What's the thing about mature content?
I've been thinking about this for a while now. We all know there is a mature content rule here when you submit your art. And I know, it might be necessary at times. BUT I think it's a bit exaggurated. For instance, I saw this painting the other day of two naked women lying in a small pond. It wasn't very pornographic or anything, all you could see was a par of tits and half a butt. Is it really necessary then to mark that picture as "mature"? I mean, I think there's nothing wrong with non-pornographic nudeness, we all know how the human body looks without clothes and undies. Is it really THAT bad if I would draw a naked person WITHOUT choosing the mature content option? What's your opinion regarding this matter?
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I suppose as a popular website, dA has to have a mature content option for every artwork I understand it more of an eyewash than anything else but I guess it looks better that way
I think it's better be safe than sorry. I know it's natural to be naked and all that, but people have different definition of what is mature and what is not. For me personally, nothing really can shock me anymore when it comes to seeing graphic stuff. 
But I know a lot of people who are squeamish around naked things and though I don't identify with them, I still think they have the right to feel whatever they feel, as repressive as they are.
But I know a lot of people who are squeamish around naked things and though I don't identify with them, I still think they have the right to feel whatever they feel, as repressive as they are.
Sometimes I don't get it either. Why should seeing the human body in all its beauty be worse than violence and gore? (Note that it is even worse when it comes to the male body.)
But then, it is as it is. The artists just want to be on the safe side. They rather set the mature filter to on than have their deviation removed because some narrow-minded person reported their photograph or painting.
Than, where, exactly, is the limit anyway? What is tasteful and what is porn? Ask twenty people and you will get twenty different opinions. Thus, there have to be rules. Guess we will have to live with it.
But then, it is as it is. The artists just want to be on the safe side. They rather set the mature filter to on than have their deviation removed because some narrow-minded person reported their photograph or painting.
Than, where, exactly, is the limit anyway? What is tasteful and what is porn? Ask twenty people and you will get twenty different opinions. Thus, there have to be rules. Guess we will have to live with it.
because lots of member just love to complain about art being porn when the don't agree with they're standards of art should be a anime fan art pony or sonic fandom piece, the uptight right-wing christian new members, the annoying trolls and the just plain butthurt "his/her art is better so I will baww about it being pornographic because my photography is sub-par".....like some certain users that claim it to be soft-core porn when in reality it is artistic nude.....mostly the middle school kids report it and bug the hell out of the staff.....and they get banned. 
Hell, some people think looking at someone naked is cheating.
Some people think watching porn is cheating.
I mean there are lots of people who have different views and opinions.
I think we should be grateful we have nudity at all on deviantART.
They can't make everyone happy; at least they are trying.
Some people think watching porn is cheating.
I mean there are lots of people who have different views and opinions.
I think we should be grateful we have nudity at all on deviantART.
They can't make everyone happy; at least they are trying.
Sure, but can't we make nudity on this site a bit more acceptable? That's what I would want to see. And all of a sudden, you see these über "perfect looking" women on this site, with small waists and huge tits. And they aren't filtered, because they still have their clothes on. I mean, come on!
I have to agree, I find those sort of deviations unappealing and unrealistic when it comes to appreciating the human form. Personally, I enjoy tasteful nudity and the ones I enjoy most are of women with a tummy on them and frankly - just natural. I can understand why the filter is there and why people may want to shelter their children. I mean, if I want to raise my artistic child a certain way then I would appreciate some sort of filter too. I'm not saying nudity is this evil picture that so many try to paint of it but more that there are parents on this site as well as their offspring. I actually have a very close friend of mine who has her family here too and it's not really that uncommon.
I hate it when some people intentionally slip through the cracks - like you've mentioned - just because it's so unfair to those who are going by the rules. I've seen some pictures of people with a painted on/skin tight suit and I often think - that's bull crap. They pretty much got away without tagging it because of a disturbingly tight outfit on their deviation. At the same time if dA was to allow nudity without the tags, people would probably want the age raised due to law reasons or whatever. And then people would probably try to push for pornography to be allowed too. I only mention this because I've actually seen threads in the Suggestions trying to do this. Their argument was why was nudity allowed and not sex because it's so "beautiful" and so on.
I hate it when some people intentionally slip through the cracks - like you've mentioned - just because it's so unfair to those who are going by the rules. I've seen some pictures of people with a painted on/skin tight suit and I often think - that's bull crap. They pretty much got away without tagging it because of a disturbingly tight outfit on their deviation. At the same time if dA was to allow nudity without the tags, people would probably want the age raised due to law reasons or whatever. And then people would probably try to push for pornography to be allowed too. I only mention this because I've actually seen threads in the Suggestions trying to do this. Their argument was why was nudity allowed and not sex because it's so "beautiful" and so on.
To be honest I don't understand why we humans are ashamed of our nude bodies and our sexuality. I don't know why human kind insist on telling children that nudity and sex are evil things. Most animals in nature, and some tribes never exposed to "civilization" don't use clothes, and have sex anywhere they feel like doing it. Not a big deal, but we, civilized humans, make of it a big deal 
Also I don't blame the website for the censorship and the filters, it is the law after all
Also I don't blame the website for the censorship and the filters, it is the law after all
I totally agree on the first part. I'm not afraid of showing myself in the nude; heck, I even applied to be a model at a figure drawing class when I was in Australia (50 aussie dollars for 2,5 hours, not bad!).
What do you mean with the law, by the way? Is it like the law-law or the deviantart-law?
What do you mean with the law, by the way? Is it like the law-law or the deviantart-law?
I think the law-law in the USA is very conservative and protective of children 
People in the USA cannot drink alcohol until they are 21 
People in the USA cannot drink alcohol until they are 21 Wut? Gosh, that's extreme! And I don't see how children would fare ill if they saw a naked person on TV/in a drawing painting (I'm NOT talking about pornography here, just so we're clear). I mean, we've all seen our parents in the nude, right? So you get exposed to it pretty early in life.
Not everybody, there are many conservative christians in the USA. I heard they are around 60% of the population
They are a lot like conservative muslims. Remember, in some muslims countries women cannot even show their face
They are a lot like conservative muslims. Remember, in some muslims countries women cannot even show their face
I agree with you, it doesn't have to be a big deal, but I also don't think we should take examples from primitive tribes. These are also the kinds of places where it's not a big deal to practice cannibalism, ritualistic "healing", sacrificial worship, so on and so forth, they're far from beacons of purity and morality.
What I mean, is that they have functional societies in which sex and nudity are not mortal sins
In America, conservative christians are numerous and they have influenced the law and society in favour of their logic. Just like muslims have also similar ideas, there are countries where women cannot even show their face
It looks to me like nonsense
In America, conservative christians are numerous and they have influenced the law and society in favour of their logic. Just like muslims have also similar ideas, there are countries where women cannot even show their face
It looks to me like nonsense
Actually, muslim women are allowed to show their face/hair in front of the family and to other women. It's just that no men apart from her husband are allowed to see it.
Nevertheless, conservatism is many things a bad thing, in one way or another. We gotta start modernize our thoughts in some areas. That's how we move forward as a human race.
Nevertheless, conservatism is many things a bad thing, in one way or another. We gotta start modernize our thoughts in some areas. That's how we move forward as a human race.
I agree with you 100% however, sometimes I get the impression that we are moving backwards 
Despite all achievements and progress in science, muslim and christian populations are growing steadily and extremist are always threatening freedom
Many artist have been murdered for criticizing Islam, and that guy in Norway that killed a bunch of young kids was a radical Christian. Lots of people in the USA believe in intelligent design
The whole world is messed up
Despite all achievements and progress in science, muslim and christian populations are growing steadily and extremist are always threatening freedom
Many artist have been murdered for criticizing Islam, and that guy in Norway that killed a bunch of young kids was a radical Christian. Lots of people in the USA believe in intelligent design
The whole world is messed up
It seems we have new trend on dA, calling someone a troll or an asshole as soon as you read the thread. That's kinda boring and really not polite.
Any 13 year old with a little brain can avoid filtering, and yes, I think the rules are too harsh. Making taboos enhances the fear, and art should be the medium to knock down barriers in people themselves and between people themselves. Speaking of, this place would better suite name like 'puritan art' rather than 'deviant'. But it's true there is a thin line between say, normal nudity, and everything else, especially taking advantage of free artistic expression, so some general categorization had must be done.
Personally, I like to draw human anatomy, male or female, in fact, that's the only way to learn how to actually draw (everything), and anyone who's been to artistic school/collage knows that. It implies you're drawing those humans - naked. I'm revolted with mature content filter because that way I'm flagged as doing pornography, and yet, I'm just glorifying human beauty.
Any 13 year old with a little brain can avoid filtering, and yes, I think the rules are too harsh. Making taboos enhances the fear, and art should be the medium to knock down barriers in people themselves and between people themselves. Speaking of, this place would better suite name like 'puritan art' rather than 'deviant'. But it's true there is a thin line between say, normal nudity, and everything else, especially taking advantage of free artistic expression, so some general categorization had must be done.
Personally, I like to draw human anatomy, male or female, in fact, that's the only way to learn how to actually draw (everything), and anyone who's been to artistic school/collage knows that. It implies you're drawing those humans - naked. I'm revolted with mature content filter because that way I'm flagged as doing pornography, and yet, I'm just glorifying human beauty.
Just had a brief look through your gallery (great art btw!) and your so called "mature art" really shouldn't need a filter (at least not the ones I saw). So, yeah, I think it's become a bit too...hyped. It was more acceptable in the past; seems like we're going back in time D:
Well thank you very much!!
I usually just think to myself "If this was on TV would they show it at 4PM when everyone comes back from school".
It isn't too much of a deal where I live (nudity, I mean) so maybe they would. Don't watch TV very often, so I don't really know what's showing during that time.
DA has to be seen to at least be in reasonable compliance with the country in which it's hosted.Well, yeah, sure. I'm just explaining my point of mature content here, and one of the reasons why I don't think it's such a big deal (I mean, if you grow up in a country which is more relaxed about this subject, then you have a big chance of being more relaxed about it yourself). I think it's even something called "the Swedish sin". lol
I think it's difficult to have a site with such a wide appeal from across the globe and spanning different age ranges. It has to be conservative or risk alienating those who find it unacceptable, those who don't mind can always turn the filters off. DA is already banned from a lot of public library's and schools because of some of the material on it, I'm not really sure what it can do to please everybody. For me the filters suffice, I've never had them turned on anyway.