Pimp my headline not so popular

 
I write to express my dismay at the headline on the Oct. 17 Weekend section of The News & Observer.

Surely you must be aware that the job of a pimp is to sell the bodies of women and children for sex acts. I cannot understand why you felt it was an appropriate verb to apply to the State Fair, which seems to be intended  as a family destination.

Many studies demonstrate the mental and physical abuse of women forced and coerced into prostitution by pimps. In addition, the link between pimping/prostitution and sex trafficking is quite clear.

Please refrain from this careless normalizing of the use of the term “pimp.”  Anyone profiting from the exploitation of the bodies of women and children should be in jail — not used to promote the  N.C. State Fair.

Donna M. Bickford, Ph.D.
Director, Carolina Women's Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill

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The News & Observer has reached a new low with the headlines in your Friday “Weekend” section entitled “Pimp my fair.” This has to be the most crude headline your illustrious newspaper has posted. Congratulations on attaining a firm lock on being Second Class.

Claire T. Kirven
Raleigh

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Reading the newspaper is the normal everyday fare for my husband and me. However, the Weekend heading “Pimp my fair” was an assault upon our dignity and sense of propriety.  Perhaps our public response to this wording will catch your attention, Mr. Editor, as well as that of the four male contributors: Neil Amato, Matt Ehlers, David Menconi and Glenn McDonald.

Diana and James Mason
Apex

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OK, the kiddies have had their fun out behind the barn shouting dirty words, “Pimp my fair,” and we who value good manners and polite talk are offended. Now who is going to wash out their nasty little mouths and try to bring a little civility to the newspaper? Where are the parents (editors)(publisher)? Is no one even trying to preserve some sort of decorum in what was once a proud, respected newspaper?

Does downsizing mean lowest common denominator?

Hey, we grownups know all the nasty four letter words, some even worse than “pimp,” but we don’t use them everywhere, especially in public. Are we adults hopelessly out of touch with good manners these days?

Ed Holzinger
Raleigh

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Was it really necessary to title your Oct. 17 article “Pimp my fair”? I often look at the paper in the mornings while my three young sons are eating breakfast and share interesting articles with them. Of course, when they saw the word “Fair” they were all interested in the article.  Then, my 11-year-old wanted to know what “Pimp” means. Why do you have to change what should be a fun article about improving the fair into an article that has, in my opinion, an inappropriate word that my 7-, 9- and 11-year-old boys do not need to be exposed to and that I don’t care to read?  

I was very disappointed in your choice and will be more careful in the future looking at the paper in front of them.

Michelle Roberson
Pinehurst