Porn In A Public Library

Chet said:
I checked out the movie Caligula, who was the mad Roman emperor ruling from 37 to 41 AD. The opening credits showed the magazine Penthouse as the producer. That was the first clue.

As the movie progressed, it became clear what the movie was. It was pure, uncensored and raw porn of every description with explicit sexuality. For good measure, there were several scenes of sadistic torture and killing.

I’m not a prude. I have seen raw porn (only for research purposes of course 😇), and this movie was right up there.

I wonder if the library even knows about it. They certainly can’t read every book or watch every movie to see if it’s appropriate to put it on their shelf. If they think it’s OK I'm fine with it. Should I inform them or let it go?
Click to expand...
Well, that brings back memories. I saw Caligula once, seems like it was back in the 70's. I would ten to think that most librarians wouldn't have the faintest clue what it was about. I would assume that they would probably only read the first paragraph of Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus on Wikipedia and stop at that...
 
Unfortunately I havn`t watched the movie yet. I should do it. Perhaps the movie "In the Realm of the Senses" by Nagisha Ōshima is worse.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976) ⭐ 6.6 | Drama, Romance

But according to Oscar Wilde:​

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.
Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”​

(from "The Picture of Dorian Gray"). I think this could be true for movies too.
 
After checking on line, I found the only Caligula movie offered by the Los Angeles Public Library is "Caligula: Reign of Madness", a 1999 A & E special, rated TV-14. I happen to be dropping by the library today and will ask about their policy on R or X rated films.

In any event, banning books from public libraries is like closing the barn door more than 20 years after the horses got out.

All manner of porn requires nothing more than a phone with an internet connection - or a friend with a phone and an internet connection. By the time kids are in middle school they pretty much know all there is to know and have seen whatever piques their curiosity.

I have zero fear that kids following academic pursuits might "accidentally" stumble over, and be damaged by, the widely-released original "Caligula" (rated R) from a public library. Chet, your library might have the Unrated (X-rated) version, in which case they should definitely be alerted.
Chet said:
As the movie progressed, it became clear what the movie was. It was pure, uncensored and raw porn of every description with explicit sexuality. For good measure, there were several scenes of sadistic torture and killing.

I’m not a prude. I have seen raw porn (only for research purposes of course 😇), and this movie was right up there.
Click to expand...
 
Regarding to movies, there may be some of them not suitable for minors. And I don't relate to sex but to violence. Ten years ago the French-German TV channel 'Arte' aired the musical movie "Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". The music and songs are excellent, but it is a splatter movie. Of course all the blood is artificial, but it seems that some young people cannot distinguish between movie and reality. Only two days after the movie was aired, a young man in France tried cutting the throat of a female customer at a supermarket. He was successful and the poor women died.
Nevertheless I like the music very much.



 
Last edited:
Chet said:
I checked out the movie Caligula, who was the mad Roman emperor ruling from 37 to 41 AD. The opening credits showed the magazine Penthouse as the producer. That was the first clue.

As the movie progressed, it became clear what the movie was. It was pure, uncensored and raw porn of every description with explicit sexuality. For good measure, there were several scenes of sadistic torture and killing.

I’m not a prude. I have seen raw porn (only for research purposes of course 😇), and this movie was right up there.

I wonder if the library even knows about it. They certainly can’t read every book or watch every movie to see if it’s appropriate to put it on their shelf. If they think it’s OK I'm fine with it. Should I inform them or let it go?
Click to expand...
Caligula in the library? YIPPEE!!!

Libraries are not there to cater to any individual's sensibility. Don't like Caligula, don't watch it.
 
George1959 said:
Unfortunately I havn`t watched the movie yet. I should do it. Perhaps the movie "In the Realm of the Senses" by Nagisha Ōshima is worse.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976) ⭐ 6.6 | Drama, Romance

But according to Oscar Wilde:​

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.​

Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”​

(from "The Picture of Dorian Gray"). I think this could be true for movies too.
Click to expand...
I agree with Wilde.
 
Chet said:
I checked out the movie Caligula, who was the mad Roman emperor ruling from 37 to 41 AD. The opening credits showed the magazine Penthouse as the producer. That was the first clue.

As the movie progressed, it became clear what the movie was. It was pure, uncensored and raw porn of every description with explicit sexuality. For good measure, there were several scenes of sadistic torture and killing.

I’m not a prude. I have seen raw porn (only for research purposes of course 😇), and this movie was right up there.

I wonder if the library even knows about it. They certainly can’t read every book or watch every movie to see if it’s appropriate to put it on their shelf. If they think it’s OK I'm fine with it. Should I inform them or let it go?
Click to expand...
What is wrong with this? Up to parents to monitor their kids' cultural materials. Besides, Helen Mirren is in this movie.
 
CallMeKate said:
If I'd have to guess, I'd say that they have *no* idea that a movie in that genre would be inappropriate. Definitely tell them. It has nothing to do with being a prude... more like a concerned citizen... it was a public library! @Chet
Click to expand...
As I remember it, Caligula was R rated. The British TV series, I Claudius, was suitable for adults only because of some disturbing content but I did allow my young daughter to watch it with me thinking it would all go over her head. It didn't, she was intuitive enough to work out that Caligula killed his sister by cutting open her abdomen and eating the foetus that he has fathered. This was not at all explicit but she understood what had happened.

I'm happy to report that she was not traumatised. Could be because I have always, like my father before me, explained that what we see in films is not real. The dead cowboys and indians in Saturday movie sessions always got up again when the director said "Cut", and then turned up on Fridays to collect their pay.
 
Warrigal said:
As I remember it, Caligula was R rated. The British TV series, I Claudius, was suitable for adults only because of some disturbing content but I did allow my young daughter to watch it with me thinking it would all go over her head. It didn't, she was intuitive enough to work out that Caligula killed his sister by cutting open her abdomen and eating the foetus that he has fathered. This was not at all explicit but she understood what had happened.

I'm happy to report that she was not traumatised. Could be because I have always, like my father before me, explained that what we see in films is not real. The dead cowboys and indians in Saturday movie sessions always got up again when the director said "Cut", and then turned up on Fridays to collect their pay.
Click to expand...
And went out for a few after "cut."
 
Warrigal said:
I'm happy to report that she was not traumatised. Could be because I have always, like my father before me, explained that what we see in films is not real. The dead cowboys and indians in Saturday movie sessions always got up again when the director said "Cut", and then turned up on Fridays to collect their pay.
Click to expand...
Good for you!

My twins did a little tv work as babies and toddlers. (I stopped it when they were two years old.) I had it recorded on VCR tapes that the kids would watch now and then.

When a movie or TV had a disturbing sequence, I'd remind them that it wasn't real, just like son G wasn't really named Andrew, nor was he the son of those soap opera actors. That reminder helped them separate fiction from reality.
 
When we had video/DVD borrowing stores here in Australia any movies classified R or M+ would not be able to be borrowed by minors aged under 18 and 15 respectively.
A public library would have to adhere to that too.
The store owners/librarians don't have to know what is i n the movie - the classification is shown on the cover.
 
January said:
When we had video/DVD borrowing stores here in Australia any movies classified R or M+ would not be able to be borrowed by minors aged under 18 and 15 respectively.
A public library would have to adhere to that too.
The store owners/librarians don't have to know what is i n the movie - the classification is shown on the cover.
Click to expand...
That was true of video stores here, but apparently not of libraries.
 
I disagree.

Libraries should follow the required classifications same as anywhere else; stores, movie theatres etc.

If a minor can't borrow a Restricted move from a store why should they be able to borrow one from a library?
 
Last edited:
January said:
I disagree.

Libraries should follow the required classifications same as anywhere else; stores, movie theatres etc.

If a minor can't borrow a Restricted move from a store why should they be able to borrow one from a library?
Click to expand...
Libraries are not responsible for taking on the parenting role. You must be a bad parent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top