Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Hey, here at Media Log, we report and you decide. So you can decide about this one.

Earlier today, we got this release from Verso publishing complaining that a writer for the Nation online had wussed out of an interview with NC-17 rated performance artist Karen Finley about her new book George & Martha. Here's Verso's version:

The Nation, America's oldest left-wing magazine, has abruptly cancelled its story on George & Martha by Karen Finley (publishing on April 13th). The assigned journalist was "offended by the anal sex," and refused to meet with Ms. Finley, though an interview had been scheduled. George & Martha is an illustrated political satire which imagines a torrid hotel room encounter between George W. Bush and Martha Stewart on the eve of the Republican National Convention. Interestingly, anal sex is never portrayed in the book. Verso is alarmed by the journalist's decision to cancel an interview rather than delve into material that surely would have provided an interesting dialogue on contemporary US social and sexual politics.

The magazine offered to extract part of the book on their website, though "not the sexual parts."

* What is offensive about this book?

* What is inappropriate about sex?

* Why does the Left find anal sex disturbing?

* Should artistic expression cater to these fears or challenge them?

Still hanging in there? Okay, here's a statement in response from the Nation:

"We did not cancel the web piece.  The writer bowed out of the assignment.  This sort of thing happens all the time.  When we found out that the writer did not want to do the piece, we offered to excerpt a portion of the book on our website.  Then we even offered to have someone else interview Karen Finley.  Verso never responded to these offers.

Now we're finding out Verso sent out a press release in an attempt to hype the book by creating a phony controversy.  As Verso should have known, the statements of a freelance web writer do not reflect the views of the magazine.  No one on the staff of The Nation is afraid of sex.  In fact, we quite enjoy it as frequently as possible.  If Verso ever responds to our offer, we will be happy to post something about George & Martha."


The moral of the story?
1) We're relieved to learn they enjoy sex at the Nation.
2) Who isn't a big fan of biting political satire?
3) We're intent on setting the bar for getting an item on this blog pretty darn low.

3/14/2006 4:46:48 PM by Mark Jurkowitz | Comments [3] |