N is for No, This Blog Isn’t Obscene

Those of you coming from the A to Z Challenge may be surprised to find that there isn’t any pornography on this blog. Well, there is that one post where I talk about dishwasher-safe dildos, but I can assure you that I discuss them in a thoroughly nonsexual manner. Of course, the mere mention of dildos is probably why Arlee Bird told me yesterday that my blog is obscene and labeled it “adult content” on the A to Z challenge sign-up list, removing my humor tag, which sucks, because, you know, it’s humor. Not porn. Big difference.

He did it because I keep using words like “fuck” and “shit” even though I have been told to clean up my act. Also, perhaps because he seems to have taken personal offense to my recent post, “K is for Keep Your Language Hang-Ups Off My Blog,” because he left me some wordy and downright condescending feedback in the comments, in which he let me know that my “obscenity” isn’t just harmful to the kiddies, but offensive to absolutely everyone who’s unfairly forced to read “a site they feel wastes their time.” He implied that my blog isn’t informational, insightful or inspiring at all, but is only interesting to those who “may want to be shocked or just entertained.”

Nothing to see here, folks, move along.

He accused me of “running bloggers off in droves due to [my] overly offensive blogging behavior.” (I assume he was talking about me, since he left this remark on my blog.) He also claims, “I am not a big fan of censorship, but likewise I think there’s a matter of decorum that should be in place and addressed by those who wish to resort to bawdiness.” (Yes, he actually said "bawdiness." I know.)

I let him know that I was feeling persecuted because it's unfair to make up arbitrary rules as you go along, not publicize them, and then only apply them to one person (again, other bloggers in this challenge are telling me that they've had no complaints about their use of language and have never heard of there being at rule about it). He let me know that "asking you or other bloggers to help us with cooperation" is not persecution, although he did seem unaware that I have, in fact, cooperated, in the form of the adult language header that you can see right at the top of every page of this blog, now and since before the challenge started. 

So, again, just to be super clear to everyone -- I feel persecuted because I was asked to clean up my language OR place an adult content warning on my blog. I chose to place the warning. After I placed the warning, I continued to receive requests to clean up my language, even though I had done as I was asked by placing the warning. Are we all on the same page now? Great. Moving on.

In answer to my claim that it's not fair to make up arbitrary rules as you go along, Arlee replied, “Yes, if we are doing a free thing that we're trying to do to enhance our image as bloggers and authors as well as helping others to enhance their images, then we have every right to make up arbitrary rules as we run into new problems and unforeseen situations.” 

You sure are enhancing your image by talking down to a 30-year-old blogger as if she’s your unruly teen-aged child. He's helping me, see, and I'm just being ungrateful, see. He then goes on to invite me to “express [my] concerns in a rational manner” – emphasis mine, must’ve been blogging on my period again, oops – as part of the A to Z Challenge Reflections event in May. Yes, because I’m 100% positive that he will allow me to express myself freely in that forum.

The funny part of all this is that Arlee dressed me down for not taking appropriate measures to comply with the arbitrary rules that he's allowed to make up IN THE COMMENTS OF A POST ABOUT MY EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH THE ARBITRARY RULES THAT HE'S ALLOWED TO MAKE UP. I take this as evidence that he didn't actually read the post, but just read the title and then skipped straight to the comments. "A woman is talking, I must put her in her place!" Jeebus wept.

And yes, before you say anything, I know he’s the founder and I know it’s his challenge. This, however, is my blog.

UPDATE: Hey, everybody, Something Clever 2.0 has picked up this story and blogged about it for her readers! Hop on over there and take a look! Leave comments! Be nice! 

Aaaaaand, I've inspired a new blogging challenge!!!! Sorry for the multiple exclamation points, but I'm just too excited!!! The Insomniac's Dream is hosting the ABCs of Swearing next month! Don't worry, it's not as full-on as the A to Z Challenge. Go to her blog to read about it, and sign up!