J’Accuse

It has been brought to my attention that Google has flagged the French art blog Femme Femme Femme (aka, Printwomen) as containing “inappropriate” content, namely works of art that celebrate the nude female form. If you can read French, you can learn more about it here. You can still access the site, but you are first asked to click on a waiver, which is the equivalent of the Scarlet Letter in the blogging world. This is a truly chilling development. There is nothing pornographic or prurient in the content of Femme Femme Femme’s blog. If Google decides that any art-related blog that carries art depicting the nude human form is for mature audiences only, that sends a horrible, life-defying, culture-eroding, body-shaming message to youth. I certainly present nude images here, although not as many as Femme Femme Femme. What percentage constitutes my blog receiving a similar disclaimer? I accuse (j'accuse!) Google of caving to the pressure of a few small-minded complainers at the expense of the free exchange of knowledge. There’s plenty of misogynist pornography on the internet for Google to police without bringing down the hammer on depictions that celebrate the beauty of women without and within. Please take a moment to visit Femme Femme Femme and show your support.

[Many thanks to Kim Senior for bringing this to my attention.]