“Pornographic pictures, I adore! Indecent magazines galore! I like them more, if they're hardcore! Bring on the obscene movies; murals; postcards;... anything! More, more! I'm still not satisfied.”
"Smut", Tom Lehrer, That Was The Year That Was (1965)
One thing that I value is freedom of expression and speech. The Supreme Court ruled on obscenity in 1957, ruling it was not protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Sixteen years later came Miller v. California, establishing guidelines for declaring things as "obscene".
I don't consider my blog to ever have been profane, nor do I wish it to be. I run this because I want to document the interesting events that happen now and again. When I started this blog, I told myself that I would never self-censor, leaving the decision up to the reader.
Every nation has its own standards, although I find the US's standards quite restricting. In Denmark, a terrestrial broadcaster in Copenhagen airs soft-core pornography, free-to-air. No cable, no satellite television, no premium subscription. Since 1983! We can't even say "fuck" on television!
Getting to the point, I leave the reader the choice whether or not they like to read/view the material in posts. And that's why I came up with the Ratings system. So far, there has been two revisions to the system, the latest in April 2012.
I explained then that the ratings are to guide people in the choices, and here again, are the ratings.
ESF Ratings
UR - Unrated
Posts that are rated "UR" do not fit under any categories. It does not mean they are appropriate, but probably will be.
E - Everyone
"E" signifies that the post is appropriate for all readers. The only sub-ratings here that will apply are "L", meaning that there might be some strong language used sparingly.
12+ - Twelve and older
14+, 16+
This rating is given out to posts that contain mature material, including personal stories and other happenings. These posts contain coarse language throughout, along with audio-visual content with strong language. Frank descriptions also accompany this rating-- so be prepared!
I started this blog at 16, so think about it.
18+
18+ is the highest on the totem pole. These posts will contain material that is not suitable for those under the age of 17, and may contain items that may offend. Audio-visual material in these posts may be pornographic in nature or contain nudity, regardless of its sexual nature. Strong language will be prevalent throughout.
For an explanation on the sub-ratings (L, O, S, MC-S, MT), you can read this.
I'll finish with this.
I prescribe these ratings to make sure readers are prepared for what they're going to read or see. It's whole thing called "responsibility" on your part. No one is responsible for what you see except for you. If you complain about how explicit something is, then don't watch it again. Don't read it again. Don't visit that site. And that's my view when it comes to media. We produce it but if you don't like it, don't watch it. In my case, don't read it.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the output!
