[bksvol-discuss] Re: Adult Content Filtering--long
- From: "liz halperin" <lizzersagain@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 10:21:18 -0800
I am truly puzzled on some books. There are "romances" or "fiction and lit"
books that have a very explicit sex scene or two, by my loose standards
anyway--full of sexual detail. And not by euphemism or just the beginning or
whatever, but truly explicit scenes. If it's a scene or two, do we just
label that and put it in the general collection? But then if it's a whole
book of explicit sex, a.k.a. erotica, with its purpose to be a sexual book,
that one goes to Adult rating? (Letters to Playboy, no question there. A
whole book specifically of lesbian erotica, no problem there. The Joys of
Sex, no problem there.) I have no problem when the *point* is sex. (Well,
some problem, still using the teen in the big bookstore scenario where she
or he might earn a raised eyebrow but still be able to get the book (or look
at the library copy but not dare to try to check it out) while the clerk or
librarian hopes Mama or Papa or whomever is keeping watch.)
So what about those other books? It's those slippery slope ones that concern
me. Just add the phrase explicit whatever scenes in the short summary? Or
the long summary? How many "bodice rippers" would have to be moved to Adult
Content?
Most of Tom Clancy's books would have to be moved over for explicit
violence. Many war novels and thrillers too from body parts flying
everywhere after bombs and gunshots. Many of Stephen King's, like "Cujo" and
"It" would have to be moved over for violence. What about non-fiction books
that detail genocide and torture (The Holocaust, Rwanda, etc.)?
One discussion aspect is the philosophical side of how to notify readers
what's in a book, which is one issue we have faced many times over the years
on just these subjects of sex, violence, hate (written by Ku Klux Klan
members, other Neo-Nazi or Pro-Aryan groups). But what if there's a
non-fiction book describing historically what the KKK has done and including
examples and their reasoning as part of the history? Is that book also put
into Adult Content? And a high school or college student is doing a paper
about it and needs the resources and references? We've bandied around
various rating systems, phrases, where to put them, etc. We've talked about
what constitutes "Adult Content." Again at the philosophical level. (I think
of so many of the teen books that the majority of mainstream America would
consider as fine but very Orthodox Jewish cousins or Muslims or some
Judeo-Christian groups would not be allowed to read. Parental involvement is
the key. But then the caveat of the book The Romance Reader I submitted and
is available about such a girl who finds her own ways to access romance
books.) Anyway philosophical is good.
I get nervous now as we talk about the new schools access programs and
limiting what teens can access. Some might call that censorship, others
might not. I worry about us as individuals using our own personal moralities
(which are as varietal as America is, thanks to our melting pot) to decide
for others. This scares me. Some books or sub-collections are now *only* in
accessible formats at Bookshare. I hope to be careful with those, that
readers who want them can get them. I also trust that print-disabled teens
can be just as enterprising and devious as the other kids, grin. But again,
I worry about us becoming the equivalent of the Texas Textbook Repository
group who ultimately determine which versions of history make it into our
public schools, or Fahrenheit 451, or a censorship team. While I enjoy the
discussion, I hope we stay with the large bookstore and large library
concept and turn over the morals responsibility to individual parents and
schools. It's their jobs, not ours. Long morning musings, sorry. But this is
a topic I obviously feel passionately about.
Liz, gulping first cuppa java for the day
Liz Halperin
Portland, OR
lizzersagain@xxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ann Parsons
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 8:31 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: e: Re: Comment from the staff about Adult
Content Filtering
Hi all,
Hmmm, I guess it would depend on the content of the book in the Gay and
Lesbian genre as to whether it was adult or not. I think of adult
content as being explicitly violent, explicitly sexual of whatever
kind, and books where the dialogue is filled with four letter words
which although kids know perfectly well, might be considered to be
offensive.
The idea of being gay or lesbian isn't necessarily adult, but might be
confusing to some kids. Some parents might consider it to be adult.
Ann P.
--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.portaltutoring.info
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."
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