Bong Hits 4 Jesus

Last week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that a Juneau, Alaska, high school principal violated a student's First Amendment rights when she suspended him for displaying a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner during an off-campus parade. Since students were let out of school specifically to attend the parade, the court concluded, the event was analogous to a field trip, making this a student speech case, as opposed to an ordinary First Amendment case. Even so, the court said, the school's disciplinary action was not justified, since the banner was not disruptive. The punch line is that the kid says he was not making a pro-pot statement or attacking the war on drugs; he just wanted to attract cameras and get on TV.

[Thanks to the Drug War Chronicle for the tip.]

Comments

[Mike]

The punch line is that the kid says he was not making a pro-pot statement or attacking the war on drugs; he just wanted to attract cameras and get on TV.

Well then expell him for being a vapid camera whore.

[Warren]

What Would Jesus Smoke?

[linguist]

-Sorry to interrupt for this PSA-
On the subject of vapidity,

Reason Pillow/Shamrock Girl has left the forum for good.

I have suggested to Reason staffers that perhaps if this is not the forum where we want to hear RPGs thoughts, perhaps it's also not the forum where we want to see RPG's bikini. At least, that's not why I come here.

[biologist]

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

should be sung to the tune of "Dong Work for Yuda" by F. Zappa

[tomWright]

???

Reason Pillow Girl? Bikini's? Did I miss something?

Do I want to have missed it?

[Reason Shamrock girl]

I think you're in the minority on that one, Linguist.

[gaijin]

I'll drink to that RSG!

[linguist]

Obviously so. Perhaps there's a "reason" women continue to be a minority around here. Whatever. Have fun, guys.

You can try, but you'll never be as good an RPG as I was. 🙂

[smacky]

I don't have a problem with the RPG or Shamrock Girl or any bikini-clad lass (except that it makes me look extra bad when I'm surfing a page at work with a nearly-nude woman on it). But I do think, as linguist insinuated, that there is hella anti-women sentiment by some guys on this forum. That is all I will say. You may return to your regularly scheduled program.

[Sid]

there's a "reason" women continue to be a minority around here.

Because they're all browsing Amazon.com all day?

[gaijin]

But I do think, as linguist insinuated, that there is hella anti-women sentiment by some guys on this forum

Are you insinuating that comments from people admiring the female form are 'anti woman'? Just asking.

[smacky]

Are you insinuating that comments from people admiring the female form are 'anti woman'? Just asking.

gaijin,

I can't speak for linguist here, but in my opinion, no. Admiring the female form is not "anti-woman". Making comments about "shopping online all day" (see above), and lumping all women as statists is not fair to those of us who are not statists. Also, there have been many occasions where some male commenters "talk over my head" - i.e., instead of answering my direct questions or responses to them, they will direct their conversation to another "man in the room". That is hella anti-women sentiment. Just a couple of examples for you. I could go on, but it would bore me, frankly.

[linguist]

Admiring a woman's body but not wanting to hear what she may want to say could be construed as anti-woman. I played that up to make a point.

However, I don't mean to imply H&R is necessarily anti-woman so much as it is a boys' club. Which didn't bother me until RPG went up. If I'm a woman who likes sports, do I really need the Swimsuit Issue? No. If I'm a woman who likes to discuss libertarian issues, do I need to see the conversation distracted by a (only moderately) attractive, scantily-clad woman? No. Neither of these two topics have anything to do with scantily-clad women, and scantily-clad women are very easy to find for those of you who do want to see them.

Sure, libertarian/free market means Reason should cater to its audience. That audience is largely male. I don't expect to be catered to, but does Reason want me (as a subscriber) to express my distaste, or just walk out, as many women might?

I expressed my opinion. You all get it. I'll shut up now.

[The Real Bill]

Maybe they should have a Reason Shamrock Guy for the hetero ladies and the gays.

[linguist]

Maybe they should have a Reason Shamrock Guy for the hetero ladies and the gays.

That would imply that they want to increase readership among women and gays. Interesting thought. 🙂

No, seriously, my complaint isn't even with the sexuality of it. It's with the stupidity of it. I find these ads idiotic and annoying; so I made RPG's character the same. It worked.

[Timothy]

What if they had the RPG and the carpet humper fight to death?

[Timothy]

Linguist:

I'm basically with you, maybe they should do a "gal's of H&R" ad for the fellas and a "dudes of H&R" one for the ladies & gays?

Except on that last one hire Brad Pitt or something, might go over better?

[smacky]

Except on that last one hire Brad Pitt or something, might go over better?

Not for me. I'd probably take a pudgy and insightful guy over a brain-dead Adonis anyday.

[smacky]

Except on that last one hire Brad Pitt or something, might go over better?

Not for me. I'd probably take a pudgy but insightful guy over a brain-dead Adonis anyday.

[Timothy]

Smacky: Fair enough, sensible. Just figured y'all wouldn't mind some eyecandy is all.

[smacky]

Timothy,

Well, if we're talking eye candy, then screw Brad Pitt. Give me Eric Bana.

[johnl]

I always thought Dr T was the RPG. Linguist you did it very well were quite funny.

[The Real Bill]

linguist,

Okay, I see. I myself find the ads funny. To each his (or her) own!

[TallDave]

When I saw the sign, my first thought was "Wow, the Republicans have found the intersection of libertarian right and religious right."

[smacky]

johnl,

I actually thought it was thoreau, too. He was my first guess, at least.

[Windypundit]

Frankly I was offended by the Reason Pillow Girl because of the sloppy job of photoshopping-out the background, and also because the exact same photo of her is used in other internet ads (the true.com dating service, I think). I don't mind a little cheesecake, but it should be good cheesecake.

[linguist]

"What if they had the RPG and the carpet humper fight to death?"

I think they already did, and RPG won. Where did CH go to, anyway!

[Jennifer]

Linguist, think of it this way. If you have to see a bikini model every time you go on to this site, would you rather see one of those impossibly beautiful airbrushed babes that most people think of when they consider the words "bikini model", or a flat-chested chick with a bad dye job and a head that's too big for her body?

When I read the articles in my friend's issues of "Playboy", the impossibly gorgeous models within make me feel a little bad about the way I myself look. RPG does not. So I have no problem with her presence here.

[Jennifer]

Also, I didn't know she was an actual professional model; I always avoided making fun of her because I figured she was the wife or girlfriend of one of the staff writers.

[Jamie Kelly]

Jennifer, didn't you strip at one time in your life? Last time I checked, they don't hire former East German wrestlers to do pole time. You gotta have something going for you.

[ChicagoTom]

Last time I checked, they don't hire former East German wrestlers to do pole time

I have been to a couple of strip clubs that would contradict that statement.

[Jennifer]

You gotta have something going for you.

I certainly do, but that doesn't mean my natural self could look good next to an airbrushed 18-year-old. RPG is another matter, though.

[Jamie Kelly]

I kind of like how RPG's left tit is hanging out a little. Makes me want to shove it back in. But yeah, the Photoshop job is atrocious. She's obviously NOT holding a copy of Reason. I expect better outsourcing from my favorite libertarian mag.

[smacky]

She's obviously NOT holding a copy of Reason.

You know, I didn't notice that until you pointed it out. I think it's pretty funny this way, actually. Like they weren't actually able to pay a bimbo to hold a copy of Reason. Inadvertent social commentary, perhaps?

[Jennifer]

I'd also like to point out that she is wearing the wrong shade of green for St. Patrick's Day.

[linguist]

Well, since I suppose I threadjacked I guess I'll try to bring this back to topic. The kid with the sign?

The type of stupidity you'd expect from high schoolers, isn't it? My high school had a walkout to protest something important (cutting all buses, sports, and music while giving the board a raise)...but when I covered it for the h.s. paper I was very disappointed to see a group of idiots chanting, "Hell no, we won't go". What?! Where won't you go?

The court's ruling seems pretty messed up, of course. They got to the right answer by the wrong road, which can never be good in the end...

[smacky]

Jennifer's right. She should be wearing Kelley Green.

Currently, she is wearing the Photoshop-green-over-the-bright-red-bikini green.

[Jamie Kelly]

Since it's St. Paddy's Day, and I'm Irish, I should be wearing her.

[Jennifer]

Maybe a better slogan (since I have no idea what that "I'm only wearing green. . ." is supposed to mean) would be something along the lines of "I'm wearing the wrong shade of green for the holiday! Subscribe to Reason and I'll let you pinch me! Tee-hee!"

Or perhaps: "If your corned beef looks like my bikini, don't buy it--buy a subscription to Reason instead!"

Or try an appeal to sympathy: "Subscribe to Reason so I can afford enough peroxide to pass for a natural blonde."

[Timothy]

Or "subscribe to Reason so I can afford to eat"

[dbcooper]

> Or "subscribe to Reason so I can afford to eat"

She looks quite healthy to me, but I have always wanted to know if she is wearing braces or not? I am always drawn to the teeth for this odd reason.

Has the no weights ground hugger guy gotten fed up and moved to Holland already?

Back to the topic, this is an interesting (moral and legal) grey area as to whether the school had the right to punish him, as it was on school excursion type activity. I would say yes, but a suspension seems much too harsh.

On the banner, not bad in a frat humour sort of way.

[dc]

As a Juneauite, I'm glad to see this issue get some play in the MSM. The banner in question was actually unfurled mostly on my family's property, right in front of our house. (At the time, my dad and I wanted to put up a big sign facing the high school: "Bong Hits 4 the First Amendment", but my mother would hear none of it.) The whole thing always seemed pretty ridiculous to me, just another example of the HS administration trying to put their thumb down (they love that shit, it's why they became HS administrators). I always thought it was pretty obvious the school had made the wrong decision.

In addition, I don't believe that Joe had even come to school that day (having been at home preparing the banner, one imagines). Seems difficult to justify punishing him for anything more than skipping class. But, douchebags will be douchebags.

[johnl]

Linguist you were great with the good natured fun poking.

[johnl]

Jennifer - flat chested girls with bad dye jobs are hot!

I remember back in the 80s (I think Bob Poole was editor) there was a cover story on Thailand and a Thai model on the cover. Fully dressed, nothing tight or transparent, just a pretty girl with a friendly smile on the cover. This caused all manner of of consternation.

Since I am in full ramble, I want to put in a good word for the exercise guy. He would look a lot better with a couple week's of tan and a couple months of hair on his head. But he is in really good shape.

[Windypundit]

Look familier?

[Mr. F. Le Mur]

linguist -
Reason Pillow/Shamrock Girl has left the forum for good.

Thank you! The commentary was embarassingly puerile...but then, I'm a bit over 15 years old.

[M'Tuklavier]

Penthouse doesn't airbrush their photos (at least not when my girlfriend was modeling there around 1998-2000) so you can see impossibly gorgeous NON-airbrushed honeys there.

Playboy always did that crap.

[Eric the .5b]

No, seriously, my complaint isn't even with the sexuality of it. It's with the stupidity of it. I find these ads idiotic and annoying; so I made RPG's character the same. It worked.

Yeah, it worked to make a couple of ads I just ignored an annoying, repetitious distraction.

Kudos or something.