Karen Owens, a Duke University senior, is gaining widespread recognition for her "senior thesis," a 42-slide PowerPoint presentation entitled, "An Education Beyond the Classroom: Excelling in the Realm of Horizontal Academics," submitted for her "degree in tempestuous frolicking." In her so-called thesis, Owens ranked 13 men she slept with during her undergraduate career, using a holistic system that included factors such as "attractiveness" and even left room for goodies like "Australian accents" or "creativity in bed." Owens initially sent the PowerPoint to three of her girlfriends; however, one of them forwarded it to a friend, and that friend forwarded it to another friend, and the rest is history.
In our Internet-centered age, it isn't uncommon that such stories would go "viral," and indeed Owens' PowerPoint has received national attention. That such attention is unrequited - Owens has shut down both her Facebook and Twitter and has not responded to the national media frenzy except to apologize - has not discouraged media professionals from trying to capitalize on the leak. William Morris Entertainment, a prominent Hollywood agency, and an editor at HarperCollins have expressed interest in speaking with Owens, with some calling her a female Tucker Max, infamous for detailing his sexual exploits both online and in his book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.
Of course, Owens' situation must seem like the perfect opportunity for both William Morris and HarperCollins in the same way celebrity memoirs are a surefire way to make a few bucks. Owens has already attracted tons of media attention, and her book would lead to controversy and therefore sales.
There's nothing wrong with going for the most salacious material out there - in fact, that's the mark of a good businessperson. But it really makes you ponder for a moment what exactly the basis of "the next big thing" in our culture is today - and whether more often than not, attention from the media takes things a tad too far.
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