At what point does a graphic novel become pornographic? The English Departments that assign them don’t seem to care.
“For example, Ursinus College assigns the widely acclaimed and controversial Fun Home by Alison Bechdel in undergraduate literature courses,” Shannon Watkins, a policy associate at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal writes. “Bechdel’s graphic novel is written as memoir, and discusses her experiences growing up in a dysfunctional family.”
“The reader follows Bechdel as she learns about her father’s homosexuality and her lesbianism.”
“Another graphic novel, Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick, also is a popular choice on university syllabi and has been described as an ‘intersectionally feminist text.’ The book is about ‘a woman’s failure to comply with her patriarchal overlords.’”
“Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with reading about these topics or with discussing them,” Watkins avers. “But what is particularly concerning about assigning these politically charged books is that it seems to be part of a larger push to rid the university of its traditional focus, and to push a social justice agenda.”
Ya think? How did we miss these tomes at the Modern Language Association? Perhaps they blended in too well with the scenery.
