The Twitter War of 2023

Long story short, I spend too much time online.

Last week, I started reading a book. It was recommended to me by a professional acquaintance, and I was enjoying it. Moreover, it was a book by a living author and it did not contain a single swear word or, em, “spicy” scene. And so I made a Twitter post about it. I said that the book was good, I appreciated the fact that there were no swears or spicy scenes, and that I wished more books were like this.

Some people agreed with me. And some people got very mad.

There were two main reasons that people got mad at me. The first was that, since I prefer clean books, I must be a boring prude who probably wants to ban books. The second has a bit more backstory. Several people asked for the title and author of this book, and I gave it to them–The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. Apparently, this book is a midgrade book, designed for the same audience as the Harry Potter and Narnia series. I was not aware of this beforehand, and it does not negate the fact that this book is clean and enjoyable. But apparently, this makes me a fool, and at least one person expressed concern over the fact that I can be this stupid and legally vote.

I know this is, especially in the long run, a very silly thing to care about. But I lead a boring life, and when anything out of the ordinary happens, I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth.

I’ve calmed down now. However, some of the more common arguments gave me some things to think about, and I’d like to explore my reasonings for why I believe (and read and write) what I do.

1. A lot of people believe that spice and swearing should be included in books because it a reflection of the real world. To this, I say that 99% of the profanity I’m exposed to on a daily basis comes from the internet. I do not swear, and the people around me do not swear. Likewise, the people around me either aren’t spicy or keep their spice lives behind closed doors, where spice belongs. Spice and swears might be part of your world, but I’m not required to include it in mine.
2. A lot of people believe that spice and swearing can be done well to further the plot. I agree with them. Angela’s Ashes is a good example of a book that handles these topics well. (And I’ve read it! I don’t require that everything I read be clean enough to belong in a Puritain’s library. I have preferences and boundaries, but I also have tolerance and make the occasional exception to my rules.)
3. If you’re on a diet, you don’t sit inside a McDonald’s and smell the food as a way to make up for not being able to eat it. It only strengthens your desire to break your diet. If you’re trying to live within certain moral boundaries, you don’t consume media (such as books, movies, or TV shows) that stimulate the desires you’re trying to control.
4. A book can be designed for children and still be enjoyed by adults. C.S. Lewis discusses this somewhat in his article “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” which is in his book On Stories. He admits to reading fairy tales more openly in his fifties, and enjoying them more, than when he was ten.
5. Do you see someone who has different moral beliefs than you do? How would you feel if they maliciously attacked your beliefs? You wouldn’t like it. It’s okay to disagree with someone, just be respectful about it.

What’s your opinion on spice and swears in books? Let me know in the comments below! God bless you, dear readers, and don’t forget to review us on Amazon!