UPDATE: she's been banned. Woot.

I'm sure many of you have been blinded by this today:

[link]

Really... Don't know about you guys, but I feel DA has hit a new all-time low with this so-called "piece". And NO, it has nothing to do with "OMGvagina" or "OMGporn". I have nothing against porn, I don't dislike porn, and am even guilty of having watched porn. I have no trouble admitting it, either, because I don't feel there's anything wrong with porn. It is what it is, and you either take it or leave it. If you aren't interested in browsing Big Boobies dot com, no one's going to force you to subject yourself to it, or hold your lack of interest against you.

However, porn stops being kosher when it is posted on an art site under the guise of art. Let me illustrate the difference between nude art and porn.

This is nude art: [link]
And this is porn: [link]

This is nude art: [link]
And this is porn: [link]

This is nude art: [link]
And this is porn: [link]

I actually feel sad for anyone incapable to distinguish between the two. I also have a nagging suspicion that most of those people know the difference darn well, but won't admit it for fear of being thought of as "uncool" or "close-minded" or "uptight about sexuality". "How brave of you!" someone comments one the aforementioned photo. "How empowering!" gushes another. Huh? That's like saying being a whore is brave and empowering. Not that I'm calling the model in the photo a whore. But, illogical as it may seem to some, I have more respect for actual whores than for people who spread their legs in front of the camera and dare to call it "art".

"Art is in the eye of the beholder!", squeals someone else. Yes, it is. But let's draw a line somewhere, people. If anything and everything can be art, then the dirt I just swept off my floor is art. Or the contents of my cats' litter box. Or last night's half-eaten pizza.

The picture in today's top favorites is porn. It is in no way different from a porn movie cover, or a title graphic on a porn site. I could download it into Photoshop, print "Naughty Teen Nimphos v. 8" on top, print it, and use it for a porn DVD sleeve. NO ONE would ever think it didn't belong. And NO ONE would for a moment think of it as "a piece of art".

But the worst part of this is the fact that DA allows stuff like this to be posted while banning perfectly non-pornographic, even brilliant works of art. Not so long ago, one of the most kick-ass artists on my watch list had his painting banned because - oh noes! - it featured an uncovered dong: [link] He also has a very good journal entry about this: [link] And he is by far not the only one. This amazing artist was forced to censor one of her paintings because - oh noes! - it featured a naked toddler playing in the surf: [link] !

Let's see... Spread legs and shaved/pierced vaginas = art. But innocent children doing what children naturally do = pornography.

Can we say Hypocrisy with a capital H? Can we say double standard? Can we say what the HELL is going on with DeviantArt?

Like I said... Are you #$&!*@! kidding me?