“Venus of Milo” should be restricted

The rules of picture streamer FLICKR

This is their quote: “A good rule of thumb is, bare breasts and bottoms are "moderate." Full frontal nudity is "restricted."”

After I uploaded some of my digital art I found a letter in my mailbox this morning, letting me know that my photo-stream was moderated. Why? They got a complaint: some bare breasts or bottoms were found; Body parts which should be covered, even in art. According to their rules the Venus of Milo and other classic art-works should be restricted. It is nudity in its most subversive way. How dare I using other naked parts then an allowed head or hand, foot maybe, however I’m not sure. It could trigger the foot-fetishists, no?

What is wrong with the human body, a work of art we all carry as long as we live? Born naked but covered as soon as we cry ourselves into this world. If it was only to keep us warm…, but no: once covered don’t show it anymore, and certainly not in public! Imagine that someone sees it who doesn’t even dare to look in the mirror when undressed…

It shows us humans as hypocrites: what we need the most to survive we cannot show in its original form. It is sex-related according to the puritans, and sex is dirty because it is where we all come from and that shouldn’t be known at all. The secret of life must be really kept a secret.

Besides this it is another violation against the open forum the Internet once was. Companies rule, and the bigger they are the more unwanted and never meant we have to swallow. In my opinion companies with restrictions should stay away from the Internet and that almost means today that the Internet should stay away at all. Because that is where it is all about: the Net turned into a money-machine and the ones who earn this way are afraid to loose customers, like politicians are afraid to loose votes. It is not about an opinion or meaning but about numbers, and not even the mass, because the mass doesn’t think that “Venus” has to be covered. It is about dictators’ ruling as this is what a small group can if you call a society democracy. Not what the majority allows or wants, because they don’t care. These are the rules of a minority with a strong opinion and the possibilities to ventilate them and pressure others to live by their norms. That is what we call democracy: the rules of a few who dare to shout!

one of the "moderated" works of art