Pornhub, the world’s most-viewed pornographic website, is handing out a $25,000 scholarship to help students with college education. Porn doesn’t seem to be the criterion for evaluation of applications. Instead, applicants will be partially judged on a homemade video addressing the question ”How do you strive to make others happy?”
PORNHUB OFFERS PHILANTHROPIC SCHOLARSHIP
Pornhub enjoys a whopping 78.9 billion views every year, receives generous donations, and has been involved in hosting charity events. Dubbed the Pornhub Cares Scholarship, this initiative is an effort to give back to society by helping fund higher education for students. Acknowledging that the scholarship could fuel controversy, Corey Price, the vice president of Pornhub, told The Washington Post that, “if you’re against pornography and an anti-pornography crusader, this is probably not the scholarship for you.” He added that although a participant need not make a porn video to have a chance at winning, at least a neutral stance on porn is required, if not wholehearted support.
PORNHUB SCHOLARSHIP PREREQUISITES
Currently enrolled college or graduate students with GPA 3.2 or higher can apply to the scholarship. They would need to submit their official transcripts and an essay addressing “How do you strive to make others happy?”. A 2 to 5 minute video is also required as part of the application, which would be posted publicly. The contest closes on October 31; Winners will be chosen based on their creativity, leadership, and community involvement. The scholarship is a serious endeavor and separate from the pornographic focus of the website. In fact, videos featuring sexually explicit content “will not be seriously considered”, according to Price.
SCHOLARSHIP RECEIVES FLAK FROM WOMENS’ ORGANIZATIONS
Despite the benevolent assertions of this venture, this has created quite an uproar amongst women’s organizations and feminist groups. It has been viewed as a ploy targeted at young women struggling with the costs of higher education, or even an ingenious marketing gimmick zeroing in on a vulnerable demographic. Controversies notwithstanding, it would be interesting to know how students respond to this contest.
