01 VTTOM Nebraskan
lV_yl Thursday,October7*1993
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick..Editor, 472-1766
Kathy Steinauer.. Opinion Page Editor
Wendy Mott. Managing Editor
Todd Cooper. Sports Editor
Chris Hopfensperger....Copy Desk ChieJ
Kim Spurlock. Sower Editor
Kiley Timperley...Senior Photographer
Seize the day
Action needed to secure Mideast peace
Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, leader
of the Palestine Liberation Organization, did not shake hands
in front of the cameras at their meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on
Wednesday. But they did begin working out the details of turning
their promises of peace into reality.
The 90-minute meeting between the two leaders ended with
separate press conferences. Both leaders said the meeting was
constructive, and announced the formation of four committees to
work out the details of last month’s agreement on limited Pales- 4
tinian self-rule in Israeli- occupied territories.
Rabin asked for the meeting because he was concerned that if
the peace accord was not put into motion quickly, it could be
undermined by persisting unrest in the occupied territories.
Israel started cracking down on Palestinian fugitives in the
occupied West Bank and Gaza last week, arresting more than 50
suspects, killing three and damaging homes with antitank mis
siles. Moslem extremists opposed to the accord have attempted
three suicide attacks in the past month, including one Monday
that injured 30 Israelis.
Rabin and Arafat’s meeting demonstrates the urgent need for
action to solidify the peace accord signed in Washington Sept. 13.
If the two sides arc not able to take immediate action on the
agreement, the opportunity for peace could be lost.
Stalled
Parking garage is unrealistic solution
Since parking is commonly considered a big problem at
UNL, it seems logical that some students and administrators
would consider the idea of building a parking garage. They
have.
Three places have been picked as possible locations for a
garage in the future. But that docs not mean one is going to be
built.
Administrators arc looking at this idea realistically. Students
and officials acknowledge the need for more parking around
campus. But officials also realize that the price tag on a parking
garage would be much more than UNL can afford.
Paul Carlson, interim business manager, said the price of
parking in the garage, if it were built, would deter a lot of people
from parking there anyway. It would have to be expensive in
order to pay for such a structure.
The garage, Carlson said, would have to be available for
visitors to use so their money could also be used to pay for
building costs. But locations ideal for visitors, such as near the
Lied Center or closer to downtown, may not be ideal for students.
But all of the wishing for a garage will likely go unheeded. The
possibility of building a garage, once estimated to cost millions of
dollars, on a tight university budget is unlikely. If that kind of
money ever becomes available, it should be used for other priori
ties, such as bringing Richards and Burnett halls up to state
building codes.
Students, and probably most faculty and staff members, should
not plan on seeing a parking garage being built during their ,
careers at UNL. The best option is to buy a permit for the com
muter lots, park and walk like everyone else. It seems to be the
only option now and for the budgeted future.
- -
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fKKOHSEKON JCURMUdO*
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I
TV beach conquers the world
Shocking material recently ar
rived in my mailbox.
According to “Entertainment
Weekly,” the No. 1 television show in
the whole world is not “60 Minutes.”
It’s not “Star Trek: The Next Gener
ation,” “Seinfeld” or even “The
Simpsons.”
It’s “Baywalch.”
This flufT piece filled with near
naked men and women portrayed as
jiggle heroes of the beaches is the
most popular television show in the
world.
“Baywatch” goes to satellite broad
cast this month, where it will reach a
record 72 countries, including Outer
Mongolia and Lebanon.
Obviously, this show is the an
swer. This is how we can finally sol ve
all of the world’s problems: Export
“ Babe watch,” er, I mean, “Baywatch.”
Perhaps we could send the “babes
in bathing suits and the hunks in
trunks” to Bosnia to do some real
lifesaving. Our heroes could be the
troubleshooters in emerging democ
racies such as those of the former
Soviet Union.
There’s only a few small problems
with that, though. Commando forces
don’t wear Lycra.
But Lycra makes it the third-high
est rated syndicated show on Ameri
can television—behind the two “Star
Trek” spinoffs — and it’s among the
top-rated shows in the United King
dom, France, Germany, Ireland, New
Zealand and Australia.
1 don’t mean to be melodramatic,
but the cultural implications and the
future ramifications of such statistics
are truly disturbing. Think of how
other peoples view America: They
must see the United States as home to
Madonna and California Dreamin’,
breast implants and thong bikinis.
Couldn’t we at least export one of
the “Trek” shows? Both feature peo
file of all shapes and sizes who are
ully clothed.
The show’s producers estimate 1
billion people will watch “Baywalch”
every week. That’s more viewers than
any otter television series since TV
debuted in American homes in the
1950s.
Who is the audience for this mind
less wet dreaming, and how could we
How can any country take us
seriously when our biggest
entertainment and cultural ex
port is bodacious lifeguards
frolicking on the beach, pre
tending to save lives?
convert them to be fans of the “Next
Generation” instead of soggy swim
suits?
Maybe ‘Trek” doesn’t have enough
flesh for “Baywatch” viewers. The
cosmic cheerleader uniform Counse
lor Troi used to wear went by the
wayside a few stardates ago. Hmm. I
sense a pattern here. “Trek” moves
away from heaving breasts;
“Baywatch” jumps in the ratings. Did
the disenfranchised move to the
beach?
Still, I’d 1 ike to sec the“Baywatch”
sissies tackle an alien world. 1 guess
they could have on classic ‘Trek.”
They could have teamed up with Cap
tain Kirk and rolled about the galaxy.
I shudder with fright, not to men
tion nervous apprehension, for the
next time 1 visit another country and
am bombarded with questions about
David “Knight Rider” Hasselhoff and
his bevy of beach babes. What else
can others know of us now, except for
our president and the “Baywatch”
beauties?
How can any country take us seri
ously when our biggest entertainment
and cultural export is bodacious life
guards frolicking on the beach, pre
tending to save lives? And how many
lives are really threatened on those
perfect beaches, anyway?
I’m so embarrassed. Surely
“Baywatch” isn’t all America has to
offer.
The show is nothing but a show
case for Playmates-turned-scrious
actresses. Yeah, it’s a pretty serious
thing to show up with a low-cut one
piece and a bottle of Bain de Soleil.
“Baywatch” is furthering a few
careers. One co-star left the show to
play the bimbo in the last Steven
Seagal flick. Then she’s off to play
Elly May in‘The Beverly Hillbillies*’
movie. Did 1 mention she’sbcst known
for her spread in Playboy? Watch for
that rising star.
Maybe I shouldn’t blame
HasselhofT for “Baywatch,” even
though he's the executive producer as
well as the star. He used to have to
spend all his time playing second
fiddle to a talking car named K.I.T.T.
The guy probably got frustrated and
vowed his next co-star would feature
cleavage instead of a carburetor.
But it seems Davey went too far—
now he’s playing second fiddle to
T&A.
HasselhofT said he was from the
“Michael Landon school of family
entertainment.” What family was he
talking about, the Hefners or the
Gucciones? Certainly not the Ingalls
family.
HasselhofT al90 said “Baywatch”
was expanding to introduce more cul
tural diversity and social issues.
Yeah, they added a Mexican-Amer
ican character, but of course, he had to
be a former gang member.
Social issues? You bet. One of the
lifeguards is revealed to be a bulimic.
I wonder why? It couldn’t be from all
the tanned, toned bodies displayed in
front of her face daily. Geez, I’d throw
up, too.
Oh, and they’re trying to get away
from just casting the so-called Amer
ican ideal: slender, full-breasted
blonds. “Baywatch” executives have
hired a flat-chested brunette to even
things out, so to speak.
Irm so trappy our No. 1 entertain
ment export is a show so culturally
complete, such an accurate represen
tation of the boobs of America.
Stayer b a water Eaglbk aad fcbtory
major, a Malar Dally Nobraakaa Art* aad
EatartalaaMBt reporter aad a colamaiit.
I .
Crime
In reference to the editorial, “Sys
tem Failure” (DN, Sept. 28), anyone
who buys this argument is a moron.
We need the death penalty! Here’s
why:
1. Criminals commit violent crime
because they know that if they get
caught, theyMI spend little time in jail.
2. Criminals know there is no ret
ribution for their acts.
3. Criminals are freeloaders of so
ciety. They do nothing positive and
yet are supported by tax dollars.
We need a strong deterrent against
crime. If you know you will be pun
ished severely or possible get the death
penalty, you’ll think it over before
committing a crime.
The answer is the family. Let’s get
back to the family with God at the
center. Let’s stop teaching school kids
how to use a condom; let’s stop abor
tions and put morality and the teach
ing of right and wrong back on the top
priori ty list.
Right now we need extremely
strongdctcrrencc to the rampant crime
rate. Only in the future, after we have
put an emphasis on morality, respon
sibility and kindness can we truly
become a great nation once again. But
until God and morality become the
focus, the way to deter crime is an
“eye for an eye.” This is why the death
penalty is very much needed.
Mark D. Mercer
freshman
general studies