Cinderella,
by Jennie
That’s the thing about these hothouse youngsters some are so keen to shield from the horror of marble statues of naked Greek athletes and proper name for body parts: If I remember anything about childhood at all, most kids are pretty filthy-minded, especially when it comes to rude terms for body parts and functions.
And look at the world they live in! By 9 or 10 - the age of Lucky’s target audience - they’re steeped in the lowest of pop culture, everything from raunchy rap lyrics to the state of dress (or, lately, undress) of barely post-pubescent starlets and singers who present themselves as role models. And one shudders to think of what technically savvy youngsters are stumbling across on the ‘net.
Are they really going to be seriously damaged by exposure to the word “scrotum?” Or nude Greeks in heroic poses? Or even the You-Know-What Monologues?
Uh, can you really say that? - A Concord Monitor Article - Your News Source - Concord NH 03301:
A particularly interesting article looking at some of the censorship issues over the past year. There is no doubt that censorship is going over the top, from renaming the Vagina Monologues to the controversy over the word “scrotum” in Susan Patron’s The Higher Power of Lucky. award winning children’s book.
I think Katy Burns makes an excellent point - it’s hard to find a ruder, cruder bunch than children, especially at the ages being most “protected.” I think that things are going too far. perhaps, rather than sheltering kids in a desperate bid to prevent them growing up and becoming interested in furthering the race, they should be educated and treated like human beings in the making - they’ve already seen it and have a dozen names for it I assure you. I think that the see-sawing between dressing kids as little… adults (verrry adult) and trying to “protect” them against learning anything about the human body is creating more problems than it is causing.
Ok parents - pop quiz! how do you get a kid to be fascinated in something? I do believe it’s by trying to hide it from them and pretending it doesn’t exist, by not wanting them to be interested, or by caging answers and being evasive- isn’t it? nothing like that for making a kid fascinated by a subject. I don’ think art, or books or play billboards are responsible for early sexualization of kids - I don’t think it’s even a factor, not with all the wonderful role models on tv and the internet.
but it’s much easier to blame the artists, playwrights and authors than to accept responsibility or to tone down their TV watching. maybe cultural activities would be better than watch Britney destroy her life, it would probably raise the same uncomfortable questions no matter what.. (mommy, what’s that?)
Tags: censorship, nudity, Scrotum, Susan Patron, vagina Monologues
