Cessen Speaks

Apparently there is an award-winning children's book out that *shock* *gasp* uses the word scrotum in it. The book's title is "The Higher Power of Lucky".

Now, I haven't read the book, so I can't speak of its quality, but apparently there is quite the controversy over the inclusion of the word scrotum in the book.

Does anyone else find this ridiculous? The controversy, I mean. Not using the word scrotum in a children's book.

Maybe I'm just too liberal or something, but the idea that children should be shielded from correct anatomical terms because they're "dirty" is border-line offensive to me. Honestly, what's the worst that will happen? They'll start *shock* using the words?

Oh no! Run for the hills! Children are using anatomically correct terms for fun and amusement! Anything but that! The world is coming to an end! Ahhhhhhhh!

What makes the whole thing even more amusing is that the book isn't even referring to a human scrotum, but to the scrotum of a dog. That's right. Of a dog. You know, those animals that show off their scrotum and lick their balls in front of children all the time? Apparently it's okay to see, but not to say.

This world maddens me at times. Children don't need to be protected from normal, healthy anatomy. That sort of "protection" is—if anything—harmful.

I can't wait for normal, story-based children's books to come out that use these following words: penis, glans penis, foreskin, vulva, vagina, clitoris, clitoral hood, labia, anus, rectum, breast, areola, and nipple. These are all normal, healthy parts of human anatomy. Knowledge of these body parts and the words that refer to them are not going to harm children. Nor is the use of these words in an every day context.