I had thought I knew what was appropriate content for FT and what wasn't, but I've recently been made aware that I might not know all the issues as well as I thought I did. I'm currently in discussion with an Ed to get rid of some suspect references so a quiz can go online, and I'm not for a second suggesting there is anything unfair/incorrect in my quiz being rejected, nor am I trying to go behind that Ed's back in any way - that discussion is a seperate issue.

But my confidence has taken a bit of a blow, so I am trying in any way I can to get it straight in my head just what might be pushing "mature" content too far. Again, I thought I was working things out, and then a Q came up in the New Question Game which has thrown me all out of wack again:

What alarming term does D.H. Lawrence use for female orgasm in "Lady Chatterly's Lover"?

Disturbance
Crisis
Illusion
Earth shattering explosion of molten joy

Your answer: Crisis
D.H. Lawrence (1885–1930) wrote great novels that examine emotional health and vitality, spontaneity, human sexuality and instinct. Post Freud, post the sexual revolution, they read like elaborate soap-operas!

I have to say, in the FT context I found it a tad confronting; when I showed it to my husband, his response was "If I had a 13-year-old child, I don't think I'd feel comfortable with them seeing that on a 'Family' site."

Any opinions/guidelines etc greatly appreciated!

I had a "thing" with one of the words from the Word Wizard recently too Ing - I posted in the "corrections/complaints" thread for WW.
I know what you mean re 'mature' content. It's a very fine line sometimes, eg in your example Lady Chatterly is considered "literature" and 'all that jazz' - but that doesn't necessarily make it automatically beyond reproach.
I'd be inclined to say that quizzes that younger players are likely to go for should be scrupulously "suitable" - anything in For Kids, TV and Movies that kids love, all should be squeaky clean so to speak - but in more specialised, esoteric 'grown up' topics, not quite so stringent.
The QQ is a different criteria though as those questions can end up anywhere on the site in the various daily and hourly games and be seen by any player at any time. They need to be much more carefully checked.
I do tend to err on the side of caution with things like that though, comes with the territory of having small kids I guess, so am possibly being 'fuddy duddy'. It's just what I think.

Edit for wayward punctuation

I don't see anything wrong with this, especially since none of it is graphic in any way at all. I think any thirteen-year-old who read it would laugh rather than be intrigued or learn something that s/he didn't know. It points out the antiquated way that literature refers to female sexuality. What do others think?

Another thing that just occurred to me is that such a question could easily be offensive/upsetting to players from certain cultures. We get people from all over the world here, and that needs some consideration too.

I am not a 'fuddy duddy', but I do believe that there is a time and a place for everything. As this would be included in quizzes available to younger members on the site plus taking in to account Rowena's post regarding cultural consideration, I too am in agreement with Ing and Rowena, that this question is a somewhat 'risqué', for Question Quest. My daughter is 14, and I wouldn't be happy about her playing a question like this.

Considering the fact that "Lady Chatterlys lover" was for many years a banned book - a very valid point has been made!

As the father of 4 girls, youngest of whom is approaching 13 years of age, I'm afraid I have to totally disagree with shuehorn I would NOT want my daughter reading that 'novel' any more than I would want her reading 'Lolita' or anything by Germaine Greer!

Ah yes Row, I thought of you finding that 'gem' in WW when I saw this!

Shuehorn, do you not find "Earth shattering explosion of molten joy" a little graphic, as you say, or at the least a little 'vivid'? It's all about context - personally I think that description is really funny - but if I've assured friends that this is a 'family-friendly' site, I think they'd have a right to feel they'd been misled if they found their kids tittering over something like this.

You'll get no argument from me that sexuality used to be treated in a different way in literature than it usually is now, but that isn't the point. Do you think our hypothetical 13-year-old is going to be considering that while they're sniggering over the word 'orgasm'?

And, as Row points out, it isn't only children you have to be mindful of. Not keeping this in mind is partly why I got myself into the trouble mentioned in my original post. Things tend to be a little more relaxed in Australia than in some other parts of the world as regards language and 'having a laugh' at things. But I'm not writing for an Australian audience, I'm writing for an international audience.

I'm the last one to suggest the cotton-wool, protective approach for most things, but even I have limits!

Wow, 3 posts at once! *giggles thinking of Delboy coping with four daughters*

Is this the kind of question you would wish your wife or servants to read?

"Earth shattering explosion of molten joy" -- I don't think that that is too bad, but I can see why other people (particularly parents) wouldn't like to see children playing it. My take on it is, if a child is sniggering over the word "orgasm", then they already know (to a certain extent) what it means. The rest of the kids will either not care or will be oblivious to its meaning.

As for the cultural issue, that is certainly something to consider.

It's not just this particular question though, it has to be taken in context of the whole site and it's "ethos" if you like. This one is now in the QQ, so if an author then writes a question a bit 'nearer the knuckle' shall we say, they can point to this one and say "but that was allowed" and so on.
It's not like there aren't a million other questions people can ask - I like this being a totally "nice" family friendly site, it is a rare thing nowadays, I hardly dare leave the newspaper lying around for fear of what my little kids will see, even the news can be a bit much sometimes. I know it's "modern" to not care about stuff like that, but well, I do

We must trust that Terry and the editors know what crosses the line of acceptability.

I don't know the answer to the question but would be more disturbed if the inappropriate answer was not the correct answer.

I would never add a question such as that but I am reluctant to think of harnessing someone to the personal moral line I set.

The correct answer is not the 'lengthy' option. I won't post the answer as the question is in the QQ and it wouldn't be fair.

Thus I am rather disturbed by the phrasing, especially since whichever is the correct answer is not similiar to the wrong answer given.

Strangely enough I'd considered the 'Crisis' question myself (saw it on Top Gear of all places) and rejected it as being a little risque for FT - I've had rapped knuckles for going too close to the mark before now but personally it wouldn't bother me if either of my daughters saw that question. I wouldn't object to a 13 year old reading the book either, in fact I'd be delighted if my 13 year old decided to read a book, full stop! My only objection to her reading Lolita is the skew that the book has, as if the DOM is somehow justified and the girl is a knowing and willing partner.

It is a very difficult subject. As has been said, cultural and personal standards come into play, but do we then have to gear everything to the fact that it may upset a 13 year old from, for example, a strict muslim country? How about "The [censored] Quiz" - it's been played over 9,000 times and you can bet your life there's been a few 13 year olds (and older) sniggering over that one.

I can also vividly remember an answer to a question being "Wankertank". I don't object that per se but just wonder how it fits in with the criteria.

Also, someonce once posted that they couldn't understand how the words penis and vagina were allowed in a quiz!

I refrain from posing on the Jokes thread in the Chats because I don't want to upset anyone, but some of the jokes there are a bit near the knuckle. Again, I don't object but it does sometimes seem to be a little difficult to find the level.

Oh, how priceless - it has censored the title of a very popular quiz on the subject of flatus! It does rather illustrate my point on finding the level.

Perhaps it was the dreaded O-word 'wot done it'.

That said, I'm often left wondering whether it's the word or the 'thing' that causes problems ...

Here is a story...

Teacher - "Michael (me). Can you tell me the collective name for all living plants and animals (etc)."

Michael (me) - "Orgasm!"

Correct answer - organism

Oops, but I was 10 lol

That reminds of when as an eight-year old I was asked what my father did for living.

I replied "Lechery".

The correct answer was "Lecturing".

When I was about 9 years old I was allowed to stay up for the first course or so of a dinner party that my parents gave.

"What did you do in school today?" asked my father.

I told him that in RI (religious instruction) we'd continued learning the Ten Commandments by heart. (It was an Anglican School and took RI very seriously).

"By the way, what does adultery mean?" I asked. "Is it something that only adults do?"

Everyone just fell about laughing, and nobody explained.

There are 3 topics guaranteed to evoke strong opinion, and potentially lead to at the very least, heated debate.
Namely, sex, politics, and religion, - this thread has broached all three ......

A powder keg waiting to go bang?

Having read the book, and knowing its contents, I would not have felt, nor do I feel that question is outlandish.

If I had a 13 year old daughter or son for that matter, I would have no objections to him or her seeing that question.

Yes, I understand the book was not allowed in England for many, many years, but now that it is, I honestly find nothing wrong with this question.

If you condemn this question, I feel we are bordering on the prudish side.

Just this editor's opinion.

(Edited to add: Majority of 13 years olds now-a-days are far more advanced (with knowledge in different fields and at different levels) than I or most of here were at that same age.)

Personally I think it's a fine question and quite reasonable, but if it's going to cause problems it should be removed.

The fact that this thread exists tells me that including a question like this will cause us more grief, work, and wasted time than not including it.

So while in my personal opinion it's a little disheartening to see that people still have hang-ups and a fear of such a basic English word, I'd recommend it be removed for ease-of-administration purposes.

In the end "appropriateness" is a judgment call.