The best offensive is a good book.

Stern Penguin Disapproves!

 

http://gigaom.com/2013/10/15/in-furor-over-rape-and-incest-porn-ebook-retailers-arent-the-only-ones-to-blame/

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.

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.

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