Christ Church’s annual search for Mr & Mrs Christ Church has been criticised by students after this year’s competition allegedly culminated in students chanting “get your tits out for the lads” and “get your minge out.”
The event was organised by Christ Church’s Entz reps, and took place last Friday. It usually consists of ten challenges, in which ten pairs of students participate.
A Christ Church student who spoke to Cherwell said, “There were tame [challenges], like introducing yourself, telling a joke, doing the worm, cross-dressing the guy; [it] got worse though – [the challanges included] enacting sex condoms on carrots.”
The student also said, “[The chants were] obscene stuff – ‘get your minge out’; the crowd was riotous though, like, super, super rowdy.”
‘“Get your tits out” did happen,” the same student confirmed.
The student also said, “The event spiralled out of control almost immediately and only one person got her boobs out – she was not naked otherwise – it was not a requirement that she did that, although misogyny from the crowd and intervention from older years led to that, plus extreme drunkenness on [the] participants’ and crowd’s part.”
Christopher Lewis, the Dean of Christ Church, who is the Head of the House, told Cherwell, “I understand that there was an event in the Undercroft student bar last Friday. Permission had been given for the event on the condition that it was to be in good taste.
“These conditions were not met and some of those involved are subject to disciplinary processes.”
One fresher told Cherwell, “Throughout my first year at Christ Church, I have been aware of a pervasive emphasis on lad culture amongst third years. I feel this was particularly evident during Mr & Mrs Christ Church, in which our female first year Entz reps were unable to maintain control in the face of chants and jeering from older male students.”
Other students have criticised the event. One undergraduate from New College commented, “I think it’s a shame that even at a university like Oxford, misogyny is still clearly alive and well.
“Though we ought to differentiate between submission to peer pressure whilst drunk, and free, willing consent. The idea that a woman’s body is an object to be leered at is de-humanising.”
Another fresher, not at Christ Church, commented, “I think this sort of behaviour is deplorable. It can be very hard to speak out against it when all your friends are participating, as you get labelled humourless and boring. It is easy to be pressured into doing things you aren’t comfortable with.”
They added, “I think the misogyny of lad culture is getting worse, as it is so often said to be harmless, when actually it is symptomatic of a general disrespectful attitude towards women.”
But one student, also not from Christ Church said, “I think this sort of behaviour should be encouraged. Girls should definitely take their tops off more often. In Britain we are too prudish; people pent it all up inside. If we were more used to going around naked, we wouldn’t have events like Mr & Mrs Christ Church happening.”
