don't stand, don't stand so, don't stand so close to me.

[enamoured]

A few minutes ago, I was in communication law. We've been talking about indecency and obscenity, and when we discussed the internet in relation to monitoring and blocking child porn, I briefly mentioned the LJ Strikethrough deletions of rape and incest survivor communities and that Spanish Lolita discussion community. There were, of course, people who said that all instances of child porn should be completely banned, and this girl next to me said, "I don't care, even if it's fictional, it should be banned. Like in that book she [talking about me] was talking about."

I said, "You mean Lolita?" And she nodded in response and said something that blew my mind:

"I've never heard of that book."

Me (still shocked): "It's a major piece of literature. [gives brief summary of the book and mention that it's been made into two movies]"

Girl: "Well, it's still wrong, and I've still never heard of it."

WHAT.

That girl is, at the least, eighteen years old. Even if you haven't actually read it, at that age you should have at least heard about Lolita once. Shit, I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard the term "Lolita" bandied around for a tarted-up ten year old, or if you had asked somebody about "that book by Nabokov" that Sting mentions in "Don't Stand So Close to Me". YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT. HOW THE HELL HAVE YOU NOT HEARD OF ONE OF THE MOST MAJOR WORKS OF LITERATURE FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY?!

Comments

[sucrelefey.livejournal.com]

Well I never heard of Lolita until my mid 20s and that was in context to film adaptations. I know of the book an its gist but still haven't read it as most modernist literature does not interest me regardless of its core of culture and civilization status as deemed by others.

Who's Sting? I kid I kid.

[pourtant.livejournal.com]

I haven't read it either (though I strongly suspect that I have the book, somewhere) but it's pretty impressive to have never heard of it - the references are everywhere.

[stashdrawer.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of it either, and I'm 22. o_O In Japan there's something called lolita fashion, so that might be something similar...

[chrryblssmninja.livejournal.com]

well, Lolita fashion does concern dressing up somewhat babyish, but it doesn't have exactly the same connotations as the term does in mainstream English-speaking thought.

[stashdrawer.livejournal.com]

I figured as much. Blame the Canadian school system for why I'm not as cultured as you all.

[chrryblssmninja.livejournal.com]

nah. us Americans are probably taught less than Canadians...

some of us are just geekish and know random things about Japanese culture.

[demonqueen666.livejournal.com]

I didn't have to read it until college, but I had heard the term "lolita" before and more or less figured it out.

At least I knew it was a book :/

[chrryblssmninja.livejournal.com]

That girl is, at the least, eighteen years old. Even if you haven't actually read it, at that age you should have at least heard about Lolita once.
scary, but not surprising. I know that many college students have been strangely sheltered from knowledge of terms like "Lolita" by a random confluence of circumstances (and studying for the test way too much).

[gannet-guts.livejournal.com]

It's only like, my favourite book ever (you should see the looks I get when I say it). I have to say, "well, not the subject matter, obviously." Gah.

[silver-mage.livejournal.com]

I understand the context but hadn't read it just yet...

[moirariordan.livejournal.com]

Girl: "Well, it's still wrong, and I've still never heard of it."

THAT worries me a lot. Especially coming from a college student. Every rule/more/whatever has an exception - that's something that everyone should keep in mind, especially when you're in college.

And even fiction? Even fiction that condemns it? Even fiction that takes a firm stance against it and is able to persuade readers to condemn it as well? *eye roll*