Is this calendar NSFW?
October 30, 2014 1:50 PM Subscribe
Is a playful calendar from Pin-ups For Pitbulls inappropriate for my office?
I bought a couple of fun calendars--one for myself and one for a gift for a work-friend, but now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to display them. The calendars have fun, retro-looking pin-up shots, kind of rockabilly-looking girls with pit-bull type dogs. The group that makes the calendars is a pit-bull-type dog advocacy group that I'm happy to support. While there is no nudity at all, the photos are all about the bare legs and eye-catching boobies, and . . . and I feel like I'm answering my own questions. But is that uptight of me?
I work in a university, I see students for one-on-one advising in my office. I have lots of stuff on my walls--posters and art, but I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.
I bought a couple of fun calendars--one for myself and one for a gift for a work-friend, but now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to display them. The calendars have fun, retro-looking pin-up shots, kind of rockabilly-looking girls with pit-bull type dogs. The group that makes the calendars is a pit-bull-type dog advocacy group that I'm happy to support. While there is no nudity at all, the photos are all about the bare legs and eye-catching boobies, and . . . and I feel like I'm answering my own questions. But is that uptight of me?
I work in a university, I see students for one-on-one advising in my office. I have lots of stuff on my walls--posters and art, but I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.
Best answer: I was waffling until "I work in a university, I see students for one-on-one advising in my office." Yeah, definitely no.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:52 PM on October 30, 2014 [26 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:52 PM on October 30, 2014 [26 favorites]
Totally inappropriate for any professional office I have worked at, visited, or could conceive existing.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:53 PM on October 30, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:53 PM on October 30, 2014 [9 favorites]
Best answer: If you are on the fence about it, assume people seeing it will be on both sides of the fence. And those who are on the "NSFW" side will probably complain. That could be bad.
As you've said, you answered your own question. Keep it at home.
posted by bondcliff at 1:53 PM on October 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
As you've said, you answered your own question. Keep it at home.
posted by bondcliff at 1:53 PM on October 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Putting sexy women on your wall when you work with undergrad students is crazy levels of inappropriate, nudity notwithstanding.
posted by brainmouse at 1:55 PM on October 30, 2014 [28 favorites]
posted by brainmouse at 1:55 PM on October 30, 2014 [28 favorites]
Response by poster: I thought the sensible voice inside my head might be right! I'll keep it at home!
posted by feste at 1:57 PM on October 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by feste at 1:57 PM on October 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
is this in the office of a university in USA? Because if you're in Denmark, perfectly fine, and actually quite tame.
posted by alchemist at 2:09 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by alchemist at 2:09 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I saw the preview, I thought this was going to be dogs dressed up as pinup models, which I think would probably be okay. People, not so much. But, now I want a calendar of animals dressed up as pinup models!
posted by rainbowbrite at 2:17 PM on October 30, 2014 [41 favorites]
posted by rainbowbrite at 2:17 PM on October 30, 2014 [41 favorites]
I got curious, so I googled Pinups for Pitbulls calendar, and if those are the images from yours, I can see how you'd be on the fence. They are (mostly) tastefully done, and for an artsier kind of office they might be ok. For a university, though, I agree with everyone else. But it's a super cute idea for your home calendar!
posted by Weeping_angel at 2:40 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by Weeping_angel at 2:40 PM on October 30, 2014
Response by poster: Yes, Weeping_angel, the calendar is downright adorable! It's very playful, and if I saw it in someone's office, I would love it, and not bat an eye. But university life is strange these days, and I felt unsure how others might see it.
posted by feste at 2:49 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by feste at 2:49 PM on October 30, 2014
No, this is not okay in any workplace except the publisher of said calendar.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:54 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:54 PM on October 30, 2014
I think in any workplace, it's good to ask, "Would this make anybody here uncomfortable?" Good for you for asking that question! I've worked in many places where people wouldn't even think to wonder.
posted by xingcat at 3:30 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by xingcat at 3:30 PM on October 30, 2014
As a female, if my adviser had a calendar up on his wall displaying women as sex objects in his office, I would think he's sleazy and probably has a shamelessly shitty view of women.
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:54 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:54 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I'm a woman--would you think I was sleazy?
posted by feste at 3:58 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by feste at 3:58 PM on October 30, 2014
The 2015 calendar seems to mark itself as 'office-friendly' but I haven't seen any interior images.
If you, as a woman professor, put up a "Pinups for Pitbulls" calendar and had a bunch of other dog-related paraphernalia, then it could work. But, it's on the fence enough that I probably wouldn't risk it.
posted by bookdragoness at 4:20 PM on October 30, 2014
If you, as a woman professor, put up a "Pinups for Pitbulls" calendar and had a bunch of other dog-related paraphernalia, then it could work. But, it's on the fence enough that I probably wouldn't risk it.
posted by bookdragoness at 4:20 PM on October 30, 2014
I'm a woman--would you think I was sleazy?
I would wonder, out of all the calendars in the entire universe, why you felt it necessary to hang one that has pictures of vamped women showing garters and posing like pinups. I wouldn't think you were sleazy but it definitely wouldn't make a positive impression on me.
posted by kinetic at 4:59 PM on October 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
I would wonder, out of all the calendars in the entire universe, why you felt it necessary to hang one that has pictures of vamped women showing garters and posing like pinups. I wouldn't think you were sleazy but it definitely wouldn't make a positive impression on me.
posted by kinetic at 4:59 PM on October 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
There are some specific situations that I think would make this OK:
If you are a femme-presenting queer woman, and you work in a sexuality or feminist based academic field.
If you are a straight woman, and you work in an informal, youthful, hip office.
If you are a butch woman, and you work in an auto repair shop, and your boss is a bad-ass femme. (Not sure why you'd be a mechanic at the university but...)
If you are in the art department, and you create art that self-consciously examines female sexuality.
Other than those scenarios, I don't think this can work
posted by latkes at 6:55 PM on October 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
If you are a femme-presenting queer woman, and you work in a sexuality or feminist based academic field.
If you are a straight woman, and you work in an informal, youthful, hip office.
If you are a butch woman, and you work in an auto repair shop, and your boss is a bad-ass femme. (Not sure why you'd be a mechanic at the university but...)
If you are in the art department, and you create art that self-consciously examines female sexuality.
Other than those scenarios, I don't think this can work
posted by latkes at 6:55 PM on October 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
Looking at the pictures from the calendar, yeah, probably best just to leave it at home.
posted by shvaughn at 7:00 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by shvaughn at 7:00 PM on October 30, 2014
I'm a woman--would you think I was sleazy?
We're threatening to wander over to chatfilter here, but I can say that as an out female person in a state where sexuality is not a protected class... I'd call it not a good idea. :) Your circumstances, of course, may vary.
posted by joycehealy at 7:09 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
We're threatening to wander over to chatfilter here, but I can say that as an out female person in a state where sexuality is not a protected class... I'd call it not a good idea. :) Your circumstances, of course, may vary.
posted by joycehealy at 7:09 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm a woman and if my female adviser had this in her office I'd probably want a new adviser. Not because it offends me per se (it wouldn't in a friend's home) but it just seems like a foolish choice for a professional office and there is a specific type of entitlement in my
(fellow, these days) university employees and administrators that I just don't understand. Like they are all sass and no substance and it drives me up the wall.
Likewise my male adviser in college had a little poster that said "YOUR lack of planning is not MY emergency," and while in general I understand the sentiment, it made me dislike him for the unprofessional churlishness of it. Just don't hang anything that could be potentially hostile in your office.
posted by stoneandstar at 9:33 PM on October 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
(fellow, these days) university employees and administrators that I just don't understand. Like they are all sass and no substance and it drives me up the wall.
Likewise my male adviser in college had a little poster that said "YOUR lack of planning is not MY emergency," and while in general I understand the sentiment, it made me dislike him for the unprofessional churlishness of it. Just don't hang anything that could be potentially hostile in your office.
posted by stoneandstar at 9:33 PM on October 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'm a woman--would you think I was sleazy?
I think this question was to me, and I'd probably think you are kind of weird, male or female. I'm a lesbian, so no judgement OP. But if someone had a calendar of sexy anything in a university office where they deal with students, I'd find it strange and not appropriate. And many people, right or wrong, have certain views about pitbulls, so I imagine it'll already be a "hmm" thing for some of the people you're advising in there.
I think personal hobbies and interests are for your personal space, like your home, and not where you do business with people. But that's just me.
(I'm going off of your description of the calendar. I obviously haven't seen it.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:24 AM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think this question was to me, and I'd probably think you are kind of weird, male or female. I'm a lesbian, so no judgement OP. But if someone had a calendar of sexy anything in a university office where they deal with students, I'd find it strange and not appropriate. And many people, right or wrong, have certain views about pitbulls, so I imagine it'll already be a "hmm" thing for some of the people you're advising in there.
I think personal hobbies and interests are for your personal space, like your home, and not where you do business with people. But that's just me.
(I'm going off of your description of the calendar. I obviously haven't seen it.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:24 AM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
feste: I'm a woman--would you think I was sleazy?What on Earth makes you think that women are somehow incapable of being sleazy?
posted by IAmBroom at 12:15 PM on October 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
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