X-Rated???

I never even think about sex so you should not ask me. No really...it's true. What? You don't believe me? Are you calling me a liar! I bet your the one who stole me cherries too aren't you! I need a cup of coffee to calm my nerves... Sir Folgers

Dear ja, I went to have a look at 'Dating' to re-assess it but could not see it on the site. Have you removed it? I will certainly take a look - it may well have been a slippy finger on the Editor's part and I'll be more than happy to pass judgment! Regards, Tony, The Chief Exec.

Sorry Tony, I re-entered it as it didn't have any paragraph breaks when it was on site, it went through the language filter again so isn't on the site at the moment but I would definitely appreciate you looking at it as I don't think it has any offensive language or too much risque content to warrant an 18 certificate.

I had another look and I think it's worth a '15', which is what I've given it. Let's have a debate here. I'm very interested in how people view these things. This is a good story that deserves a read but I'd be really keen to know what you all think. How would you rate this story? We try to be as inclusive as we possibly can be - and I think that we lay ourselves open at times to criticism for being too inclusive. You'd be horrified at some of the stuff we reject (which is very rare). 'Dating' is certainly worthy of inclusion on the site. If you were the certificator, what would be your rating? Pip pip, Tony, The Chief Exec.

I'm glad you thought it noteworthy enough to put on the site Tony, it's just a little something I wrote after I used to work as a writer of lonely hearts columns - I wanted to do a longer piece using the vernacular of the ads but it proved a bit tricky so I stopped where I did. I think 15's still a bit stiff to be honest, but who am I to question the powers that be?

Well, having just read it, I have to say I agree with Ja. There was nothing in it that would have had the slightest effect on my 12-year-old. Could it be, perhaps, the (fleeting) references to S&M, lewd pictures or (shock, horror!) gays and bi's? Or maybe it's just because I live in Sin City... Do tell us though, Tony, exactly why you thought it merited a 15 (purely in the interests of science, of course)?

Wickedly funny story, Ja - loved it!! Should be a 12 - nothing that made me think Ooop! = 15 (I mean, I tend to play oversafe here on ABC, but Four Weddings was a 15 - and look at the first page of script!!!) JJ

I wasn't sure what to rate a story once and so clicked 12 knowing that it would then go via Mr Censor. I was surprised when it was upped to an 18 but not bothered though. It has been read about the same number of times as my other stuff so I don't think the rating affected it one way or another.

This is a tough one. First of all, in my opinion, there's no way it deserves an 18 rating. However, I'm unsure about a 12 rating either. It's certainly okay for 15 year-olds to read, although I don't think they'd want to. Nothing wrong with the story, I hasten to add, it's just that a 15 year-old's interests are, for the most part, far removed from a lonely hearts column. Fifteen year olds think about sex roughly once every 90 seconds. (Come to think of it, so do I at 45 years of age, so nothing changes there). Their thoughts are also on music, clothes, mates etc. And there's nothing in this story to shock them. However, I do feel that the story's too visual in places (hairy gay men, for instance) for a sensitive 12 year old. A mature 13 year-old could handle it, and I feel it's certainly okay for a 14 year old. A lot of growing up happens between the ages of 12 and 15. Let's protect our children as long as we can. Twelve year-olds should be thinking about sport, music and girls, not the sordid affairs of lonely heart columns. Keep the 15 rating.

Cheers for the responses - especially you jennifer, I can never stop smiling when someone likes what I've written, so I'm going to spend my Friday a happy man now. Glad that people don't think it was a 15 too - although I think you're right stormy, I don't think such ratings affect how many people read stuff that much. Still, I wouldn't mind knowing what was in the story to provoke such a rating Tony?

Sorry Karl, I wrote that last message before I'd read your response (mustn't have updated the page quickly enough) and I do think you have a point - I can remember a lot of gruesome details which would be a bit tough on young ears (especially when we did the Daily Sport - if you think these people don't exist just think about the weirdest thing you can imagine and times it by a few million). However, I don't think there's too much of that in the story - it's pretty light hearted and you'd be surprised about how fast the youth of today are growing up.

15 is ok for most things except gloria hunniford

I think 15 is not too bad. 12 might be a smidge too young for some at least. Unfortunately, most kids are growing up too fast. It's up to us to keep that from happening. Kids should be kids all through their childhood. Enjoyed the story.

Well, I'm probably the person here who has most recently been both 12 and 15 (19 now) - and I can assure you that I was reading a lot of books, stories etc all through. Sensitive twelve year olds? Please! Shocking hairy gay men? Don't be daft! They read Cosmo at that age nowadays, you know.

I've never seen any hairy gay men reading Cosmo.

i have ...

You need to paragraph, ABC stylee......

Jennifer, there are sensitive 112 year-olds, sweetheart, so don't knock sensitivity, whatever the age. I've seen things in my life that I find difficult to handle at 45, so a kid of 12, without the strength and grounding that comes from being bounced around by life for a few years, would be blown away by them. Allow our young the opportunity to be young - even if they don't think they are themselves.

How old is everyone on ABCtales? I am 9 years-old. Most of my stuff is rated 18, does that mean I can't read my own work?

I think there is a serious context here. I worked as a Youth Leader for many years in London and saw many children that had their innocence robbed from them, for reasons that many would find extremely distressing. It's a natural and normal instinct to want to protect the vulnerability of the young. Of course we know that kids are much more sophisticated, worldly and exposed to more adult information than we were. I have a four year old who sadly knows far too much. That doesn't stop me wanting to prolong her childhood. There are years stretching ahead in which to be shocked, disturbed, confused and traumatised by the world. Censorship is a very tricky area and is open to much debate but in theory, I do believe in a level of guardianship. Strongly.

Yes I agree - but the trouble is - what with all the teen mags etc encouraging them to grow up faster, where do we draw the lines?

Please read about Karl's exciting life in his forthcoming autobiography......"Being Bounced around by life".......out now at all good bookshops for £1.99.....

not to alert the censors but my poem 'more and more' contains the 'f'- word and gets a universal rating !!(which i would hope as I feel it is universal and not explicit). perhaps evidence of double standards???? Tobe

I just had this little dingo lassooed by the Willy Wonka filter: A blip in the Weather- a spent typhoon. A dip in the Market- a spent tycoon. No mention whatsoever of an Abo's jockstrap or Pommie Poofters, either! Strewth!

I thought I'd wait a while and let this thread have its wicked way before responding. My reasons for the '15' rating were very similiar to those expressed by Karl. I have three kids aged 24, 20 and 15 and whilst my youngest is undoubtedly too worldly wise living and going to school in the wicked city of Brighton and Hove I wouldn't have wanted her reading about S & M and gay hairy men a couple of years ago. It's as simple as that. I accept that I may be wrong, over-protective or whatever and hence the call for the debate. However, on balance, and having read all the comments the final decision must rest with me and it remains a '15'. Thankyou for your contributions. I'll double check the Toby poem - don't know how that got through! As for 'ern mali' - it was the word 'spent' that made it get caught. I'm sure you can imagine why! Pip pip, Tony

Spent???? That is a totally innocuous word, isn't it? Or am I missing something here? If I write "Come and go" does that get caught too then????

"spent" can have innocent connotations but does also refer to male "emissions" ................errrrrmmmmm I'm trying to be delicate about this, hopefully you know what I mean !!

Oh yes Martin, I know what it means....I'm not that innocent :o))) What I was saying was, did it have any other, more x-rated connotations, as that seems borderline ridiculous to x-rate the word spent! Thats why I made the comparison with the word"come" One and the same, though l hope that "come" isnt going to be hauled up under the poobumwilly censor... There are millions of words that have double entendres, surely they can't all be hauled up? Spent is one that quite honestly, 3/4 of the population wouldn't even think twice about using.

Just posted 'Judas Spent'. Accepted, no sweat, no worries. Of course, it was the 'coon' in 'Tycoon' that fucked me first posting up.

well spotted! We include sexist, racist and homophobic words in the filters and sometimes the filters can be a little oversensitive (but better that than have something offensive/hate-inducing go up!)

Aha!! That explains it.....hadn't thought of that

Ooh er, better check the 'spent', matron. No idea why it got caught then. Computers work in mysterious ways. pip pip, tony

I wrote a story called "First Time" that was given a 15 rating. I'm not sure how I feel about it because I have read through it and at no point thought that there was anything that offensive within the text. I can only presume it has something to do with the topic of homosexuality.

Or maybe the sexual innuendo???

I HAVE JUST SPENT ON MY COMPUTER money that is! R D R R