About the word "porn" in a book title and in public

[Thurlow]

Trying to work out if I'm being really precious about this.

There's a book about bikes called Bike Porn which is just pictures of bikes, clearly aimed as a coffee table book. I first saw it a few weeks ago right by the till in one of those artsy gift shops and did a bit of a double take then forgot about it. However today we were at a fete and it was for sale and 6yo DD picked it up to give to her dad as he cycles. Of course she is then immediately asked what "porn" meant.

AIBU to think that it's really not the best word to put in the title of a general coffee table book that's clearly not aimed at am "adult" audience? Genuinely can't decide if I'm just being silly over this one.

Yes you’re being precious. It’s a book about bikes.

Yes, you are being ridiculous. Unless you want all words you seem inappropriate for children to be banned in written form? You'd still be unreasonable.

Yanbu.

Really? Yabvvvu

I guess it's just because I was caught unawares trying to think of an explanation for DD that wouldn't mean she'd be running around at school calling things she thought were shiny and fun were porn

Unless you want all words you seem inappropriate for children to be banned in written form?

Actually thinking about it, yes, don't we expect that swear words aren't in some places? So we wouldn't expect a book next to the till in Waterstones to say Great Fucking Bikes. Maybe on a book title in the general fiction section. But you don't often see swear words just out and about in public. Why is the word "porn" that much different?

I think you are being precious

bit like when people say food porn. i dont like it. yanbu

I agree with you OP. It means that you have to think of way to define the word to young children. Some words are not appropriate in certain circumstances. I don't like it.

As someone who enjoys porn, YANBU.

I hate all this "food porn", "cloud porn" bullshit. Its just food. Or clouds. Or in this case, bikes. They have no link to anything sexual whatsoever.

It's a ridiculous concept created by people who clearly have no brains.

Exactly. Is it that people are trying to reclaim the word porn or something? Trying to normalise it somehow?

Its not an entirely appropriate word to just bandy around as if it's normal. Unless we're making it normal and I missed that memo

Porn is not a swear word - it’s not remotely like using the word Fucking.

Ignoring the fact that porn is not a swear word (so no, I would not consider it synonymous with ‘great fucking bikes’), wouldn’t you then have to censor words such as prostitution, brothels and other factor words that you don’t agree with?

What if other words are okay to you but not for others? Where do you draw the line here?

YABU

YABU...it's a perfectly normal word. There's a great book called Cabin Porn, or something similar. Food porn, book porn...it's not a terrible horrifying pearl clutching word.

Maybe you should actually look up the meanings of the word.

Porn: "television programmes, magazine, books, etc. that are regarded as emphasizing the sensuous or sensational aspects of a non-sexual subject and stimulating a compulsive interest in their audience."

Its a perfectly reasonable word to correctly identify a book about bicycles, for adults and children. Note the word NON-SEXUAL in the definition.

Ah ok, so if I set a homework for my Year 2s, entitled, "Word Porn", I should expect no parental complaints?

Yeah OK.

It really won't be that much longer until your children are aware of what porn is. So perhaps find an age appropriate way of introducing them to these concepts much earlier than you would otherwise think you'd have to.

I think year 2 wouldn't be advanced enough to appreciate word porn, they are still learning to read surly? Year 5 or 6 would probably be a better time to start introducing words with a "sensuous or sensational aspect".

YABU...it's a perfectly normal word. There's a great book called Cabin Porn,.

You sure that was a book and not a dvd? 😏

My Year 2s love a good word, so yes, they're old enough.

I still wouldn't include the word "porn" in their homework.

I can see its split so I'm possibly in a precious minority then, which I can take!

But that sensuous explanation wouldn't work on my Y1 DD as she wouldn't understand that. I think it's probably jarred with me because she saw the word at an age where she could read it but no explanation was quite right. If I say it's just a word to describe things people lust over, she's liable to use its herself. And not as clear cut as prostitution, rape or brothel as words that can be described as bad or naughty things adults might do.

Basically I'm not introducing the idea of porn to a not long turned 6 year old who hasn't even asked how babies are made yet!

*Ah ok, so if I set a homework for my Year 2s, entitled, "Word Porn", I should expect no parental complaints?

Yeah OK.*

I don't understand this comment. No one suggested "Bike Porn" should be part of the year 2 syllabus.

That doesn't therefore mean it can't exist in the world or needs to be locked away in some seedy restricted area either. Alcohol isn't suitable for year two children and that's out in plain sight in any supermarket/restaurant/most homes - it falls upon the parent to decide how much they want to explain about the word/subject matter.

If a word like 'porn' is censored, we end up spiralling down a very slippery slope trying to define which words are okay when basing then purely on the suitability of young children - something I hope you would understand is both stupid and potentially dangerous.

Of course you're being precious. I realise it's a shocking concept to some but not everything in the world has to be geared towards children.