe pints at the pub would suit you better.
ypipiolaOctober 24, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Themed nights out for university students are simply an excuse to wear ridiculous things that wouldn’t be ‘acceptable’ during normal daily hours walking down the high street. Whether it be ‘Pimps and Hoes’ or ‘Where’s Wally?’, guys and girls have the opportunity to express themselves with as many or as little clothes as they like and if they feel comfortable enough to opt for the ‘as little’ approach then fine – just don’t be surprised when you end up attracting plenty of unwanted attention!
I can hold my hands up and say I was one of those girls who went to a student rave and ended up with my vest in my pocket, bikini exposed, but never blamed anyone for the attention I was getting from it but myself.
What we need to understand is that most students are not stupid. They know exactly what they’re doing by dressing and behaving the way they do. Some do it for sexual attention, some do it because they like showing off their body and others do it because they’re simply sweating in a poorly ventilated club. Granted, nights where you are obliged to walk around in lingerie don’t leave you much choice in flaunting some flesh, but it does give you the choice not to go.
As for this scenario depicting ‘student life’, if you’ve ever been a student you know that there is way more to it and that a large percentage of students never attend such events or feel the need to. ‘Seeking alternative social events’ does in no way exclude you from the ‘normal student community’. University isn’t about getting your tits out, its about choosing how you want to have fun and embracing it. If you have a problem with students going out with no clothes on and becoming paralytic, simply don’t go to the events. Maybe pints at the pub would suit you better.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 3:54 pm
ypipiola Should I remind you that Carnage is apparently the UK’s number 1 student event?
Now I bloody love a good dance and I sweat like an absolute bitch so vest ending up in my pocket is certainly not something I frown upon. Fucking hell some places get like saunas, I wish there wasn’t anything sexual about being able to go out in barely anything! But there is – because the motivation behind provocative outfits has more often than not become that of to seduce or impress the other sex. Subsequently, what has happened is as soon as people with a different motivation such as you or I who would rather not cover up purely because dancing makes you sweaty, we are more than likely to get horrifically labelled or preyed on.
I would be very open to attending a giant student event like Carnage – if it wasn’t sponsored by lads mags and the themes weren’t vulgar and derogatory.
When events like Carnage are portrayed as the UK’s number 1 – ‘alternative events’ for the rest of the ‘small number of individuals’ are automatically seen as not the normal student thing. Things are normalised when the majority practice it. I didn’t use the terminology ‘small number of individuals’, they did and that is the issue. Telling people they are not part of the majority is deceiving (smoke and mirrors!) because it’s simply not true, as you pointed out.
I don’t like beer much. Except for Staropramen fresh from the tap in Prague!
ypipiolaOctober 24, 2012 at 4:39 pm
WheresOurVote ypipiola Nice choice of beer.
I have to agree with you in that our somewhat innocent action of walking around almost topless gives us a bad name however I think what people like us, who don’t mind parading in small amounts of clothing, have to remember is that women who insist on showing it off have always been subjected to scrutiny. And I’m not talking the last 10 years, I’m talking hundreds of years ago.
We cannot change the way hormones work and we cannot change the fact that the media and events organisers will use student hormones to their advantage, it is simply business. However, if you’re using Carnage to back up your argument, you are assuming that the population of students that attend are simply going because of what Carnage tells them to wear, as opposed to the fact that they can go and get completely wasted for days on end with a ton of other students. Themes are there so students can play dress up. If there was no theme, girls would still be showing off their back sides in tiny dresses, they don’t need to be told to. The events industry may exploit the fact that students like to wear next to nothing, but it certainly isn’t their fault.
WheresOurVoteOctober 24, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Should I remind you that Carnage is apparently the UK’s number 1 student event? Now I bloody love a good dance and I sweat like an absolute bitch so vest ending up in my pocket is certainly not something I frown upon. Fucking hell some places get like saunas, I wish there wasn’t anything sexual about being able to go out in barely anything! But there is – because the motivation behind provocative outfits has more often than not become that of to seduce or impress the other sex. Subsequently, what has happened is as soon as people with a different motivation such as you or I who would rather not cover up purely because dancing makes you sweaty, we are more than likely to get horrifically labelled or preyed on.
I would be very open to attending a giant student event like Carnage – if it wasn’t sponsored by lads mags and the themes weren’t vulgar and derogatory.
When events like Carnage are portrayed as the UK’s number 1 – ‘alternative events’ for the rest of the ‘small number of individuals’ are automatically seen as not the normal student thing. Things are normalised when the majority practice it. I didn’t use the terminology ‘small number of individuals’, they did and that is the issue. Telling people they are not part of the majority is deceiving (smoke and mirrors!) because it’s simply not true, as you pointed out.
I don’t like beer much. Except for Staropramen fresh from the tap in Prague!
Lisa MurgatroydOctober 24, 2012 at 5:24 pm
I hate students.
HenrySeversOctober 25, 2012 at 2:39 am
@Lisa Murgatroyd hahahaha :-)