Beastly decisison by Children's Book Council

The decisions of the Children’s Book Council of Australia never fail to disappoint.

Year after year the judges make decisions that are bewildering in their stupidity and even arrogance.

Year after year the body which has a charter “to engage the community with literature for young Australians” makes perplexing and confusing decisions that rate books that are important and worthy ahead of books that children will love to read.

But now, the council has outdone it self an moved beyond irritating and mystifying to mind-blowingly inappropriate and just downright wrong.

The winner of the Picture Book of the Year Requiem for a Beast by Matt Ottley contains not only violent images of a blood-stained axe used to kill Aboriginals but also the f word numerous times.

Since when did we reward phrases such as “íf you do it again you little black arsehole, your goin’t’be in the fuckin’ river” followed closely by “Jesus Christ he even pissed himself. You fuckin dirty little animal” in picture books.

Yes, Matt Ottley has a serious story to tell about the psychological problems in youth, suicide, the stolen generation and the plight of Aboriginal Australia. Yes, the judges make it clear that a picture book might not be for young children.

But there are other values which must be considered when evaluating this title and surely appropriate community standards is one of them.

This book contains no warning about language on its cover and no indication about its content – all that’s there now is a large gold sticker naming it as the Picture Book of the Year. Well-meaning parents will see that as a gold-plated endorsement of the book without any adequate warning.

Well they would see it as that if they find a bookshop that stocks it. Five attempts to buy the book from large retailers on the weekend failed. Four had never heard of it and a couple couldn't pronounce the title. One retailer believed it was in stock. He pulled out a step ladder, climbed up to the top shelf, removed two books from the front of the shelf and then found there were no copies left.

So a book hidden at the back of a top shelf is going to engage the community with literature for young people? Exactly how is that going to happen? Perhaps in much the same way as Windsor Smith sells shoes – create interest through controversy.

Here’s an alternative plan. What about creating interest by rewarding the books children like to read? The Children’s Book Council should try it for once. The novelty might surprise them.

I don't give a monkey's about context - it's still rude

The Classification Review Board will today decide whether the animated September holiday release Space Chimps will keep its PG classification or be downgraded to G.
On July 11, the Classification Board announced that the movie - described as "an intergalactic comedy that highlights the antics of astronaut chimps with the wrong stuff" - would be classified PG with a warning of mild threatening themes.
The distributors appealed the decision and last Friday a review was announced.
If history is anything to go by, the application by the distributors for the reclassification will be successful.
Last year, the review board reviewed five cinema releases and on all but one occasion downgraded the original classification

• Sleuth was downgraded from MA to M on October 22
• 30 Days of Night was downgraded from R 18+ to MA on October 17
• SAW IV was downgraded from R 18+ to MA on October 10
• 300 was downgraded from R 18+ to MA February 28
• Notes on a Scandal retained its MA classification after the January 24 review
  

The explanations for the decisions make fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in classification matters.

Studying the deliberations would make one wonder whether there is such a thing as a rude word any more.

Take the review of Sleuth as a classic example.

In its deliberations, the Review Board noted that the F word was used 16 times and he C word three times but said that was appropriate in an M classification because it was in context.

It even said that "You're a c***" is shouted loudly and with menace. But apparently that's okay for 15-year-olds.

Makes you wonder what level of bad language a film would need to contain to earn an R classification. As for Space Chimps, here's betting that it will have a G classification by week's end.