For some reason, Susan Patron decided it would be a good idea to include the word "scrotum" in her children's book entitled, "The Higher Power of Lucky". Evidently, her publishers and everyone else at the publishing firm, several focus groups and whoever else was involved in the army of people it takes to publish a book also agreed. Patron then won the Newbery Medal for children's literature and so a panel of judges thought nothing of the book featuring the word "scrotum" and furthmore, the Newbery Award is specifically FOR children's literature. Then, because of that award, teachers all over the country were discovering that they would have to say the word "scrotum" to their students as they inevitably read the book out loud in class.Or, better yet, during class reading time, a nervous little Hassidic Jewish girl would have to. That would much funnier - because of the cultural terror and all.
Anyway, so this author is now - after all that - under fire for telling what, apparently, is a true story about how a dog was bitten by a rattle snake. Under fire, no doubt, from the same shrill housewives who think Harry Potter promotes witchcraft.
At best, this is just hilariously random. Who on earth puts the word scrotum in a children's book unless it's completely necessary (like for a health guide or a true story - which this is)?
Best quote ever:
Why did it get to this point, post award and all, before people started getting all offended? Could it be that no one reads these books until the parents and teachers do? If not, why are thinking literary professionals not offended while parents are? Could it be that there is, ultimately, nothing offensive here?
Unless of course, Ms. Patron has a strange subtle fetish for making teachers say such a "delicious" word out loud to students and she lies awake a night thinking about how fulfilling it is. And that, even for this blog, is pretty freaking weird.
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