I wasn't terribly familiar with Maplethorpe's stuff until I saw a gallery book on him recently.  If it makes you feel any better, Geoff, his stuff didn't do all that much for me, either. 

Well, you know, art is in the eye of the beholder.  Some may see genius in his images, others may see pornography.  I think either interpretation is "fair" -- I think the first amendment allows the publication of both.  I do think that restricitions on the first amendment are not, per se, unconstitutional.  For example kiddie porn is obscene, there is no justification for it to my mind or, I would submit, any reasonable mind.  But I think all of these types of things have to be decided on a case by case basis.  I find that often times people articulate support for the first amendment -- until they hear something that offends them to the core.  But thats just human nature I suppose.

Looked at some of his photos online. I'm going to have self-image issues
for the rest of the day now...

Thats why we have fun house mirrors in my house Al.  Sure my head looks like the Leader's but my frank and beans . . . .

until they hear something that offends them to the core

And there is the biggest issue with art -- it's SUPPOSED to bring an emotional reaction.  That's how you know it's effective.

I'm going to have self-image issues for the rest of the day now...

Yeah, but what USE is equipment that size?  You can't put it anywhere.  You can't do anything with it.  More, when you get a hard-on, you get light-headed from lack of blood to the brain.

And there is the biggest issue with art -- it's SUPPOSED to bring an emotional reaction.  That's how you know it's effective

Well the same could be said for pornography.  In my statement I was thinking less specifically than art, and more generally about the first amendment.

More, when you get a hard-on, you get light-headed from lack of blood to the brain.

How do you think we ended up in the house we're in now? I'm not the one who wanted it!

This is pretty funny.  Seems someone has figured out how Obama can reach out to working class whites and get people sympathetic towards his wife:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17horwitz.html?ex= 1371441600&en=05129d23d8008d0f&ei=5124&partner=p ermalink&exprod=permalink