The Problem With Being Adult

The latest from Entertainment Weekly--

A customer service rep from Amazon said, "In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude 'adult' material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists."


But, reports sites like Information Week and CNET, that "adult" tag is also being given to Heather Has Two Mommies (a children's book that explains homosexuality) and Ellen DeGeneres' autobiography -- neither of which include explicit or racy content. Meanwhile, a raunchy memoir of porn star Ron Jeremy and Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds, which includes pictures of more than 600 naked females -- are still being ranked.


My problem with what Amazon is doing? Ellen Degeneres is being labeled "adult" content for being Ellen Degeneres, not because of what she wrote. Apparently, just being gay is enough to be labeled "adult" content. That's very wrong to me.

I've read some conversations under these stories about people saying "What's the big deal? You're being too sensitive?"

I'm wondering if other would feel this way if Amazon was targeting African-American literature, Asian-American Literature, or even books written by Catholics. People would be horrified. They would be asking, "What year is it? How can this be?" They wouldn't accept it. This is how I feel right now. I don't accept it and I don't believe it was really a "glitch."

If Amazon was doing what they said they were doing, labeling adult content for a book having adult content, that would be one thing, but labeling a writer as "adult content" because s/he is gay is another. Why does a porn star's memoir with photos of naked women not get marked as "adult content" but Ellen's book (um, no naked photos and without any adult content) does? That is not a glitch, that is a targeted mark on a group of people.


You decide for yourself and vote with your pocketbook.

Comments

  1. Here here. I closed my account today because it was the last straw. I should be shopping locally anyway.

    ReplyDelete

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