icarus: Snape by mysterious artist (Default)
[personal profile] icarus
I'm tired, so this is going to be brief.

Regarding the current age debate... I'll lock what stories I have to for the sake of legality, but I don't believe sex automatically means inappropriate for preteens and teenagers. Theme is what determines what is difficult for those "underage" to understand.

So I recommend my NC-17 Skinny Dipping for teens and preteens, because it is a very equal and generous encounter and deals with issues that are relevant to teenagers. I'd recommend both the R and NC-17 version Primer to the Dark Arts for the same reasons. Rising Sun is quite explicit, a very high R, but is perfect for teenagers who are constantly being fed an overly idealised, romantic notion of sex.

But I don't recommend my R-rated A Moment of Sin for teens and preteens, because of the cynical "using" world of prostitution, and the confusing moral gray areas involved in Snape's decision. Nor would I recommend Beg Me For It -- again, less because of the sex (though here some of it is non-con) and more because of the questionable decisions on the part of several persons. The fourth part (still in the works) SNAFU, has very little sex and may only rate an R by some standards. But, with the violence in it, that one I would object to teens reading.

An Elegant Man is one that I would lock because of the casual attitude about infidelity by Lucius.

On the other hand I have no difficulty with teens reading the Harry/Snape/Ron three-way in Unexpected Guest, because it's a very positive encounter and... it's just sex.

If you want your kids to have your values I suggest you:
a) teach them your values, and
b) monitor their internet habits if you're so concerned.

I think a) is more effective. There is no difference between my parents values and my own on this subject.

But don't expect me to conform to your values because you're kids are roaming wild on the internet. Whose kids are they?

My standards are my own, and I don't feel they should be imposed on others. Likewise, I don't feel anyone else's standards should be imposed upon me. Those of you who think the Silence of the Lambs is more appropriate for kids than a fluffy sex-romp with full frontal nudity -- I disagree.

Date: 2004-07-24 09:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ursulakohl.livejournal.com
Given the number of books by Mercedes Lackey and Katherine Kerr and other members of the "You can tell he is a villain because he engages in abusive sexual practices" school of fantasy-novel writing that I read as an early teen, I'm not terribly worried about the reading practices of current teenagers-- and if I were *going* to be morally upset I would save my outrage for, oh, the complete works of Roald Dahl-- but I have no objection to making people jump through a couple of hoops to get their smutty literature. I suspect in a lot of cases the hoops substitute for lurid cover art.

There are books I wouldn't recommend to kids, but more because they're confusing than disturbing. I know I hated China Mountain Zhang the first time through, because I didn't have the context for it.

Date: 2004-07-25 06:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] icarusancalion.livejournal.com
Gosh, I'm so embarrassed now because, um, I really like Mercedes Lackey. I mean, okay, okay, the abuse thing gets a little silly, but her whole compassionate Herald theory is just something I can really get into you see. *clears throat* But I will eventually put down my fairy tales and read Atlas Shrugged, I promise. After I've read the Lord of the Rings another 35 times, I'm sure.

*blushing intensely*

Icarus

Date: 2004-07-25 10:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ursulakohl.livejournal.com
Heh, Atlas Shrugged isn't remotely on my list. Though there was an objectivist conference when I was at UBC a couple of weeks ago-- really a baffling concept.

At some point it was my goal to read everything Mercedes Lackey had ever written, and I think I had actually done that up until about the time she was publishing the griffin & Storms of ___ trilogies, when I became frustrated by the lack of resolution, and stopped altogether. She provided a good chunk of my early sexual education, which is probably a lot more embarrassing than anything you could come up with ;)

Date: 2004-07-25 10:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ursulakohl.livejournal.com
Still reading Katherine Kerr, though I'm waiting for Rhodry to die . . .

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icarus: Snape by mysterious artist (Default)
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