Comments on: Are Bookstores Being Too Censorious With Author Events?

By: The Debutante Ball » Blog Archive » In which Deb Kristina says “son of a %#&#*!”

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:34:50 +0000

[...] time of the reading and the proximity to the children's section. The whole story is here on Edward Champion's blog. Looking this up allowed me to Google "Jennifer Weiner reading cock" by the way, which I thought [...]

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:12:13 +0000

I have to ask — why, pray tell, are people upset about the word “cock” being used near kids? It’s not one of the “magic” words (like F***) that only mean one thing, and that one thing is not polite dinner table conversation. “Cock” in the sense being discussed was originally used itself as a euphemism, like “pregnant” and “going to the washroom”.

When I was that age, if I’d asked what that lady on the mic was talking about (and I would have), my mum would have told me that “cock” was another, ruder, name for “rooster”, and that the lady was comparing the men in her book to roosters, strutting around. Most likely not quite accurate, but it would have given me the right idea and provided a little lesson on how some names for things are less appropriate than other names.

Just because your kid hears a word they’re too young to fully appreciate all the nuances of doesn’t mean they’re going to be scarred for life. Ever watched reruns of TV shows you watched with your parents when you were a kid? Unless your parents were very protective and/or uptight, there was probably all sorts of innuendo and even explicit phrases (if you knew the slang) that went sailing right by you.

By: emily harris

emily harris — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:15:54 +0000

So you called B & N on a fact-finding mission, you say, just to find out the policies? Really?

I pray a journalism school didn’t give you a degree if you call that investigating something. You had clearly made up your mind about what had happened before talking to Hjulstrom, and the way the interview reads, you were clearly trying to trap her into saying something that furthered your pre-determined view that what B & N did was wrong. Luckily she did not take the bait, nice try to though — classy.

Did B & N censor Weiner? Please. B & N wants to make a boatload off of Weiner’s books just as much as Weiner does, and I agree with the prior commenter who suggests you check your definition of ‘censor.’ Maybe the reading shouldn’t have been at 3pm. Maybe the reading shouldn’t have been next to the kids’ section. Shrug. Next.

By: booklogged

booklogged — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:11:12 +0000

I second what Rick York said.

By: Links and Things « Enter the Octopus

Links and Things « Enter the Octopus — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:09:26 +0000

[...] Are bookstores being too censorious with author events? [...]

By: harold

harold — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:34:43 +0000

Seriously, when did Hitachi put a dildo on the market?

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:52:26 +0000

Well, who’s the genius who decided to hold the readings in the kids’ section?

Really, “censorship” or no, these are grown-up books for grown-up people. Seems dumb to stock everything from outrageously imflammatory right-wing trash to outrageously explicit how-to sex books and then shake your finger at an author for using words in common usage on any original cable series. Especially when all you have to do is move the podium to the Blow Job Section, or something.

By: Rick York

Rick York — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:03:49 +0000

This is a silly kerfluffle. From what I can tell, not only did B&N not voice objection to Ms. Weiner’s book, they carried it. And, they publicized it. Their only issue, at least in Framingham, was reading unpleasant language out loud next to the children’s section. For a parent, this is not like changing the channel. If you and your kid are there, and you don’t want your kid to be using or hearing such language – until you no longer control her – your only choice is to move out of the children’s section. B&N’s problem with this is perfectly reasonable. From both a financial and ethical viewpoint.

Calling this censorship denigrates the word. One can expect a successful store, even in a chain, to know its constituency. And having lived in both (well, Newton, close enough), Framingham is not New York. Why on earth, when there are some terribly serious examples of censorship all over this country, would you or anyone else make an issue of this?

If any author believes this is a matter of principle, then he or she can skip Framingham. Whether other stores follow such a policy or not is irrelevant.

Perspective people, please.

By: Richard Grayson

Richard Grayson — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Unlike everything else that happened to your kids in their schools?

By: SF Signal

SF Signal — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:30:18 +0000

SF Tidbits for 8/1/09…

Ridley Scott is set to direct an Alien prequel film. WTF? Sir Ridley said Science Fictions are as dead as Westerns…Don’t get me started. Marty Halpern talks about his personal memories of Jack Vance. Mark Teppo talks about ideas in……

By: Diana Duncan

Diana Duncan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:06:26 +0000

Growing up, my kids heard more profane language in their own schools than anywhere else. It didn’t seem to cause them any permanent damage.

By: carl brookins

carl brookins — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:29:13 +0000

Weiner takes a good pro-active approach. The “issue” appears to be more in the minds of reporters and bloggers than with authors. Censorship?

I think not. My books have plenty of salty language in them, but I don’t have to use that language in presentations in order to sell them. It’s a non-issue.