| Stern Penguin Disapproves! |
I realize given the title and nature of the above link, that this
blog seems more appropriate to my Sometimes Its Okay To Be An Ass
blog, but I think it is a little more suited for this everyday
philosophy blog. I'm not trying to call anyone out or peeve anyone
off with this blog. I am just trying to ponder exactly where a
person's freedom of expression begins and ends. To what extent can a
much larger group (Say a Government) determine what individuals
should be able to read or watch? Exactly where does protection end
and Censorship begin.
Pornography has always been a tricky and sensitive issue with people
lined up a thousand deep on either side of the argument. One side
claims “This is filth and should be stopped” while the other side
touts Freedom of Speech as their right to produce anything they wish.
The subject gets even trickier when one transitions from Visual
productions such as Movies and Television to the written and drawn
productions.
I find it funny in an unsettling sort of way that most people are
alright with the oftentimes graphic depiction of such things as rape
in movies and television, but cry foul when the same subjects are
presented in book form. Pick any 10 or so movies released at any
given time and you will more than likely find at least one where
someone somewhere is physically assaulted. These movies make
billions of dollars and 90% of the world doesn't even say Boo!
However, put out a book that depicts the same sort of acts and
suddenly people are screaming about PORN!
The thing I find most confuzzling about this mindset is that written
fiction doesn't even involve real people. X may do horrible things
to Y in “Evil X does Y” but the characters aren't real and the
actors only exist inside the heads of the people reading the book.
In video productions, you have real people acting out the plots in
real time also not real life but could possibly be argued to be more
graphic.
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| 50 Shades of Whey |
I'm not here to argue FOR rape and incest pornography or even porn in
general. Rape is always wrong no matter what and should never be a
subject that arouses someone. If it does, than that person should
seek immediate mental health. My argument is that good old Slippery
Slope. Some insanely popular works (50 Shades anyone) definitely
fall under the heading of Porn. Hells, for the time, some of RAH's
works could have been considered porn and particularly perverted porn
at that. (Friday comes to mind. Believe me folks, that book
had everything in it besides the two subjects listed above.)
Once we start letting a larger group decide what can and cannot be
published, it opens the doors wide for full blown censorship.
Suddenly the forces that be can decide that certain religious works
can't be published and shown or certain works of fiction cannot be
shown for the sake of the “public good.” Don't laugh it can and
has happened here in the US. Do a search for banned books and you
will see lists that include Catcher in the Rye, pretty much anything
by Milton and loads of others. We so love our censorship here in the
US.
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| Sue me, I like Penguins! |
Here is a simple rule of thumb. If you don't like the subject, don't
read it. If a movie contains things you find offensive, don't watch
it. It is really that simple. In the end, it is all fiction and
fiction has never harmed anyone.
Brew long and Prosper
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