Daily Archives: August 5, 2009
What are your limits?
Everybody has their limits, the little invisible lines that define what is appropriate and acceptable and what is not. A number of people have asked me if I only read books by christian authors and christian publishers. The answer is a resounding “No.” Neither do I only listen to christian music or watch movies that portray christian characters. A problem arises, though, when people who know I am a christian assume that all the books I review or recommend meet their same standards of propriety.
So, here’s my question for you: what are your limits?
I understand CBA will not publish a book if it includes a single swear word. It makes me think of Gone with the Wind and all the hub-bub Selznick endured for that one famous line: “Frankly, my dear …”
Will you read a book with swear words? Are there certain swear words that are okay and others that are not? What about sensuality? Do you have different standards for books versus movies or TV?
I have a friend who insists she’ll not read books nor watch movies that include profanity. Yet she loved Erin Brockovich. Have you seen that movie? Not only does it portray a single mom with immodest fashion sense and questionable morality, but the F-bomb is dropped liberally throughout. Almost as much as Good Will Hunting. My friend wasn’t bothered. In that case, the story took over. She was so drawn into the plot that these inclusions, which typically assault her, went unnoticed.
Where is the line and how good does the story have to be to justify “impure” details? Raw details often lend greater authenticity, but how much is too much? How do you define the line?
