“Well, slap my chaps and twirl my spurs!” The University of Wyoming has stirred up a bit of a ruckus with its new promotional slogan, “The World Needs More Cowboys,” which is prominently displayed on its website (no joke). Among other things, the slogan might be criticized as sexist and/or human-centric. Unfortunately, neither the gender-neutral version (“The World Needs More Cowpersons”) nor the bovine-friendly one (“The World Needs More Cows”) was popular with focus groups, so the school opted for cowboys.
As the controversy continues to churn on the Wyoming campus, it’s clear that other institutions are taking note and, in some cases, emulating the Laramie school. For example, in September 2018 Brigham Young University will unveil its new tag line: “The World Needs More Mormons.”
According to BYU President Kevin Worthen, “well over 90% of our students are Mormon. We want to significantly increase the number of non-Mormon applicants, and then baptize them once they get here. We have a lot to offer these folks: testosterone-driven young men will surely appreciate our tradition of polygamy [‘Hook-ups You Can Be Proud Of’, claims the BYU website], while young women will experience the profound sense of sisterhood that is generated when multiple females focus their attention on one shared man [‘He’s Mine, He’s Yours, He’s OURS’]. It’s true that polygamy is currently illegal in the U.S., but at BYU we take a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ approach, and it’s worked well for us.”
Coming in January 2020: “The World Needs More White People” campaign, launched by Bob Jones University — just in time for the Presidential primaries. Stay tuned.