The Entertainment Council will be screening Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge, an adult pornographic film, in the Chemistry 194 Lecture Hall tonight at 7 p.m. The XXX version of the production will be shown, as opposed to the less explicit R-rated edition.
Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge, which has been screened at multiple colleges across the country recently, will be introduced at UC Davis by a pornography producer.
The University of Maryland, meanwhile, will begin its viewing of the film with a presentation by Planned Parenthood. The EC could have looked into such an introduction in hopes of promoting safe sex as well.
Aside from this, though, it’s hard to criticize the decision to show the film.
While the idea may come across as over-the-top and awkward to some, it should be noted that the EC is simply doing its job. Over 800 guests – far more than Chem 194 can actually hold – are confirmed on the event’s Facebook page, meaning the EC has chosen a film that students are interested in viewing.
There will, of course, be those on campus and in the community opposed to the public showing of a pornographic film. It’s important to remember that this screening – like other on-campus presentations – is by no means mandatory. Additionally, viewers won’t be permitted to enter Chem 194 without identification proving they’re at least 18 years of age.
By attending the film, however, viewers should understand they’re forfeiting a large sum of privacy by choosing to watch a pornographic movie among a crowd of hundreds. Odds are it could make for an awkward experience. Viewers who leave voicing concerns of explicitness should have known what they signed up for in advance of attending.
Ultimately, though, UC Davis is a community about fostering discussion in hopes of furthering education. Sex sells. It’s worth talking about, too.
