Comments on: Sculpture depicting a girl performing oral sex upon a man removed from BGSU Firelands Art Exhibit

By: How to Get Six Pack Fast

How to Get Six Pack Fast — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:24:14 +0000

The topic is quite trendy on the Internet at the moment. What do you pay the most attention to when choosing what to write ?

By: john

john — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:57:55 +0000

If the AIDS Memorial Quilt was on display with homophobic language and swastikas painted all over it, would the free speechers be OK with that? I would hope not. The University is doing what is right. People have the right free speech, but they do not have a right to be seen or heard.

By: chrismyers

chrismyers — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:05:04 +0000

I had the opportunity to talk to James Parlin. You can read what he had to say here.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:01:25 +0000

I am in agreement with all 15 previous posts. Take your concern a step further and e-mail the gallery director and “artist”. Here are their e-mail addresses:

dsapp@bgnet.bgsu.edu
jparlin@edinboro.edu

I sent them both pointed yet coherent messages after reading the article in Saturday’s Blade.
I’d also like to add my observation that the “artist” is also an educator. How would you like him on the prowl at your son or daughter’s university?

By: kateb

kateb — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:52:59 +0000

Thanks Jeff – I agree with what you said. I’m surely no prude either – and it takes an egregious example like this sometimes to wake people up to the fact that civil rights extend to the individual. Not to be used to force others to partake in anything they care to create, write or sculpt.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:06:53 +0000

>> Pornography may be legal but it’s also voluntary and NOT for children.

Right on. I don’t have an opinion on *art* one way or the other. I’m also no prude and consider myself socially liberal. However, my wife and I will choose when and how to expose our kids to topics like these when we are darn good and ready.

By: kateb

kateb — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:06:33 +0000

I can tell you how I’d handle it. I’d have called the police and reported it first since I believe exposing young children to this is unarguably abuse, then I’d call Social Services since I probably wouldn’t know how many other children had been abused in this way.

Then I’d have called my lawyer.

Then I’d take my child to see Snow White myself.

My ancestors would have taken a more direct and memorable route and I like to think I would opt for the above but honestly – it’d be a crap shoot.

People don’t have kids and take care of them and see to their education to have them exposed to crap like this. I’m 45 and I’d be HIGHLY upset to be involuntarily exposed to this as well.

Pornography may be legal but it’s also voluntary and NOT for children. You can’t arbitrarily decide to just expose people to this kind of thing. We all have a right not to see it if we choose not to.

By: Mad Jack

Mad Jack — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:29:13 +0000

barga wrote:

A blow job, while enjoyable, is not art

I don’t agree with that. I think that in a lot of cases
[C E N S O R S E D]

Dee Dee made an excellent point about free speech and government censorship.

Not Again beat me to the punch. I haven’t seen the statue, nor do I know anything about the artist, the venue or the audience, but anything depicting oral sex is not fine art; it isn’t even art.

My question to the experienced parents out there is this: How would you handle the situation if your child got an a good look at this statue on the way to see Snow White? Remember, the kids are at an age where the world will end if they don’t get to see Snow White.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:02:18 +0000

President Clinton….thank you…

By: Not Again

Not Again — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:29:59 +0000

toledojim wrote:

It would have also been helpful for the story to tell us how the exhibit came to BGSU in the first place. Who was responsible for bringing it there? Was it a juried group? Or was it simply the director acting on his own?

I would also like to know why these scumbag administrators allow garbage like this to be displayed by a school.