Animation Source Forums

Actually, I agree with you on this...to a point. I do believe that a good story has conflict. It's like when Cat suggested that the sequel to my "Nome Meets Snob Hill" storyline, which everyone's been asking me to write, include some sort of dangerous conflict in which, as a rough example (which she posited), Tramp finds himself fighting a bear (similar to what happened to Balto and the others in the original Balto cartoon). And, in response, I told her that was an excellent idea. In fact, in my notes for the sequel, I have made a point of doing something of that kind...maybe even exactly what she suggested. Because THAT is great conflict!

Now, do I need to throw in a bunch of expletives to make it compelling or entertaining? Pff. No. Is there a way for me to create and spice up the conflict without them? Sure there is. Because I am capable of expressing myself, as a writer AND as a person, without resorting to such expletives (though, like most human beings, I slip every now and again in conversation when I'm REALLY keyed up...I'll freely admit that). A writer who has to resort to the use of profanity and other base language to complete a stream of thought, or tell a story, is either incapable of expressing him or herself with more sophisticated, intelligent and reasonable language, or doesn't care. They sacrifice quality for shock entertainment and schlock. And that's not good writing. Not hardly. And it's not a healthy thing for people to read or deal with...especially young readers.

And do I need to talk about how, in a swell of emotion after first seeing the Northern Lights, Scamp decides to boink Angel? Pff. No. I can set up the scene, and people can draw their own conclusions, using their OWN imaginations. That is what made the late great Walt Disney such a wizard at story telling. Because he wrote for ALL ages, and made his material safe for kids, while making it accessible for EVERYONE. Like Chuck Jones...and Robert McKimson...and Walter Lanz...and Fritz Freleng...and the other great story writers, directors and animators of the 30s, 40s and 50s. Just to draw upon cartoons as an example.

So...the teen and adult readers should be quite capable of using their very active imaginations (especially teens, who are supposed to be better at it than the average adult) to, for instance, imagine the graphic side of Lady and Tramp's coupling in their first movie, or of Balto and Jenna sometime during or after Balto 1. And they get what they want by innocent suggestion (and perhaps even innuendo), and the material is still safe for everyone. That's wizardry in writing.

Okay well whatever its fan-fiction.

You know what BaltoSeppala, that's absurd. If the writers put up warnings about story content, and people of younger age read it, then it's shame on them if they are offended. Why? Because they made the choice, not the writers, or anyone else. Why should the writers be blamed, if the readers are warned? They have a choice on reading the story, wether it has balto characters or not really doesn't matter. Curiosity killed the cat, and younger readers are just as responsible and have just as much option as older ones. If they made the choice to read it, then it's thier problem if they have an attitude. We writers shouldn't be held acountable for what your younger readers do. It really has nothing to do with us. By the way BaltoSeppala, who's to say that those kids reading the mature stories, won't be WRITING them one day?

Just my two cents but there used to be something known as personal responsibility. If a child is old enough to be on the internet he/she should be taught how to browse the web responsibly. Parents need to step forward and teach their children to avoid certain things instead of just relegating it to a filter. Also, kids are exposed to far worse stuff on a daily basis just by going to school and even when they sit down to watch TV.
I don't really see where this is a problem as all the fan fictions I've come across on this site are labeled with warnings if they contain any mature content. People need to stop holding others responsible for their own or their child's actions.

THANK YOU GREYKITTY! like I said, the kids are resposible!

Well said, Greykitty!
I hadn't really considered what some kids might see or hear on a daily basis in the real world. Wow. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly.
And you're right, parents should teach their kids to browse the interweb safely and not leave it up to webmasters to change the site so their kid can see it. It's impossible to please everyone.
But I think we'll all agree that steet has done a great job of pleasing the most people, right? I certainly think so.

In any case, as long as there's warnings and/or ratings, I guess there's really no reason to get all hyped up.

-LWf

Not to be mean, but think about what you're saying It's impossible for people NOT to be screwed up in some way. There's different levels of it screwed-up-ness. But again, its opinion-based.

For one thing, I never said the writers are responsible for kids reading their works.

However, you each are wrong about one thing...kids under a certain age are NOT capable of the kinds of logic, reason, and responsibility you are assigning to them. To think that is absurd. Why do kids get taken in by sexual predators on the internet? Because they are not capable of the kind of personal responsibility and logic you are assigning to them. Why do some of them blow firecrackers off in their hands? Same reason. The lack OF it.

"Who's to say that those kids reading the mature stories won't be writing them someday?" NO one. And that's the very problem...when people like you say "hey man, it's not MY fault that some ten year-old read my story. He should have KNOWN better!" It's attitudes like that which have contributed to a lot of the ills our societies face today. The lack of personal responsibility by those who SHOULD know better. By not keeping such fan fictions in places where those who DON'T have the capacity for personal responsibility cannot get at them. And SHOULDN'T get at them. And not become another contributor of what plenty of people see as base, trashy, schlock work.

So many of you DO write good stuff (when it's not this base material). I don't see the need to defend your "rights" to post fictions with sexually-explicit, deviant or violent content on a KID-FRIENDLY forum! It's selfishness at its worst!

I guess this must be rocket science for some of you. It seems pretty freakin' obvious to me. Still, it could be nothing more, in your cases, than "Whatevah! I'll do what I want!" The mindset of the Jerry Springer generation. Pff.

Well I'll tell you this BaltoSeppala, if a kid is smart enough to use the internet, they must have SOME sort of logic in thier little heads. It really is stupid to say that those kids don't know what they are doing, when if they didn't THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO COMPLAIN TO YOU ABOUT IT! That statment is irrelevant, basically useless. And aside from that, why would a 10 year old even be using a computer, and have not any supervion about it. It is just as easy to put a password on your computer as it is to get snatched by a child predator, or even better, read some content they don't need to. Needless to say, not all kids are the same, some of them very well may be able to handle mature content, some won't and that is a fact based on the world we live in.

This topic is starting to go in circles. Whatever I say, YOU counter exactly with the opposite, Roz. And you call my opinions and beliefs...let's see, I want to make sure I get your wording right: absurd, stupid, irrelevant, and useless. Those are your EXACT words. Of course, by using such enflammatory descriptions and criticisms, you forced me to respond. But you just keeeeeeep coming back around to the same tired old thing of saying the exact opposite of what I say.

Enough. I've posted my opinion, which you've trashed repeatedly, and you've posted yours, which I've simply tried to counter logically, without flaming or trashing. I am done debating with you. You've got more of a closed mind than you could ever accuse me of. And it's a waste of my time.

I don't think this topic is going around in circles,I think it's going nowhere.

Well, whatever. I'm done debating with a closed mind. She can carry on now as much as she wants. And I'm sure there's another snippy response in the offing. I'm not contributing anymore time to her counterpoint-counterpoint-counterpoint.