Is anyone else stupefied by the uproar over the word 'scrotum'?

Question

Many librarians are attempting to ban a recent Newbery Award-winning children's book because it uses the word 'scrotum' - in reference to a dog.

Here is the context in which the word is used (from a recent news article):

"The Higher Power of Lucky" is the story of a 10-year-old girl in rural California and her quest for "Higher Power." The opening chapter includes a passage about a man "who had drunk half a gallon of rum listening to Johnny Cash all morning in his parked '62 Cadillac, then fallen out of the car when he saw a rattlesnake on the passenger seat biting his dog, Roy, on the scrotum."

Wow. I'm not even sure how that could lead to a human anatomy lesson. It's a frickin' dog's scrotum. And the guy in the passage is drunk! (But apparently that part's OK.) Censors need to get their heads out of their a.sses and let people use their own intelligence and judgment rather than deciding for them what they do and don't need to know.

Answer 1

I agree. I heard this on the news the other day, although I didn't know it was the dog's scrotum. That's REALLY obscene!

Books being used in American schools have a history of attempted censorship. Here's a website:

http://www.fepproject.org/commentaries/wordsonfire.html

Answer 2

For the record, all the reports make it seem like it's the majority of librarians who have gone crazy over this word and are attempting to ban it from their libraries (or not buying it for their library's collection in the first place). It's not a majority, I would say they're a minority. But they just happen to have been vocal. And the New York Times article didn't really mention the fact that the majority of librarians oppose any such objection!!! The NYT article was very one-sided. (And the quotes for the most part I've heard came from email listservs so people were sort've shocked into reality to find themselves being quoted).

That being said, most librarians are outraged at the minority of librarians making a big deal over one word.

Here's my opinion. The book isn't that great. It's not because of the word scrotum. That's no reason to ban a book or praise it. But it's just not that good a book. It's not bad. It's a good, average read. And I guess some readers might connect with the story and not mind it's slow-moving, dull style. There was very little to care about. But there were dozens of books that were better and more enjoyable than Higher Power of Lucky. All of the honor books this year were better written and more enjoyable than the actual winner. They were actually really interesting, very well-written. (Penny From Heaven, Hattie Big Sky, Rules) There are so many books I would have picked instead of Higher Power.

Just because it won the award doesn't make it great.

Answer 3

Sounds like the U.S. of A., home of free speech...