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"Censorship by Pressure"
Feb. 4th, 2019 05:55 amYoung Adult Fiction’s Online Commissars
An interesting look at the impact of social media and the ever shrinking bridge between author and audience. I’m curious as to why publications are pulled or retracted in the face of online censure (it seems very much part of the current cultural zeitgeist in which public apologies are de rigeur no matter the severity of the offense, intention of the offender, or the distance between the offense and the current day) especially considering that all books are not written for all people. I am very much reminded of the Goodreads ratings and reviews and how for as many positive reviews there are negative ones. I find it always disturbing when people opt not to read a book based on a negative, subjective review. Such divisiveness in literary trend really is par for the course and shouldn’t resolve itself into censorship. Per the article, the book wasn’t actually read in its entirety and that, also, is deeply problematic.
To the articles failing, the insistence that this is a “left-leaning” habit assigns blame of a wider behavior to a particular political movement. The underlying issue of censorship overall predicated on determining what is deemed appropriate to the masses is the larger concern that impacts a multitude of perspectives and authors writing about a multitude of subjects. I wish the article had moved beyond the specifics of this particular novel and touched more on the general habit because that is the location of alot of impetus that lands books on the Banned Books List.
Take a look, there are points for consideration. As always, I recommend staying out of the comments.
An interesting look at the impact of social media and the ever shrinking bridge between author and audience. I’m curious as to why publications are pulled or retracted in the face of online censure (it seems very much part of the current cultural zeitgeist in which public apologies are de rigeur no matter the severity of the offense, intention of the offender, or the distance between the offense and the current day) especially considering that all books are not written for all people. I am very much reminded of the Goodreads ratings and reviews and how for as many positive reviews there are negative ones. I find it always disturbing when people opt not to read a book based on a negative, subjective review. Such divisiveness in literary trend really is par for the course and shouldn’t resolve itself into censorship. Per the article, the book wasn’t actually read in its entirety and that, also, is deeply problematic.
To the articles failing, the insistence that this is a “left-leaning” habit assigns blame of a wider behavior to a particular political movement. The underlying issue of censorship overall predicated on determining what is deemed appropriate to the masses is the larger concern that impacts a multitude of perspectives and authors writing about a multitude of subjects. I wish the article had moved beyond the specifics of this particular novel and touched more on the general habit because that is the location of alot of impetus that lands books on the Banned Books List.
Take a look, there are points for consideration. As always, I recommend staying out of the comments.
