Last weeek an appeal was held on campus to raise funds for medical aid and reconstruction in Vietnam - Students responded munificently and overe $ 500 was raised. The struggle to rebuild a devostated country ontinues and more donations would be welcomed...

Statement by the Young Socialists on the "male Chauvinist Pig Competition".

Most students will be aware of the 'male chauvinist pig competition' which was organised on campus as part of the Vietnam Medical Aid Appeal. The Young Socialists stands opposed to this competition, and believes it has a responsibility to explain why.

No doubt the organisers of this competition believed it was both a progressive and radical venture. In reality however, the manner in which the whole competition was conducted indicated an incredible lack of understanding of what the feminist movement is all about, and/ or a total failure to think through the real implications of this competition.

The competition was conducted in an entirely frivolous manner, with many people randomly nominating friends, political enemies, and in some cases even women! The atmosphere of hilarity which surrounded the voting table throughout the competition (and this came from those staffing the table, as well as from passerbys), gave the whole venture the overtones of a sick capping stunt.

To any feminist, or any man who fully supports the feminist movement, male chauvinism is not something to joke about; and any venture which tends to treat sexism in such a manner deserves to be vigorously condemned. Of course it is no longer acceptable to joke and laugh about racism; but it appears that some people are still so politically backward as to joke about sexism.

The Young Socialists does not condemn such competitions in principle. A competition aimed at male chauvinism, and organised by women in the feminist movement, could be a valid method of explaining the ideas of the movement and raising people's consciousness as to how disgusting sexism really is. The competition in question, however, did very little in this direction. In fact, from our observations the majority of the organisers and participants in this competition were men, a point which compels us to indicate how farcical it would be for white people to claim (and in a joking manner at that) that they could legitimately select the 'racist pig of the year'.

There are even indications that some people are so unscrupulous as to use this competition as a means of furthering their factional ends. Some rabid 'Trot'-baiters, for example, appear to have been having a field day nominating leaders of the Young Socialists and Socialist Action League- a fact which is really a condemnation of their own infantile politics, and their ignorance in relation to the feminist movement, rather than the 'exposure' of any outstanding male chauvinists among the leaderships of these two socialist organisations. Nevertheless, the use of this competition by some people as a means of furthering their factional interests, should be roundly condemned by all supporters of the feminist movement. Those who try to use this competition as a vehicle for their petty factionalism have nothing in common with the aims and purposes of the feminist movement.

The 'justification' for this competition was that it helped raise money for the Medical Aid Appeal. But this is a pretty flimsy 'rationalisation'. To raise money for the Appeal by means which make a joke out of sexism, and therefore indirectly ridicule the whole feminist movement, is hardly a very enlightened way to go about things. The Appeal is supposed to raise money by appealing to peoples humanitarian instincts, and, according to the organisers, help the process of raising people's consciousness about the war in Indochina and the plight of the Indochinese peoples. But what 'justification' can be found for a competition which, while raising money, ridicules one of the movements which is fighting for social change. There is nothing 'progressive in a competition which appeals to people's most backward prejudices by making a joke out of male chauvinism.

Brigid Mulrennan for the Young Socialists

Statement by the Vuw Rationalist Society on the "Male Chauvinist Pig Competition"

The "Male Chauvinist Pig Competition" recently held to raise money for the Vietnam Medical Aid Appeal was warmly welcomed and supported by the VUW Rationalist Society. It is our unshakeable conviction that any cause which has as its aim the relief of those suffering from the atrocities of imperialist war is worthy of support by all humanitarian minded people.

The horrors of war — death in all its forms, starvation, infanticide and disease are little known to us in peaceful New Zealand. And the Vietnam War has become "old news" to many people, a boring topic of discussion and a much misunderstood sequence of human events. It is with great enthusiasm therefore, that we greet such efforts as the "Male Chauvinist Pig Competition"; a reminder to us all that the struggle in Indochina is still to be resolved and a material expression of solidarity with our South East Asian brothers and sisters.

But the "Male Chauvinist Pig Competition" has managed to kill (or at least, severely maim) two birds with one stone. It has provided a voice on this university campus for a little recognised group to air their views on a question of great importance to all students. An opportunity for the undoubtedly exploited women of this campus to expose the more chauvinistic among their oppressors. By means of the competition rules (i.e. 5c secret ballot votes) even the most timid of women (and those men among us with a conscience) were able to register their complete abhorence and rejection of male chauvinism..

The VUW Rationalist Society was gratified to see that none of its members were present in the black "finalists" list of men contemptuous of the opposite sex. The Society accepts this verdict of fellow students with some pride, but without any degree of complacency. We will continue to fight, as we have fought in the past against the odious manifestations of sexism in this society. In pursuing this rational course we take the opportunity to point out the fact that those who have polled high in the competition would do well to enter into serious self-criticism of their chauvinistic behaviour. The Rationalist Society takes note of the fact that a prominent member of the Young Socialist's club appears to have excelled himself in the field of male chauvinism. It has long been our view that the Young Socialists, (campus front for the Socialist Action League) is a thoroughly male dominated body as is its parent organisation. Female Young Socialist members appear to have no say in the decision making process of the Young Socialist club. The policies of the Young Socialists mirror exactly the policies of the Socialist Action League, which is itself a small Trotskyist Party where women are prominent only in the field of feminism. At meetings about other important issues such as antiwar and antiapartheid it is invariably the men who speak. The official organ of the SAL ("Socialist Action") is almost entirely written by men. Such women who do contribute to this journal seem to be limited almost solely to the subjects of abortion and feminism. The Rationalist Society has as one of its main aims the continuation of friendly relations with all student clubs. We offer the Young Socialists friendly criticism rather than hostility. However we stress that male chauvinism must be combatted where ever it appears, and that the rights of all women should be upheld. It is for this reason that we support such activities as "Male Chauvinist Pig Competition" to be playing a progressive and farsighted role.

Susan Hampton for the VUW Rationalist Society

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Last Wednesday saw the lunch time crowd in the Union Hall asked for 30c as they entered. Their "What for?" was answered by mas ter of ceremonies Peter Botchup. VUWSA's Publication Officer proclaiming "Now for your pleasure and the Vietnam Aid Appeal coffers we present the first ever 'Executive Revue'."

Obviously with such an appalling choice of cast not much could be hoped for. The first number saw Don Franks (Salient s philosopher minstrel) push Peter Wilson's withered voice through some Joe Hill numbers and an ambitious Joan Baez piece which convinced the audience that if the revolution was no more than song and dance it would be won tomorrow.

Back came Peter Brochure, more 'Sinclair' than sincere, with a succession of skits — How to handle a demonstrator', a pantomime 'Cederella and the Fairy-Chan mother' and the 'Trot of the Week Competition' (modelled on 'Opportunity knocks'). A final rousing chorus led by Peter Wilson (he does look suspiciously like Rotherham) of 'Dead Trot in the Middle of the Road' finished it off.

The strictly amateur production featured various executive members plus Lindsey Rae, Gyles Beckford, Colin he slier and Don Franks adapting old lines in light of local conditions proving along the way that you can still get away with a simple gag and a nod and a wink.

About $60 was raised for the Medical Aid Appeal as a result of the preformance. And of course Peter Bothersome and the young Emotionalists sang 'A song for the Revolution' — ying tong ying tong tiddly i fo, ying tong ying tong tiddly i fo.....as Kurt Vonnegut would have it — "And so it goes."