Not Funny

To the Editors of the Crimson:

Two years ago the Pi Eta Club was severely chastened by the university and its own Board of Trustees for a club communication that "accidentally" was placed in a non-member's mail box. Its language was extremely degrading to women. The newsletter was offensive to everyone in the Harvard-Radcliffe community but in particular to women.

And now read the Lampoon's new issue. I will admit that I have never been a fan of Lampoon "humor," but I find their new issue to be more than I can stomach. I find it as offensive as the Pi Eta newsletter, if not more so.

I hate to break it to you folks but some of us can't help being women or fat and do not appreciate being insulted. Do we still laugh at racist jokes? (Obviously not, considering the general furor over the Dartmouth Review's editorial on Black students, "It Ain't No Jive Bro.") Then why do we still laugh at humor that degrades and insults women? While the editors of the Lampoon may not have had malicious intentions, there are limits to humor. Kamala Shirin Lakhdir '85-'86