I know I talk about writing and books a lot more these days, but when I first began this blog, I was often ranting about media issues, and I was “dedicated” to fighting censorship and the demise of print media. So, this topic tweeked my ire last night and now I return to my roots:

In case you haven’t heard, there is a huge controversy going on about Amazon’s ranking system which is suddenly [from some accounts drastically] dropping sales rankings of books which they deem to be “Adult” in nature. No, we are not talking the smutty books which honest people used to have to go to dark rooms in the back of “those stores” to purchase. Some of the books being affected include feminist books and especially LGBT books. I am reading what I can, before I pass too much judgement, which is always recommendable, but from what I have read and seen, not surprisingly, Amazon is bowing to the puritanical pressures which have been dictating what we are supposed to read, watch and think for about as long as we have been here. I don’t really use Amazon often, and some arguments in the comments are that they “can do what they want with their sales rankings” but this reeks of censorship to me. If books are being bought they deserve their rank. And how are they deciding what is too “adult”? Which seems weird to me anyway… Because most books are written for adults and there are some pretty hot scenes happening in plenty of hetero romance novels. Once again free speech, literacy and the pursuit of happiness are being hindered based on what other people think is appropriate? Anyway, I need to read more, but you can follow it on Twitter, hash #amazonfail or at Jezebel here and here or …A brand new update at NYTimes I am going to read now…