[WikiEN-l] Nude Kate Winslet Picture

Wed Apr 13 07:35:46 UTC 2005

On 4/13/05, Richard Holton <richholton at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/12/05, Erik Moeller <erik_moeller at gmx.de> wrote:
> > I was expecting to find a nude photo in the article about [[Kate
> > Winslet]], which would be appropriate (out of context, misleading).
> > However, the photo is a very tasteful nude shot from the film
> > ''Titanic'', and is used to enrich that article's narrative about the
> > movie - not to mention that it's a partial nude, with only a left breast
> > visible.
> >
> > I don't know the uploader's motivation, and I share your suspicion that
> > many people might try to cause disruption by uploading such photos.
> > However, the best response to that, in my opinion, is to have clear
> > policies on the matter. Then the trolls can do whatever they want, and
> > we just decide quickly how to deal with the matter. Such policies might
> > evolve out of precedents like Autofellatio and this photo.
> >
> > Erik
> 
> Frankly, I see nothing particularly offensive about the photo. I see
> no need to have it deleted on the spot as pornographic or anything
> like that.
> 
> However, I also believe that there is room for constructive discussion
> about its use on any particular article. I'm one of the three people
> in the US who have not seen this movie, so I cannot comment on this
> particular scene's importance to the overall movie.
> 
> What does concern me is the tone that is used by some people on each
> side in these conversations. One one hand we have people who want no
> nudity in Wikipedia at all, and who seem to consider almost any nudity
> as offensive. On the other hand, we have those people who consider
> almost any discussion about such images as being extreme prudism or
> attempted censorship. From both sides there is name-calling and
> labeling.
> 
> I take it as a given that we don't want to encourage censorship on
> Wikipedia. There is significant weight to the argument that "when you
> go to an encyclopedia article about the penis, you should expect to
> see a penis," though some "decency" advocates will insist otherwise.
> 
> On the other hand, I also take it as a given that we want to encourage
> good editorial judgment on wikipedia. If I go to an encyclopedia
> article about a kneecap, I don't expect to see a penis along with the
> kneecap. I fear that, if some "free-speech advocates" have their way,
> removing such a photo from the Kneecap article would be dubbed as
> censorship.
> 
> Somewhere in between those two examples lie situations such as the
> Winslet (partial) nude being used on the [[Titanic (1997 movie)]]
> article. People of integrity, intelligence and good intention can
> disagree about it.
> 
> Can we do so without hurling vitriol at one another?
> 
> -- Rich Holton
> 
> [[W:en:User:Rholton]]

Hear, hear. You worded it exactly right. I totally agree.
--Mgm