quote:

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A racy video shot between stacks of books at Columbia University has gone viral, and while the students who made the video have called it art, others have deemed it lewd and pornographic.

The video starts innocently enough, with five college women seated at a table looking through books at Butler Library at Columbia University.

But the 3-minute, 22-second video takes a bizarre turn just 17 seconds in. One of the women strips off her shirt and is rendered topless as the title, “Initiation,” appears – with the Greek letter phi in place of the O.

The action moves out of the library as the women are seen topless and performing rituals. Many of the images and scenes are too graphic to show on television.

“The video is us exploring the idea of female sexuality and female desires, through the lens of an Ivy League secret society,” said Coco Young, the Columbia student who co-directed the film.

As the video continues, one woman leads another down a hallway and bizarre rituals ensue. The women run through the halls – at one point with one appearing to ride on the back of another while a third follows behind them with a riding crop.

Later in the film, one woman appears to be doused in milk while seated on a toilet, and afterward, raw egg is rubbed on another participant and smeared on the floor.

In another scene, a dead blue chicken is doused with chocolate sauce, which the women then appear to use to draw on each other’s backs.

Both Young – the co-director of the controversial film for Purple Magazine and a Columbia junior – and participant Sara Powell — a Barnard College senior – said the film is not meant to be pornographic. Rather, it is intended to raise questions about gender equality and sexism, they said.

“Personally, like, when I think of porn, I think of sexual intercourse. I think of full nudity,” Young said, “and those two things are not in our video.”

“I think we wanted to create a dialogue, and we are,” added Powell, “and we’re engaging people, sort of across the spectrum.”

Young said the film was shot guerrilla style on a Saturday night in November – no questions asked. Other students were in the stacks at the library at the time.

“We tried to do it as quickly as possible. We cleaned up after ourselves,” Young said. “No one said anything to us and we just left.”

Some other Columbia students to whom CBS 2 showed the film were not sure what to make of it.

“I know it’s disturbing, at least. That’s definitely my first reaction,” said Columbia student Aram Balian. “I don’t think of it as art.”

“Personally I think it was kind of perturbing,” added Columbia student Helena Shi.

Young and Powell said they have been in communication with Columbia and Barnard, and will not face any punishment for the video.

CBS 2 reached out to Columbia for a response, but calls and e-mails were not returned.

quote:

Initiation explores the rituals of American Ivy League secret societies, to the point of hysteria, highlighting our culture’s perception of female desire.

quote:

Young told Ivygate that Sciortino approached her about doing a collaboration and they came up with the idea for this video. They filmed it very quickly and discreetly on a Saturday night in November. A few students were around, and they explained that they were filming a video, but New York is such an odd place that apparently no one was really fazed. They put up a tarp to block some of the weirder parts of filming. And yes, to address concerns, they did clean everything up before they left.

While Young has “never experienced a sorority or fraternity,” she is intrigued by them, and this video is a projection of that fascination. Moreover, of course, it is a feminist statement, meant to “showcase the ultimate hysteria state,” and speak to the stigmatization and fetishization of women.

This fetishization is particularly prevalent at Columbia, Young explained. “You know—as a girl—there’s definitely a weird gender tension,” she told me. It’s a fair point: the unclear relationship between Columbia and Barnard leads to confusion and the general dismissal of any woman on campus—from some idiot boys’ (and dumbass girls’) perspective, Barnard is just a pool of slutty girls to pick from. Furthermore, Young continued, Butler Library is particularly emblematic of the male-centricity at Columbia; there are, for example, only male authors’ names on the facade of the building, a historic point of protest. She was also excited about “transcending the everyday space” of the library, “a space we all take for granted.”

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Bardock42
Why can't it be both?

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Mindship
I hope art is not their major.

quote:

Is it possible to critique a fetish while indulging in it?

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Epicurus
That depends. Do you consider a bunch of women randomly stripping and making out in a public place to be art?

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Epicurus
This quote from one of the links I provided drives home the point:

quote:

Is it possible to critique a fetish while indulging in it?

quote: (post)

Originally posted by dadudemon

"What is a parody?"

"Correct."

"I'll take basic literally concepts for 200, please."

"Oh, you've hit the daily double. How much will you wager?"

"All of it."

"Okay. If you double that would give you a total of $200 if you win and $0 if you lose. You ready for the question?"

"Yes."

"Through this literally or art form, it is possible to critique a fetish while indulging in it."

"What is satire?...wait...wasn't that the same as the first?"

"Correct. And, yes. Don't question it! You now have $200."

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Epicurus
Not sure whether to roll my eyes, facepalm or just have a plain old confused look on my face.

Or all 3 of the above. Combos are the best afterall.

Also, your quote function is slightly off.

quote: (post)

Originally posted by dadudemon
You would have been better off using another childish spelling or grammar come back.

"That's not how you spell literary!"

quote: (post)

Originally posted by Epicurus
That depends. Do you consider a bunch of women randomly stripping and making out in a public place to be art?
...

quote: (post)

Originally posted by NemeBro
None of you have an educated opinion on what qualifies as fine art.

The only way to judge it is to post it so I can watch it.

quote: (post)

Originally posted by NemeBro
None of you have an educated opinion on what qualifies as fine art.

The only way to judge it is to post it so I can watch it.

quote: (post)

Originally posted by NemeBro
None of you have an educated opinion on what qualifies as fine art.

The only way to judge it is to post it so I can watch it.