Ethics Paper

An ethical concern in the editing community is where an editor draws the line regarding

what type of material they edit if it contradicts with their morals. To address this, Elisabeth

Ladenson explains in her book, Dirt for Art’s Sake, that “one of the major functions of art is to

challenge commonly accepted views and ideas.” (xix-xx). Sometimes artists decide to create a

project that goes against the grain for a greater purpose in communicating a new perspective. If

American society never pushed the envelope and challenged morals, we would not have

experienced nearly the amount of progression that we have now. It is therefore safe to say that

personal beliefs do not have to have an impact on the type of material we as editors look over.

We are simply a part of the process of putting forth progressive art.

Being raised in a church that teaches good morals and standards, I think it’s safe to say

we all feel comfortable going into the work force and dealing with ethical dilemmas pretty
easily. However, ethical dilemmas can be stickier than we think. For example, let’s say you just
Commented [ERS1]: It's more common now to smoosh
words like this together. I would say it's probably up to you,
as dictionaries still have both options, but this is more of the
norm now.

starteding working at a small publishing press. This is your entry-level job and you’re looking Commented [ERS2]: You could also say, "we all fee
comfortable going into the work force and we deal with
ethical dilemmas pretty easily." I was initially confused
forward to making a name for yourself in the publishing industry. After working at the press for about what "pretty easily" was doing.

a few months, you’re given the job to read over and edit athe manuscript; however, there is a

graphic sex scene in the book. What do you do? You want to make a good impression in this

company, but you have to decide for yourself if this is something that aligns with your standards.

Suddenly, mediating ethical dilemmas isn’t as easy as we may have initially anticipated. In BYU

Magazine, there was an article entitled “Proceed with Caution” that addresses this dilemma with

a precaution: “Watch out for the Latter-day Saint blind spot. The researchers say their students

often assume that as intelligent, upstanding Church members, they have ethics down pat.”

(Rogers, 2014). When we go into the work force with the realization that not all ethical dilemmas
are black and white, we are better able to prepare ourselves as to how to mediate those types of

situations and how to determine what is actually art and what is smut.

To help discern between art and smut, The Washington Post produced an article about

NEA that claimed, “NEA supporters would say, obscenity and sacrilege are precisely the kinds Commented [ERS3]: Maybe I'm just dumb, but what is
NEA?
of societal conventions ‘art’ is supposed to challenge.” (washingtonpost.com). Art challenges

obscenity and sacrilege while smut glorifies it. A common discussion among art historians that

expounds on this is the comparison of nudity versus nakedness. In the discussion, art historians

clarify that nudity is an art form. The Romans and Greeks worshipped the body and wanted to

celebrate it. They viewed the body as the greatest gift from God. That is why when we look art

Greco-Roman art, we see a lot of nudity. Michelango’s David is a perfect example of that. The

point is not to exploit the body, but to revere what God has given them. Nakedness, on the other

hand, is not portraying the human form as a beautiful thing, but as a way to sexualize and

objectify the body. The Rococo period is a good example of this. The paintings during this time

were full of crude sexual references. The works were the epitome of erotica. Nakedness is smut

because it does not perpetuate or challenge any morals that better a society or community. The

sole intent is to provide erotic content, whereas nudity is considered art because the human form

is being portrayed for a higher, spiritual cause.
There are many examples of this in editing as well. Fifty Shades of Grey would fall under
the category of smut. The plot and characterization do not have any intensions of challenging
Commented [ERS4]: I like where you're going with this,
but it seems a little long for the purpose of the paper. I like
your comparison of art and editing, but maybe spend less
time explaining the art and explain more how it relates to
editing.

morals or revering any sort of standard. This is a piece of erotica whose entire purpose is to

sexualize the characters and glorify BDSM. The readers do not pick up the book and gain any Commented [ERS5]: Again, maybe I'm just clueless, but I
don't know what this is. If you don't want to define it,
consider rewriting this sentence.
sort of enlightenment from it. Crime and Punishment, on the other hand, though its has many

themes and characters that do not agree with the standards of the LDS church. The entire book is Commented [ERS6]: This is a fragment.
about a murderer who tries to conceal his crime. While the story line is grim, the book is a great

piece of literature because it is not glorifying or encouraging murder by any means. Instead, the

book tackles big issues such as how alienation from society affects an individual and the eaffects

nihilism has on a community. This piece of literature evokes thoughtful discussion and

contemplation on how certain ideas work and whether or not they should be changed. That is the

difference between smut and art.

When entering the world of editing, we will need to be prepared to sort smut from art. It

is okay to read things that do not align with our morals if the content is meant to enlighten or

challenge obscenities and sacrilege. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet says, “The

information and entertainment provided through these media can increase your ability to learn,

communicate, and become a force for good in the world…. . . . . Choose wisely when using

media because whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Select only media

that uplifts you.” (26-7). If we thoughtfully discern and determine that the progressive material

we are reading is not art, we need to be able to speak up and tactfully navigate the situation. It is

okay not to not read every single thing that comes our way.

When we face material that may contradict our standards, remember the words of our

apostle, Elder Hales: “As we press forward along the strait and narrow path, we build

progressive spiritual strength—strength in using our agency to act for ourselves.” (2013). We get

to determine how we live our lives and what we subject ourselves to. God has blessed us with the

gift of agency to be able to decide what is good for our spiritual development here on earth. In

the end, what type of material we read as editors is between us and God. When we feel like our

spirituality is being negatively being affected by the type of material we are subjecting ourselves

to, that is the time to step up and determine what is right.

 References Commented [ERS7]: Are you following MLA? If so, this
should be "Works Cited."
Brittany Karford Rogers, “Proceed with Caution,” BYU Magazine (Spring 2014): 48–55.

Robert D. Hales, “Stand Strong in Holy Places,” General Conference, April 2013.

Ladenson, Elisabeth. Dirt for Art’s Sake: Books on Trial from Madame Bovary to Lolita. Cornell

University Press, 2007.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the Strength of Youth. 9th ed., Intellectual

Reserve, Inc., 2011.

“The NEA: Art vs. Smut.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 July 1997,

www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1997/07/19/the-nea-art-vs-smut/434411c1-

171b-4aee-95dd8b46ee6f/?utm_term=.5d30fc1fba88