As predictably as spring follows winter, the book censors are all atwitter again. This time they are aghast over the use of the word "scrotum" in a children's book called "The Higher Power of Lucky," winner of an award so prestigious that the New York Times this morning likens it to being endorsed by Oprah.
From the Times story:
The word "scrotum" does not often appear in polite conversation. Or children's literature, for that matter.
Yet there it is on the first page of "The Higher Power of Lucky," by Susan Patron, this year's winner of the Newbery Medal, the most prestigious award in children's literature. The book's heroine, a scrappy 10-year-old orphan named Lucky Trimble, hears the word through a hole in a wall when another character says he saw a rattlesnake bite his dog, Roy, on the scrotum.
"Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much," the book continues. "It sounded medical and secret, but also important."
The book has already been banned in some places and is the topic of heated debate among educators and librarians.
"I don't want to start an issue about censorship," says one librarian firmly ensconced in an issue about censorship. "But you won't find men's genitalia in quality literature. ... At least not for children."
You won't find any in "The Higher Power of Lucky," either; it's just a word.
You can read some of the ongoing commentary at Librarian.net, a blog written by Jessamyn West. The author's response can be read here and supportive comments from others here.
This queasiness/prudishness over basic biology never ceases to amaze.
Naturally enough, my 5-year-old boys know the word penis, as well the part of the body to which it applies. So does their 5-year-old sister, who also comes equipped with the vocabulary to describe her own equipment. (Told we were expecting deep snow the other day, Grant replied, "Will it come up to my penis?" He could have said knees or waist; it's all the same to a 5-year-old.)
By the time they're 10, I am quite certain the three of them will find the word scrotum as amusing as does the protagonist in "The Higher Power of Lucky."
I just hope they'll be able to find the book on the shelves of their school and community libraries. Chances are they will, since we live in ever-so-enlightened Massachusetts.
I fear for the children of those of you not so fortunate.
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After all, it's just a word....
Paul -
I find it interesting that you have no problem using the words penis or scrotum but waffle when you come to referring to your daughter's genitalia as a vagina. Or does using that word seem too indelicate in reference to your daughter? I'm just guessing - set me straight if I'm wrong.
I think this whole issue is about 1) setting limits for children and 2) letting children grow up not gratuitously exposed to sexual references at every turn.
1) My six year old twins (a boy and a girl) also both know the correct words for their as well as each other's genitalia. They also know the words poop, pee and several other variations that are inappropriate for some contexts. Just because they know the words, doesn't mean they can't learn to use them in an appropriate setting. Children need to learn limits and boundaries - this concept applies in speech as well as other areas of their lives.
2) Children are exposed to sexuality from all directions and at an earlier age than past generations. Several studies have explored and pointed out the psychological damage done to our children by too early exposure to sexuality. If you want some references, check out the book "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know" by Meg Meeker, M.D.
I think the author of "The Higher Power of Lucky" uses both the word and the whole scene for gratuitous purposes that is not appropriate for a children's book.
Brent Stover
Yes, you're wrong
I didn't use the word vagina because I thought the use of equiped and equipment in that sentence "sounded" better to my writer's ear. Neither Dad nor Daddy's little girl factored into the decision.
Re: After all, it's just a word....
Brent,
I'm not sure what your points are. You start by apparently taking Paul to task in what reads like a somewhat snide way over which words he uses!
Let's assume for the moment that your apparent attack was inadvertent and we’ll move on to your other comments …
Your first point – “Children need to learn limits and boundaries” – is accepted wisdom in our culture but really says very little. That's not to say that the idea is wrong just that from the perspective of other cultures and other times theories about how to raise children differ wildly particularly in what constitutes limits and boundaries.
For example, consider US culture today: The limits and boundaries defined by a liberal parenting style differ from those defined by a conservative style as do the limits and boundaries defined by atheists as compared to those defined by evangelical Christians, Muslims, Satanists, or Mormons.
But what does any of that have to do with using the word “scrotum”? Are you trying to say that there’s some absolute social limit that using the word exceeds? Let’s assume you aren’t then what have limits and boundaries got to do with the topic?
Your second point is incredibly arguable. You are implying that the use of the word scrotum equates to sexuality. Let’s look up the word “sexuality” ...
Merriam Webster < a href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/sexuality">opines that sexuality is
“the quality or state of being sexual : a : the condition of having sex b : sexual activity c : expression of sexual receptivity or interest especially when excessive”. In turn, < a href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/sexual">sexual is defined as “1 : of, relating to, or associated with sex or the sexes 2 : having or involving sex..”The way you are using the term “sexuality” leads me to think you are referring to “sexual activity” rather than the more abstract idea of “associated with sex”. And that’s the problem; overhearing someone saying that their dog got bitten by a rattlesnake in the scrotum is concerned with the association not the activity.
The studies you refer to are contentious in themselves (I asked my sister-in-law who is completing a master’s in child development) but again, like your “limits and boundaries” argument, this isn’t relevant because those studies are concerned with children being exposed to sexuality in the sense of eroticism and not in the sense of reading the word used in a non-erotic way.
All of that not withstanding, I’ll admit that if I had written that book I wouldn’t have used that word; it seems random and designed to be contentious. So, given the fact that the author did use it she may have hoped that people would have the response we have had – she’s getting way more publicity than she would have otherwise got. I wonder whether that translates into greater book sales?
Mark Gibbs.
-Brent This book uses the
-Brent
This book uses the term "scrotum" in a NON-Sexual way. Scrotum is a medical term and there for is certainly okay for 9-12 year-olds. The rattlesnake bite was actually a true story. Using the term "scrotum" to describe a location of a rattlesnake bite is hardly exposing children to sexual references, more like teaching them body parts. You can certainly teach your children body parts without refering them to sex. I do agree with you that children are exposed to sex at too early of an age (however, that's up to the parents to what their kids are exposed to), but I think the author of THIS book does an excellent job in selecting this word to describe the body part. Sheltering your kids too much can also harm your children as well.
I think this book does a great job of the careful word selection to describe the body part and is certainly appropriate for children. Frankly, I don't see what the big fuss is about.
scrotum
I have four children, ages 7, 9, 13 and 15.
I am sure that they all know all of the polite words for body parts relevant to this discussion, and all of the not-so-polite words also.
If you are writing a book for adults, you can use all of these words. If you are writing a book *particularly* targeted to children, you cannot use these words: penis, vagina, scrotum, clitoris, anus.
One of the comments said that these words are not sexual. No, they are not. The sexual words are intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, etc. etc. etc. The other words are just the equipment used for sex and other bodily functions.
If I mention to you these words: car, automobile, v8-engine, convertible, 10-wheeler, then I am just naming equipment, not the act of transportation. In a world where driving, motoring, hitchhiking, taking a taxi, were all touchy, personal subjects -- these words would be touchy too.
Can anyone honestly say that the word scrotum is neutral, pareve, vanilla? Might as well tell a NASCAR enthusiast that "Formula 1" doesn't mean racing!
Re: scrotum
David,
At the risk of being pedantic you wrote "you cannot use these words." Actually, you can. Perhaps what you meant was that you shouldn't.
And therein lies the problem with this discussion: You and the other contributor are taking an absolute position on the topic and then expanding the discussion to encompass a bigger context than we started out with. We started with the issue of the use of the word "scrotum" in a children's book and now you've gone and extended the argument to include a collection of related words that we weren’t talking about. Can’t you see that as a fallacious way of arguing?
Let’s stick with the issue of the use of the word “scrotum” as reported and forget about all the other dirty words that everyone gets so upset about – they weren’t in the book (as far as I know).
So, why is everyone so up in arms about the word “scrotum” being used? You know what the reason is? It is because it is indelicate to those with prudish sensibilities. It offends those people who have some vague, undefined idea of what is “proper”. Oh my god! A child might read the word “scrotum”! Damn it, if they read that next thing you know they’ll be having sex and smoking crack. Oh, those poor children!
If you think that the word scrotum is that dangerous, that inappropriate, you can only be one step away from covering up piano legs like the Victorians did.
Mark.
It's a funny word.
Would it be better if the dog had been bitten by a snake in the a) ass, b) nutsack, c)tail, or d) not been bitten at all?
If you picked b, c, or d, then you have more issues than a cadre of therapists could reasonably treat. Even with medication and ECT. (Please don't let my opinion keep you from seeking treatment.)
And you lack a sense of humor. Of the choices offered, "ass" is the funny choice and funny is always age-appropriate. However amusing ass may be, "scrotum" is funnier still, although the word does lack the linquistic lubriciouness of "labia" (which would have my choice had I been the author, but I digress . . .).
The problem as I see it is that scrotum just might be the masculine equivalent of "cunt". While eventually everybody develops some kind of relationship with a scrotum - and we all know someone who has a scrotum - people just don't seem comfortable using the word. It is an icky word. Funny, but icky.
Besides, "the children" we are all urged to think about won;t be harmed. who thinks that Newberry Medal books are for kids? These books are children's "literature" meant for adults. Read a few and you'll see what I mean. The controversial 2007 medal winner also includes 12-step program meetings, "eccentric characters", and "quirky details" that "spice up Lucky’s life". "The Higher Power of Lucky" stands in stark contrast to "The Foot Book".
scrotum
Last summer while camping, my nephew (6) told me that he thought he had a mosquito bite on his balls. Of course I laughed. It was funny. But if he had said he had a mosquito bite on his scrotum?... I would have fallen to the ground and cramped up with hilarity. I think the author was probably using the word for just that reason.
Scrotal Asymmtery
It would seem fitting to add to the discussion a scientific paper: Right-left and the scrotum in Greek sculpture by Professor Chris McManus of University College London that won the 2002 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Might I also point out a recent Gibbsblog entry on the Ig Nobel prizes?
Just a word
The word is also used to describe the bag used by the homeplate umpire in baseball.