02 March 2007

(No) WARNING: Graphic Content


seal_gross
Originally uploaded by triviaqueen.
No, I don't support clubbing baby seals... but this pamphlet, with the unedited photo of evicerated seals, fell out of the most recent copy of Monday Magazine. I called the editor to let him know that it would be the last issue I picked up unless I could be certain that something similarly disgusting would never again fall on to my dining table.

Those who know me know I deplore censorship, but there are also some rules about age-appropriateness. I don't think it is acceptable for a photo this graphic to be so widely and indiscriminantly available.

My daughter reads EVERYTHING, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to assume that if I had left the Monday Magazine on the table, she might have opened it to read it. She might also have found this pamphlet. Again, I have to emphasize, that I would be happy to discuss my views on the subject with her, but I really think that this kind of image is, pardon me, overkill.

I would encourage any reader who is similarly offended to phone Bruce (coordinator of the advertized march) and/or Monday Magazine (Editor John Threlfall 250-382-6188 loc 137).

We have tried to pixellate the photo... but I will be posting other content in an effort to move this from the top of the page.

1 comment:

Tim Bailey said...

I remember, when I was seven, opening a copy of the TV Guide (of all things) to the centre-fold, where there was -- to my palpable horror -- a picture of great white shark about to swallow the camera. It was an ad/order-form for some Time-Life series on the sea, but being the sensitive (aka emotionally volatile) kid that I was, I actually threw it down and left the room. I was secretly terrified of that copy of TV guide for the rest of the week ...although there was a sick fascination with that photo that brought me back to it several times (only to close it quickly and put it down again).

Adults (non-parent adults, that is) generally forget how shocking things can be for kids, who have never seen horrible things before.