[bksvol-discuss] Re: Adult rating or not?
- From: "Jamie Yates, CPhT" <jamieyates@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:35:09 -0800 (PST)
I read a book recently that I would have quit reading if it were not such a
good story, simply because the syntax of the writing was so horrible. It would
have like ten very short sentences right in a row, and not even sentences but
fragments of sentences. I read parts of it out loud to a friend and we were
laughing hysterically by the time I was done because I was speaking the
punctuation, too.
So, sometimes people do read things that offend them, and not just things that
are adult rated. This writing really offended me but I am glad I muddled
through it.
Jamie in Michigan
Currently Reading - Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman
Christmas SALE - scrubs starting at $8.99 at UniformCity.com
--- On Thu, 12/11/08, Roger Loran Bailey <roger.loran.bailey@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Roger Loran Bailey <roger.loran.bailey@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Adult rating or not?
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 12:09 AM
I have read many things in books that offended me and it did not stop
me from reading them. Mein Kampf was a good example. Others were
right-wing tracts that had a particularly American slant. Others might
be offensive and also strike me as useless, uninteresting and
pointless. Those are the ones I give up on and quit reading.
Admittedly, if the contents of a book are going to offend me I usually
know it before I start reading it , but occasionally one sneaks up on
me. One thing I would not expect is that others who may not share my
standards or even be aware of my standards should decide for me that I
will be offended and give me warnings. Recommendations either in favor
or against with an explanation of why the recommendation is being made
is another matter. That is just literary discussion. The attempt to
dissuade others from reading something seems to be an attempt at
censorship to the extent that one can get away with it. When such
people get a chance to get away with it they jump at the chance. If
they can get away with prohibiting people from reading something on
the basis of age they do so without hesitation. If the prevailing laws
or social atmosphere allow for it they enthusiastically involve
themselves in book banning and even burning. I think the rule we can
best follow when it comes to offensive language is, first, never try
to offend anyone. To do so is about as pointless as it is possible to
be and is only a recipe for getting oneself a reputation of being a
complete ass hole. Second, never make an effort to not offend anyone
or protect anyone from being offended. If you go out of your way to
not offend anyone then you are likely compromising your own
principles. If you try to protect other people from being offended
then you are likely compromising someone else's principles. I am a
former communist activist and I only gave it up for personal reasons
not the least of which was the onset of my disability. I learned some
very strong lessons from my days as a political activist. Those
tactics of censorship and other tactics to get me to shut up were a
constant plague. Also, an integral part of the movement was to defend
freedom and especially the freedom of expression despite being
constantly portrayed as an enemy of freedom. I still strongly retain
the principle of never trying to offend anyone, but always standing up
for my principles. If along the way I happen to offend someone, then
well, tough shit.
On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 9:57 PM, Cindy Rosenthal <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Sure--but try to imagine, if such words really
> offended you and you started to read a book that from
> the title and maybe synopsis sounded like something
> you'd really enjoy, you suddenly encountered such
> words. It would probably or possibly spoil your
> day--or hour. Whereas if you were warned that the book
> contained words offensive to you you'd be spared that
> unpleasantness. It takes less than a minute to add
> that information to the long synopsis.
>
> Cindy
>
> --- Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> I don't see how anyone, child or adult, could avoid
>> those words in the
>> course of everyday life because they are everyday
>> words and one hardly
>> ever gets a warning that an everyday word is coming
>> up. That is why I
>> consider hang-ups over such words to be ridiculous,
>> but ridiculous or
>> not I suppose everyone has a right to their own
>> hang-ups,. I just
>> don't see why I or anyone else should worry about
>> keeping track of
>> those hang-ups and issuing warnings or restrictions.
>> It is the
>> responsibility of the hung-up person to deal with
>> her or his own
>> hang-ups.
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 11:01 PM, Cindy Rosenthal
>> <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> > There are a few words, I think, e.g.,words that
>> begin
>> > with f, and sh come to mind, that most people
>> would
>> > consider obscene. I wouldn't consider "pissed off"
>> to
>> > be obscene, nor, "bloody" in an exclamation,
>> though in
>> > 19th-century England apparently it was
>> unacceptable.
>> > As to profanity, I'm assuming swearing using the
>> word
>> > "God" and "Hell" would be considered
profanity by
>> > some. Anyway, I put the warnings in the long
>> synopsis
>> > for anyone who doesn't want to read books
>> containing
>> > those words rather than marking them adult. As you
>> > say, people can decide for themselves what they
>> want
>> > to read if they have enough knowledge about what's
>> in
>> > the book. smile.
>> >
>> > Cindy Ro
>> > --- Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> How can you tell what is obscene though? A couple
>> of
>> >> years ago I had
>> >> someone start ranting at me for being obscene
>> >> because I had said that
>> >> someone was pissed off. It had never even
>> occurred
>> >> to me that anyone
>> >> might consider that to be obscene. It seems to me
>> >> that it is better to
>> >> let others deal with their own hang-ups rather
>> than
>> >> try to police
>> >> their reading materials for them.
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 4:51 AM, Cindy Rosenthal
>> >> <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >> > Bearing in mind that some members might not
>> want
>> >> to
>> >> > read books with profanity or obscenity, torture
>> or
>> >> a
>> >> > lot of sex, explicit or suggested, although I
>> >> don't
>> >> > rate them Adult I do put in the long synopsis
>> that
>> >> the
>> >> > book contains whatever it is that I think such
>> >> readers
>> >> > might want to know about. I do rate some things
>> >> adult,
>> >> > usually books that have graphic descriptions of
>> >> sexual
>> >> > acts that to me are coarse or unpleasant.
>> Parents
>> >> of
>> >> > children and young adults who think their
>> children
>> >> are
>> >> > mature enough to read anything they want can
>> give
>> >> > their permission--there is a form for this I
>> >> > understand--and then they can download whatever
>> >> they
>> >> > want.
>> >> >
>> >> > Cindy
>> >> >
>> >> > WISH LIST (CALLED REQUESTED ADDITIONS TO THE
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>> >> >
>> >>
>> >
>>
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>> >> >
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>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
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