 |
| found via google image search |
There was a really interesting discussion on Milkboys recently. (here) It would appear that Japan is increasing the concepts of abuse to include what was refered to as Manga in the article.
Like most reasonably computer literate individuals, I am aware of the anime drawings. They do have the tendency to go a wide degree of situations and characterizations. I'm not really into it myself, guess I just missed the "comic book bug" that many have. So, I guess there is a degree of "whatever" to my response to something like this, until I begin to think deeper on the subject.
The problem that many people have with the anime stuff is that there is an element, a style of content for some, that depicts sex with seemingly underage people. It is that type of anime that Japan is referring to as "child abuse". As you can imagine, there are some who agree, there are some who disagree.
In the end, my concern really comes by the concepts used to fight the issue. Referring to the drawings and cgi as "child abuse" and therefore needing to be addressed in the same ways as pornography and assault seems to stretch the bounds of reality a bit. I'd rather stay out of the concept of abuse for the moment and focus on fiction.
Now, a cartoon, by definition, is fiction. It may be based upon fact, I guess, but it does not capture a real likeness nor is it an image of a real person. So, I think it fair to say it is fiction. Unreal. A non person. Fake. Imagination. Fantasy. Thought. Do I go on? And yet, this very definition is ignored and the image declared abuse, imparting a reality that doesn't seem warranted.
Does this become a thought crime, handled by the thought police?
What is the difference between a doodle and a crime?
Is Michaelangelo's David now to be considered pornography?
What about written stories? Are they open to this?
The classification of such images as abuse will have little real effect on me. It is the end of this that scares me. If we decry one fiction to be abusive, what's next.
What are your thoughts.
