Online Only: Confidentially revolting

In 1948, IU zoology professor Alfred Kinsey published a book broaching all social taboos surrounding the sexual activity of American men. That same year, renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead reviewed Kinsey's work, which became known as "The Kinsey Report," and commented, "In every society, sex patterns depend on a careful and meticulous balance between ignorance and knowledge, sophistication and naivete ... between the things we don't mention and the things we do." Mead lambasted Kinsey's report for upsetting this necessary and delicate balance, noting that "quite a good deal of our virtue has depended upon people not knowing what other people were doing."\nEvery Wednesday, the Indiana Daily Student publishes a small section of smut sandwiched between the comics and the crossword puzzle. The institute bearing Kinsey's name has continued his embarrassing crusade of upsetting the "meticulous balance" upon which our society depends and, on a weekly basis, assaults the readers of the IDS with its brazen turpitude.\n"But 'The Kinsey Confidential' delivers valuable information!"\nLook, I don't want to read about some girl's Pap test while I'm doing the Sudoku puzzle. In fact, I don't ever want to read about anyone's Pap test. Yes, I know a woman needs to be informed about that kind of stuff. That's why she goes to the gynecologist. Seriously, guys, I eat lunch while I read the paper.\nOf course, the above example is only the tamest of those gathered from a brief perusal of recent publications of "The Kinsey Confidential." Typical fare is invariably far more explicit and immodest. And what is the benefit to the reader? Why should we destroy the barrier between "the things we don't mention, and the things we do"? Didn't ignorance of some things used to be bliss? \nWe don't really want to be like Jeff Foxworthy when the lingerie catalogues come and declare, "Victoria doesn't have many secrets left!" The regular reader of "The Kinsey Confidential" might honestly report, "Ain't no woman got any secrets from me!" I think I can safely speak for the male population when I say we already spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about sex; we don't need to be ambushed by on the comics page.\nMargaret Mead was no prude. Her claims to fame included reports with titles such as "Male and Female," "Coming of Age in Samoa" and "Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies." But where Mead simply wanted to understand society, Kinsey and his ilk are hell-bent on overturning it.\nRecently, in the Jordan River Forum, there has been a discussion regarding the newsworthiness of "The Kinsey Confidential." It's true that the weekly column is no more newsworthy than the comics, crosswords and my beloved Sudoku puzzles. However, the ghost of Margaret Mead would warn us that every topic has a time and place to be discussed. The time for "The Kinsey Confidential" is not lunchtime, and the place is not my newspaper.