Why are books the one medium that carry no warning?
A good question, and one that I had been wondering about myself for a long time. Take, for instance, 'Bridge to Terabitha' - the movie version has a rating/warning, but the book does not. Does this mean "They"[1] assume the book is less upsetting? Do "They" think that less people will read it than see the film? If so, why? I cried over that book when I was a child. :/
[1] "They" being persons reponsible for ratings and warnings (I'm guessing that's mainly the Censor's job?)
I'm trying to remember if I actually cried over any books when I was a child. I read some harsh ones like "Number the Stars," "Summer of the Soldier," "Black Beauty" and the like. I'm still surprised the movie has a decent rating with the hackjob that was the advertising for it.
Yikes, 'Number the Stars' and 'Black Beauty' were sure freaking harsh (never read 'Summer of the Soldier'). I don't know if I'd want to read them again now that I'm adult. ^_^;;;
I'm probably getting the soldier one's title wrong, but it's about some girl who falls for this traitorous soldier that ends up hiding at her house for a bit. I think you can guess how that one ends. And I don't know, books never quite devastate me in the same ways as film so I can read some pretty horrific stuff without much reaction.
I have wondered this more than once. I understand why you wouldn't have warnings left, right and center, and why there might even not be a warning for rape or whatever specifically for fear of spoiling a particular plot development.
But I don't see why there aren't warnings for dark or graphic subject matter, violence, sex--or sexual violence. (It's actually sort of a peeve of mine that in many movies with rape scenes, the warning is just for sex. NOT THE SAME AT ALL.) I don't think it would be particularly limiting to works to warn for, at least, a certain level of potentially troubling content, so people can be prepared for it in a general sense.
I will say that movies should warn for rape, I think. That is something people should be prepared for.
In this case, the book is about assassins so I assumed graphic subject matter would be involved. But again, child rape is not something one normally associates with assassins. And in some books, again, it might be hard to properly warn because the controversial materials might come without warning and be a crucial plot point. It's a tricky scale.
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A good question, and one that I had been wondering about myself for a long time. Take, for instance, 'Bridge to Terabitha' - the movie version has a rating/warning, but the book does not. Does this mean "They"[1] assume the book is less upsetting? Do "They" think that less people will read it than see the film? If so, why? I cried over that book when I was a child. :/
[1] "They" being persons reponsible for ratings and warnings (I'm guessing that's mainly the Censor's job?)
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But I don't see why there aren't warnings for dark or graphic subject matter, violence, sex--or sexual violence. (It's actually sort of a peeve of mine that in many movies with rape scenes, the warning is just for sex. NOT THE SAME AT ALL.) I don't think it would be particularly limiting to works to warn for, at least, a certain level of potentially troubling content, so people can be prepared for it in a general sense.
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In this case, the book is about assassins so I assumed graphic subject matter would be involved. But again, child rape is not something one normally associates with assassins. And in some books, again, it might be hard to properly warn because the controversial materials might come without warning and be a crucial plot point. It's a tricky scale.
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