Let’s talk about sex.
 
Actually, let’s talk about the way we talk about sex in the student section every Saturday night.
 
You may have noticed certain fan favorites missing from the Golden Band From Tigerland’s playlist at recent games.
 
Or perhaps you didn’t realize their absence until a fellow columnist recently pointed it out.
 
I guess awareness of such things depends on how wasted you get while tailgating.
 
But anyway, since the “Oh-Wee-Oh” routine’s removal weeks ago after students continued ad-libbing “you suck,” the north end zone has simply been chanting it without musical accompaniment.
 
This column isn’t about the Athletic Department’s authority to censor the Tiger Band.
 
True, it’s disappointing to have a student section staple disappear, but even worse is the childish response of resuming it “a cappella”  and perverting as many of the remaining cheers as possible.
 
The “Neck” chant is one of the most awesome aspects of our Louisiana Saturday nights.
 
But it’s a little incongruous when people get an earful of “suck that Tiger d!*k, b!#@h!” right before a commercial showcasing our prestigious University and majestic mascot.
 
I’d hate to see “Neck” become the Athletic Department’s  next item of contraband and yet another victim to voyeuristic, juvenile stubbornness.
 
The same goes for “Hey Baby.”
 
Serenading opponents with an offer to “be our b!*ch” is one thing.
 
But this ritual, already offensive to some people, goes a step too far with the increasingly popular ending, “suck my d!*k.”
 
Will more Tiger traditions bite the dust because of blatant immaturity?
 
The student body’s fixation with male genitalia isn’t confined to Tiger Stadium.
 
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked into classrooms and seen variations of the term scrawled across the chalkboard — sometimes with an illustration.
 
I used to think indecent activities like randomly shouting “penis!” in the hallway was limited to a high school-level sense of humor.
Unfortunately, I stand corrected.
 
I just don’t get the amusement.
 
Maybe it’s because I don’t have the body part in question.
 
Or maybe it’s because I expect a little more class from supposedly adult classmates.
 
I already know sophistication is too much to ask from the mysterious graffiti miscreants around campus, but as a collective voice, our student section should be a bit more dignified.
 
By no means does this suggest sitting quietly in the stands — it’s our duty to make “Death Valley” more than a nickname.
 
But the “12th man” isn’t nearly as fierce without constant backup from the band.
 
One could even argue vice versa — the Tiger Band  is the highlight, while we provide vocal reinforcement.
 
And as long as we continue to act like 12-year-olds in their first anatomy class, fascinated with euphemisms for genitalia, we’ll be treated accordingly by the Athletic Department  — and the student section’s flagship feature will be silenced more and more.
 
Dear fellow fans, especially those near the crowd microphone this Saturday: Grow up.
 
At the very least, taunt McNeese State and future rivals with something other than sex and bestiality.
 
We can be intimidating without being explicit.
 
Also, don’t mock the band’s addition of “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” — can you blame them for selecting two songs we can’t sexualize more than they already are?
 
Heaven forbid we actually take the only foolproof approach to avoiding undesirable consequences: Changing our behavior.
 
Yeah, that’s what she said.
 
 
Kelly Hotard is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Picayune, Miss. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_khotard.
 
 
 
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Contact Kelly Hotard at [email protected]