TL,DR: People aren’t offended by the idea kids have sex, but by the fact the author is a pedophile.
I don’t think people dislike this because kids having sex with other kids is traumatic for them. More that writing about children having an orgy for no real reason raises some questions about the sexual proclivities of the author.
I’ve tried reading some of King’s other works and they all seem to have somewhat random smut moments that are kind of just uncomfortable because why is this here at all?
The answer is: because the author was horny. So, that being the case, having a needless sexual scene centered around kids really does paint the picture of a pedophile author
Basically “Idk, it seemed like a good idea at the time, lol”
I can’t speak to how turned on he was when writing it - but as others have noted, his writing style was “do lots of drugs and then mail it to the publisher.” So its at least possible that he is being completely forthright above. Honestly, the weirdest thing to me is that the publisher didn’t nix it.
Assuming he writes about sex because he, himself wants to fantasize about children having sex would imply he also enjoys children getting maimed and devoured.
The reason is to make people uncomfortable, to ask the same question that I did. The author himself has said this.
Assuming he writes about sex because he, himself wants to fantasize about children having sex would imply he also enjoys children getting maimed and devoured.
…uh not really? One is relevant to the purpose of the book; the other is not.
If you enjoy writing a horror story, you need to add horror/conflict. And sure you will write graphic things to heighten those uncomfortable emotions associated with horror.
Are you writing about a monster that devours kids and is pure evil? Then writing gory scenes and even torture would be on topic.
Is this book intended to be pedo smut? No. Then you don’t need child sex scenes.
The author himself has said this
The author himself also said “the Epstein files are real. So is the tooth fairy and Santa Clause.”
What a coincidence that a man who wrote a needless child porn scene into his novel would try to imply a child sex trafficking ring is a hoax. I’m sure the author is being completely honest when he says the scene was actually important to the plot and not just for his own gratification like the sex scenes in his other novels. /s
TL,DR: People aren’t offended by the idea kids have sex, but by the fact the author is a pedophile.
I don’t think people dislike this because kids having sex with other kids is traumatic for them. More that writing about children having an orgy for no real reason raises some questions about the sexual proclivities of the author.
I’ve tried reading some of King’s other works and they all seem to have somewhat random smut moments that are kind of just uncomfortable because why is this here at all?
The answer is: because the author was horny. So, that being the case, having a needless sexual scene centered around kids really does paint the picture of a pedophile author
Fwiw, this is the only statement I could find from King regarding the scene:
I wasn’t really thinking of the sexual aspect of it. The book dealt with childhood and adulthood –1958 and Grown Ups. The grown ups don’t remember their childhood. None of us remember what we did as children–we think we do, but we don’t remember it as it really happened. Intuitively, the Losers knew they had to be together again. The sexual act connected childhood and adulthood. It’s another version of the glass tunnel that connects the children’s library and the adult library. Times have changed since I wrote that scene and there is now more sensitivity to those issues.
Basically “Idk, it seemed like a good idea at the time, lol”
I can’t speak to how turned on he was when writing it - but as others have noted, his writing style was “do lots of drugs and then mail it to the publisher.” So its at least possible that he is being completely forthright above. Honestly, the weirdest thing to me is that the publisher didn’t nix it.
Assuming he writes about sex because he, himself wants to fantasize about children having sex would imply he also enjoys children getting maimed and devoured.
The reason is to make people uncomfortable, to ask the same question that I did. The author himself has said this.
…uh not really? One is relevant to the purpose of the book; the other is not.
If you enjoy writing a horror story, you need to add horror/conflict. And sure you will write graphic things to heighten those uncomfortable emotions associated with horror.
Are you writing about a monster that devours kids and is pure evil? Then writing gory scenes and even torture would be on topic.
Is this book intended to be pedo smut? No. Then you don’t need child sex scenes.
The author himself also said “the Epstein files are real. So is the tooth fairy and Santa Clause.”
What a coincidence that a man who wrote a needless child porn scene into his novel would try to imply a child sex trafficking ring is a hoax. I’m sure the author is being completely honest when he says the scene was actually important to the plot and not just for his own gratification like the sex scenes in his other novels. /s
I trust an author’s description of his own writing over his opinion on political matters. He’s an authority on at least one of those things.
Considering he was supposedly on massive amounts of drugs when writing I don’t think even he is much of an authority on his own writing lol
I mean, I trust his take over yours.