Listen to Dori Monson weekdays on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM
 Dori Monson


Most popular
Help us build a Fisher House
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.

Conservative blogger defends outing candidate's Playboy gig

BY Josh Kerns  on October 22, 2012 @ 12:17 pm (Updated: 2:21 pm - 10/22/12 )

amy_biviano.jpg
State house candidate Amy Biviano isn't apologizing for posing topless in Playboy nearly two decades ago. (Image courtesy Amy Biviano)
A conservative blogger is defending a critical story that revealed a Spokane-area businesswoman running for the state house once posed in Playboy Magazine.

The Western Center For Journalism outed Democrat Amy Biviano's appearance in Playboy's "Women of the Ivy League" edition back in 1995 as a student at Yale University.

Reporter Bob Unruh tells Dori Monson he re-reported the story on his World Net Daily because Biviano had not disclosed it in any of her campaign materials and the voters deserve to know.

"Whether it's relevant to them [voters] would depend on whether they decide it's relevant to them, but if they don't know about it, they can't decide," Unruh argues.

Biviano isn't apologizing. She told The Spokesman-Review she doesn't regret posing topless, but wouldn't do it again as a married mother of two, now 37.

"It was one of the youthful college kinds of things. I was interested in pushing my limits," Biviano said. "This was my small act of rebellion."

In an article she wrote for "The Yale Herald" at the time she posed, she defended her decision even though she recognized it might be an issue later in life, The News Chick reported.

"Do I believe that my future might be affected by posing for Playboy? Yes, I believe that it will. But, it has made a positive contribution to my life - I gained a sense of self-reliance, which I lacked before the posing scandal," she continued. "Posing for Playboy has permanently changed me by making me think a little bit differently about myself - I'm now more of a risk-taker, fear social approval less, and know a bit more about what I'm capable of. I may never do something this controversial again, but it's nice to know that I could and did."

Dori Monson is one of many criticizing the reporting of the story and the people perpetuating it.

"How does being a mom, Sunday school teacher and all the things you cited in 2012, how is that at all reflected in what she chose to do one time when she was 20-years-old 20 years ago?" Dori asks.

"It clashes with the concept of appearing in Playboy and that's probably pertinent in so far as it should let people know of the type of decision making process that this person, this candidate used at one point in her life," Unruh responds.

Biviano is now a small business owner who teaches Sunday school at Bethany Presbyterian Church. Her opponent, Republican Rep. Matt Shea, is among those criticizing the reporting of the story.

"This type of negative campaigning is exactly what is wrong with politics today," he said in a statement. "While these revelations are indeed alarming, my heart goes out to Amy and her family."

The original story calls Biviano hypocritical for touting her family values and not disclosing her past while also criticizing her opponent's past marital failings. And Unruh argues it's all relevant in the race.

"If they're asking to represent the public, their pasts should be open books."

"There are a lot of things I did when I was 20-years-old that I don't tell my listeners about," Dori counters. "It seems like you just want to embarrass this woman, to drag her through the mud, all because she has a "D" next to her name. I see the left playing that game a lot, I call them out on it. I see the right playing that game a lot. I don't understand the point of this other than to humiliate or attempt to humiliate somebody for something they did 15, 18 years ago."

Dori's listeners overwhelmingly agree. In comments on his Facebook page, the vast majority call it a "non-issue."

"It's a non-issue just like if she smoked weed while a teen! What matters is what she is all about now and what has led her to that. What is her track record since those times? That is what I care about. We all made mistakes," wrote listener Joseph Keller.

Listener Dawn Shaw wrote, "Non-issue. I'm more interested in her current qualifications."

"She learned and grew. I wish all politicians went through that process before running for office," wrote Vanessa Harrington.

What do you think?

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
More Dori Monson

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (21)


  • Add A Comment

  • TimeForNewLeadership wrote...
    Playboy
    October 22, 2012 1:32 pm
    Bob Unruh is gutless.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    It's pretty tough to render an opinion on her pose in Playboy...
    October 22, 2012 1:40 pm
    without some evidence. Link? :-)

    Kidding, of course.

    Let's extend this witch hunt to its logical conclusion. I propose we kick out of office and off the ballot everybody who ever did some shameful, shocking, mortally embarrassing, disgusting, or ill-advised thing at any time in their adult life. Then we will kick off everybody who actually did some super-questionable thing, but now lies and claims they did not. The result will be that there will be nobody left in office, or running for office, anywhere.

    Hmmmm, maybe that wouldn't be so bad?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    "Lives of the Saints" would be a good place to start.
    October 22, 2012 2:59 pm
    One heck of a lot of people were bad before they were good.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    @Chuck
    October 22, 2012 5:10 pm
    Brilliant! I am with you on this 100%. The people making a big deal out of this are an embarrassment. Who cares. Everybody is naked under their clothes.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    SO...
    October 22, 2012 3:21 pm
    the democrats think they can out someone for being against abortion...so you can out anyone for anything.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    otherwise
    October 22, 2012 3:31 pm
    you can't go around complaining that bush did or did not serve his full military duty. and you couldn't out a teacher for doing porn, WHICH is what this lady did. now if it was something she now believes was wrong and there was some press conference she held that said so then maybe i'd say okay it's in the past. it's typical of libratarians, who by the way are contrary to the founding fathers who believed in the bible for their libratarian ideals, to have subjective morailty so that if it's something they like then it's okay and if they don't liek it then it's not okay.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    so dori, it begs the question.
    October 22, 2012 3:36 pm
    if a teacher doing porn is wrong, how come a politician doing porn is okay. some teen boy is yank king off to her pictures, is that a healthing family thing or do you want that for your daugthers. something to think about at dating time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • high_tech_luddite wrote...
    C'mon, she did this 17 years ago
    October 22, 2012 5:10 pm
    She was barely out of her teens, immature, and was willing to go topless. (Heck, plenty of Europeans stroll around their beaches without anything on and nobody shakes their fingers at them.) We oversexualize everything. If I were her parent at the time, of course I'd be disappointed, but I also know kids do really dumb things. Nudity is hardly pornography, and there are far worse things she could have done. I agree with Dori that this is simply dragging this woman through the mud because she's a Democrat. She's down 20pts in the polls and has virtually no chance of winning the election. This is salacious, pious finger-pointing by uptight puritans who have far better things to do with their time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    @irony
    October 22, 2012 5:10 pm
    And I would hardly call Playboy porn...Ever see the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition??? Geeeeesh Irony, go to your closet and pray...You are gonna go blind!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Irony ,After reading your post I leaned something
    October 22, 2012 7:38 pm
    You can't take the Hill out of Billy. Let me guess Your a Christian but don't belong to one of the main stream Christian Religions.RIGHT?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ronzilla wrote...
    I don't really care if the candidate that I vote for wants to sodomize Captain Kangaroo with their strapon or their Johnson Rod ...
    October 22, 2012 11:25 pm
    If that candidate can prevent illegal immigration, create jobs, limit government waste, and get the A55holes out of the left-hand/passing lane, I'm voting for him/her.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    ronzilla
    October 23, 2012 6:37 am
    You had better hope that a cross between Jesus, John Madden, and Einstein run because otherwise what you ask for is impossible!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ronzilla wrote...
    Nice ingredients DesertRes, very nice
    October 26, 2012 12:40 am
    great amalgamation. Very nice!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zagnut wrote...
    She's one of the rare democrats I'd support.
    October 23, 2012 7:09 am
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ConservativeThinker wrote...
    As a conservative.....
    October 23, 2012 9:32 am
    the only real issue I see - may be that she did not reveal it, while going after her opponents martial issues. Other than that - really does not matter. What matters is her stand on the issues, and her commitment to representing the people of her district.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    i'm sick of ...
    October 23, 2012 11:31 am
    whether is beauty pagents or politics, i'm sick of people who think they can do whatever they want and then say maybe sorry later. she's no different than a miss america winner and either you can h or e it up in your college years and not have any consequences or YOU CAN'T. i'd be more sympathetic to her plight if she sided with the anti porn group pink cross and advocated porn addiction therapy than say she'd probably do it again if she had the chance. she's supposedly a sunday school teacher, what does that tell high school boys, he go search for my pictures. 86 her for being 69 on the issue.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Steven_w wrote...
    Women can do what ever they want.......
    October 23, 2012 11:44 am
    If she reviled the photo spread she would likely get the male vote hands down. Kidding aside I'd say who cares. republicans will do anything to get back into power and will back-stab the nation as a whole to do it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    i think her spread is increasing.
    October 23, 2012 11:32 am
    she'll get all the bar drunks on her side now because of modern libratarianism that is opposite of the founding fathers libratarianism.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }