This is topic The Higher Power of Lucky not gracing libraries, despite being the dog's bollocks in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
Basically, this year's Newberry Medal winner, “The Higher Power of Lucky,” by Susan Patron, is getting more than iot's share of bruhaha because it contains the word "scrotum."
I find myself torn between two impulses. On the one hand, I would like to know what the citizens of Hatrack think of it. Is this yet another sign of the American Cultural Apocalypse? We can't have the word "scrotum" in a book for kids because... because... Americans excell at violence and pretending we don't have sexual organs? Should it have said "dingle"? Because heaven forbid that children learn correct words for things-- it might be embarassing!
Seriously, I know a guy who gleefully took his four-year-old to a movie where a young man had his ram and legs cut off, then burst into flame, yet he wouldn't want him to read a book with "scrotum" in it.
The competing impulse is to wander around singing,"Scrotum, scrotum, scrotum! It's a doggie's scrotum!" (To the tune of "Rawhide")
[ February 21, 2007, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: Olivet ]
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
I can't get your link to work. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You said "dingle". *giggles*
I'm curious as to why a Newberry book that says "damn" would be stocked but not one that says "scrotum." Aren't they about equally objectionable to some? (Actually, isn't scrotum, being a medical term, less objectionable?)
(Of course, having said that, I looked it up and all three of my local library systems have multiple copies of it.)
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
“This book included what I call a Howard Stern-type shock treatment just to see how far they could push the envelope, but they didn’t have the children in mind,” Dana Nilsson, a teacher and librarian in Durango, Colo., wrote on LM_Net, a mailing list that reaches more than 16,000 school librarians. “How very sad.”
Behold the power of idiocy.
[ February 21, 2007, 08:59 AM: Message edited by: Storm Saxon ]
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:... leaving me wondering what [men's] genitalia have to do with a dog's bollocks, and whether the lady in question has actually read the book she's trying to stamp out.
Exactly. And the way to handle the question if asked is to say, in a neutral tone, "It's a body part." If pressed, "it's a body part in a private area, and you can ask your parents if you want more details." I frankly doubt that -- given a neutral reaction -- most kids who don't already know (and aren't trying to get a rise out of you) would pursue "scrotum" any further than they would a "glabella."
[Re: Neil Gaimon's article]
Check out his link to a list of other scrota in children's literature.
Thanks, Olivet.
[ February 21, 2007, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by ladyday (Member # 1069) on :
I'm going to have that song stuck in my head all day.
I wouldn't consider the use of "scrotum" inappropriate at all (especially since she used the -right word-, for heaven's sake).
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Oh, for Pete's sake! I had no idea that this was a forbidden word. I'm losing patience.
There. Now it's lost. I hope you're satisfied.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
I fixed the link in my first post. (Thanks, CT! )
I suspected kq and many other reasonably conservative Hatrack parents would find this as silly as I did. Of course, I was more embarrassed when I heard my oldest refer to a private part as a "wienie" instead of "penis." Sometimes I think I'm the only mom around here who actually corrects stuff like that.
ladyday, I am sorry 'bout the song (not! ) but I had to share.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
This line cracked me up:
quote: “I don’t want to start an issue about censorship,” she said. “But you won’t find men’s genitalia in quality literature.”
It sounds like we're using them as bookmarks in our leatherbound copies of "Sense and Sensibility."
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ouch.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
'Honey, can I watch the game?' 'No! Hold my place!'
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Also Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
A teammate of mine once got a penalty for using the word 'scrotum' in a call. I really need to show this to her.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: This line cracked me up:
quote: “I don’t want to start an issue about censorship,” she said. “But you won’t find men’s genitalia in quality literature.”
It sounds like we're using them as bookmarks in our leatherbound copies of "Sense and Sensibility."
Hahahaha. It reminds me of a hilarious quote from Red Dwarf.
quote:(Lister and Cat are playing Scrabble. Cat lays down all seven letters across a triple-word score) Lister: What? "JOZYXQE"? That's not a word! Cat: Sure it is! It's a Cat word. Lister: OK, what's it mean? Cat: It's the sound you make when you have your sexual organs trapped in something... Lister: Is it in the dictionary? Cat: Well it could be, if you were reading in the nude and you close the book too fast..
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Of course, I was more embarrassed when I heard my oldest refer to a private part as a "wienie" instead of "penis." Sometimes I think I'm the only mom around here who actually corrects stuff like that.
Of course, when parents are having the "we call it by its real name" talk, they ALSO need to have the "private parts are private conversation" talk. I can not tell you the number of times I have heard where I live (and all the California moms teach their kids "correct" terminology) "Mommy, I hurt my penis!" or similar yelled out across the playground... Not that it embarrasses me, but it caused a lot of snickering amongst the older kids.
[ February 21, 2007, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: ketchupqueen ]
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
Ah, bless you, Olivet.
This has led to the most hilarious Mormon literature connection and thus blog fodder.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I think it's just plain silly. OTOH, this is the best way I can think of to get children to read a Newberry winner.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Why is there an ad for eczema medicine at the bottom of this page?
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
Never thought I'd see the word 'bollocks' in a thread title at Hatrack.
As for the book, kids should know what things are really called, so they don't get caught out in the playground.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I never thought I'd be called "conservative", either. *giggles*
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
kmboots, Storm, this is another case of "I'm really glad I'm reading this when no one else is in the room" - my outburst of laughter would take a lot of explaining...
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I got kmboots to shout "penises as bookmarks! penises as bookmarks!" on the train today.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
You were on a train with kmboots today? Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
We were on the phone together (she was going home), and I could hardly hear her. Thus the shouting.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ahhhh.
I was wondering which of you had had the nerve to leave town without notifying Hatrack. Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Hee hee
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
People on the train looked at me funny. And scootched away.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Every time I drive near a school, I'm going to roll down my window and shout "scrotum", just so the kids get used to the word, and can read the dang book.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
I'm not getting eczema ads; I'm getting Dove ads. Maybe it changed?
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Kiss]](graemlins/kiss.gif)
)![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
) but I had to share.
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)