Webb Defends Racy Book Passage
Virginia U.S. Senate candidate James Webb justifiably felt it wasn’t appropriate to have racy portions of his novels read on the radio:
“I don’t know why you’re reading that on WTOP,” Webb told host Mark Plotkin. “I think it’s a little bit inappropriate.”
Plotkin was reading an excerpt from Webb’s novel “Something to Die For,” in which Webb describes a female stripper performing sexual acts with a banana.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate for you to read on WTOP,” Webb said again as Plotkin finished the excerpt. (Washington Post Radio is WTOP’s sister station.)
I think quite a few people are getting their jollies from reading lurid passages on-air or posting them on their weblogs.
Webb justifies the infamous scene of a father kissing his son’s penis:
“It’s not a sexual act,” Webb told Plotkin regarding the “Lost Soldiers” excerpt. “I actually saw this happen in a slum in Bangkok when I was there as a journalist.”
“The duty of a writer is to illuminate his surroundings,” he added.
Novelists set scenes. They try to put the reader in an environment of the writer’s choosing. An exotic place like Vietnam will have things that disturb Americans who have never been there.
Webb is probably toast because of this brilliant George Allen salvo. That’s too bad. Politics is hardball, but I thought Allen was better than this. Michelle Malkin writes, “But if this what Republican Senate candidates need to do to win elections, I don’t think any of us should be cheering.”
“Webb Says His Novels ‘Inappropriate’ for News Radio”
UPDATE: Rick Moran writes, “If this doesn’t doom any Presidential hopes for the Virginia Senator, it certainly should.” I agree.
UPDATE II: Steven Taylor writes, “This whole situation may be one the sillier ones I have encountered in my years of observing American politics.” There’s a reason they call the elections the “silly season.”
UPDATE III: Allahpundit posts Webb’s audio explanation. This story meets Mary Katherine Ham’s requirements for a good October surprise.
Earth to Republicans: Novelists make things up. That’s what they do!
I sincerely hope this makes it into some campaign ads. Not Webb’s excerpts; the fact that Republicans are so unserious about governing that they think a guy’s novel represents some kind of campaign issue. “Vote for Republicans: the party who can’t tell the difference between make-believe and reality.”