Gary: your interesting newsclip is indeed relevant to our VN-List. Converting words into graphic images (still or moving) really does introduce fresh problems in what we (and the world’s diverse legal systems) mean by obscene. Adjustments, as they say, are always required. Certainly, one cannot expect a one-to-one mapping to pictures for each narrative or descriptive block of text. And one can imagine the obscenity being variously diluted or magnified according to the image-makers’ inclinations. For example, I found the Anna Karenin comic strip infinitely more arousing than the novel!
In Ulysses, the book, we read of Bloom’s defecations (sitting above his rising smell) and Molly’s orgasms (yes, yes, indeed) but how close-up dirty are these exposed (if at all) in the comic strips or movies? (I’ve yet to see Joseph Strick’s 1967 film) Nearer home, and much debated, are the two Lolita films which evaded the censor by massive distortions of VN’s text. As the trad waiver might say: No Animals were Hurt and No 12-year old Nymphets were Molested during the making of this film!
(The Titanic movie joke: No Ships were Sunk during the making ...)
I’m loath to criticize the strict content-rules established by Apple for their outside application developers. Any approved app placed on Apple’s app store can be downloaded from many parts of the world. Huge risks of expensive litigation. The booming app-market has blessed thousands of software developers, so the occasional whinge about censorship is rather ungrateful. Indeed, the publicity triggered by this controversy is a bonus devoutly to be wished!
My new iPad has the latest Shakespeare app (all his works as searchable text). No sign of Apple the BOWDLERISER!
SKB
PS: amazon browsing reveals a flourishing Gothic Lolita manga comic book trade.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gothic-Lolita-Bible-v-3/dp/1427803498
On 15/06/2010 18:51, "Gary Lipon" <glipon@INNERLEA.COM> wrote:
Perhaps a little off topic, and yet Joyce is mentioned often enough in connection with VN;
a recent NYT article,
Joyce Found Too Graphic, This Time by Apple
By JULIE BOSMAN Published: June 13, 2010
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/technology/14ulysses.html?src=me&ref=technology>
gives a link to
a Web comic version of the classic novel, called “Ulysses Seen”
Only initial installments however are available, and I have yet to view even all of that.
Still, from what I've seen, the effort seems quite commendable, which is to say, enjoyable-
brings back memories. The scenes are depicted much as I might imagine them to be.
For those interested, this link, ulyssesseen.com <http://ulyssesseen.com/> , should take you there.