Men Only Gamers

Help us with mature content
says the plaintive banner
in a cool shade of blue
hanging like the sky above my words.

I'm not always a rule follower
but still I check my work with the zeal
of a pig snuffling out truffles
for any trace or scent of impropriety.

Maturity, a coming of age,
the magic of eighteen and that thought
truly makes me chuckle but I keep it
in my thought bubble.

I understand and yet...I don't
sexual material is easy to find .
It blazes like a neon light blinking
into the window of a cheap motel.

And then I see the long fingers of money,
pays for sex but likes it behind locked doors.
Violence, horror, suicide, and drugs
slip subjectively through the sluice gate with the stealth of the cartel.

And so these thoughts roll around my head
my own little barrel of monkeys until
I begin to join them together
in a bent arm string of thought.

And then I see to the right of my "home" feed
an advertisement with an terrifyingly buxom virtual woman
holding a sword bold, highly sexed and dangerous
beneath her own banner waving Men Gamers Only.

I am the daughter of Title IX
my stilettos are finely honed,
there is no game too dangerous
for I walk on sharpened knives.

Had you really wanted a Valkyrie
all you had to do was ask, I won't tell-
you see I can be whatever I want to be
even if only in wordy worldly images.

So how far do you want to go?
I've run these bases before
they ever had cleats for girls.
Only to now lament, "Oh the hypocrisy."

Reviews

[redflutterby]

BRAVO!!!!!!! Let me stand beside you hands on my hips...eyes blazing!! The whole mature label issue has irritated me since this campaign started. Not because we shouldnt apply a rating to the work here but because ive seen works that contain no graphic or overt sexuality labeled as mature by administration. They claim its because of advertiser complaints but I truly dont believe that. I think its complaints by a small minority of writers who dont like or want certain types of writing on this site. I base this on exactly what you state...ads just like the one you mention. Not to mention the advertisers who use advertising which tries to hijack you to other sites or get you to download unnecessary protection for your laptop or device. This site is loaded with them. Which I notified administration about months ago and never received a response on. Too be honest I dont think the administration cares about quality advertisers.. just how much money is going in their pocket.

The hypocrisy you point out is spot on...good for you to bring it out in the open!!

[icelandicblue]

Thanks for that passion red. When someone starts censoring they should be cleaning their own house because without fail you will find dirty laundry. When I saw that ad...well that was the motivation behind the poem. Really, they say a picture is worth a thousand words and that picture was written in 8pt. font. Thanks for your support. We're writers and mature content is obviously in the eye of the beholder. I'm more concerned that a 12 year old has commented on a poem entitled suicide than I am about someone using the word vagina.

[icelandicblue]

Once you start censoring where do you stop?

[redflutterby]

Exactly my feelings Anne...I was on a fitness site where you had teen girls posting pro-anorexia and bulimia food diaries. Not to mention tips on extremely dangerous fasting and cleanses. The moderators were constantly encouraging members to report this behaviour...yet were using advertising for ice cream, junk food and some very questionable weight loss programs endorsed by celebrities. Kind of confusing for those young girls...to say the least.

This site is about writing...and like with most forms of creative art censorship causes concern. Where does it stop? Take a trip to your local art museum or exhibit and I'm sure youll find things that some deem offensive. For many reasons. Who decides whether that means the art can't be seen? Or under what restrictions? These are questions concern many of us...

[kublakhan27]

Haha All I can say is thank you...everyone else has already summed up my thoughts pretty well. Every stanza has great imagery...the sky, a pig, thought bubbles, and so on...all are fitting metaphors when it comes to this issue. Great work my friend.

[icelandicblue]

Thank you my friend. We are poets...we speak out.

[MsJewel]

Good for you!!!! I'm clapping really loud here!!! It infuriates me to think I was slapped on the hand and threatened to be thrown off the site for a Steve Hanks painting that showed absolutely NOTHING but a woman wrapped in a towel...(beautiful art in my opinion) and yet the advertisements that roll across our pages continue uncensored. Whether it is the advertisers complaining or WC members, my opinion is - if you can't tell the difference between pornography and art then don't look.
I have read many, many poems on this site that deal with mature subjects, drug use, graphic abuse, etc without mature warnings. I would much rather my teenager appreciate a piece of art rather than read about a husband beating his wife.
Good for you! Great poem!
:) Julie

[icelandicblue]

Wow Julie,
I didn't realize the site was using that type of strong arm intimidation with the members. Have they read your writing...it is filled with beauty and sings of soft and inviting imagery. There have been a number of poems with mature ratings of late and I wondered why. Then I saw the big brother banner "help us with mature content." Still I didn't really give it much thought but when I saw that ad today everything came together and I was insulted, infuriated and indignant. You can't censor us and then take in revenue from advertisers that use highly explicit sexual advertising. Your lady in the towel was classically lovely, where as the ad was just this side of raunchy. I was not offended by it however, what I was bothered about was the hypocrisy of this sudden campaign to label work based on the subjectivity of who knows who. Again thanks for your input. I think it is an important dialogue.

[MsJewel]

I don't believe they read the poetry - I think the rating was strictly regarding the art. I enjoy this site, so I changed my profile to adult. I wouldn't want to offend anyone - however, like you, I find this type of hypocrisy frustrating.

[icelandicblue]

OMG so they forced you to label your profile too! I like the site but that is just ridiculous. Should they then label themselves so no unsuspecting person under 18 dare venture onto it. We are the site and so they are us! The advertisers come because of the number of active users not because they like the owners.

[Rita L. Sev]

Woot woot! I was thinking very similar thoughts (though you put it so much more eloquently) when that "Help us with mature content" banner came up. I don't worry so much on my own pieces (such a 'good girl' am I!) but I just don't see the sense in this particular brand of censorship.

[icelandicblue]

I'm not a fan of censorship (i get it when it reads like the Story of O) but when the site runs highly sexual ads for gamers you've got to wonder if the fox is watching the hen house. You can't have it both ways. Thanks for your comments on this little protest poem of mine. I'm sure when people see the title they must wonder, oh oh, what's that about? LOL

[Baby Ricochet]

Interesting piece blue. I don't do erotica so much as swearing, particularly the f bomb. The most useful word in the English language. Noun, verb, abverb, conjunction the f bomb covers it all. It's a wonder of the English language

[icelandicblue]

I just had that same conversation with my husband yesterday. When you use the fbomb you barely need any other words. Thanks BR.

[ron]

This is very true. They preach one thing while making available the one thing they want "US" to help control. It's like the drug dealer trying to get drugs off the streets (except for his corner).

[icelandicblue]

Thanks ron and that is a fabulous analogy.

[ron]

Thank you and you are most welcome icelandicblue.