Clarifying Mature Content Guidelines; Ideologically Sensitive Materials

Over the years we have been functioning with a set of Mature Content guidelines which have been extremely general and open to a great amount of interpretation. With recent trends towards artworks featuring political and religious opinions which are often extremely negative or satirical and a community of artists who can be easily offended by such material I believe it is time that we published the more specific set of guidelines used by staff to determine whether or not an Ideologically Sensitive Mature Content tag is required on a particular work. This should allow the community to better understand when a Mature Content tag is required and which will also provide more consistent placement of the tag and reporting of works requiring a tag over the long term.

As a reminder; At no time do these Mature Content guidelines provide an excuse for the submission of what is considered to be hate propaganda or hate art

-----

Ideologically Sensitive Content Defined
Ideologically Sensitive content is considered to be a political work, religious work or a work addressing a way of thought which could be considered to be subjectively offensive to some viewers, depending on content and presentation.

The categories below will attempt to address the various situations in which mature content tags are required, may be required, and are not required. For clarity some specific examples will be provided when needed but all situations will not necessarily be specifically presented.

-----

Ideologically Sensitive; Politically Themed
Political themes can cause heated debates and often the works associated with them can do the same and the goal of the Mature Content system is to simply ensure that those people who feel strongly about a particular issue have the benefit of a mature content warning prior to viewing a work which they may find subjectively offensive.

• Mature Content Automatically Required; Politically Themed
  These circumstances call for the automatic addition of a Mature Content tag by staff regardless of any other factors which may or may not be present and address negative propaganda, “mudslinging”, “smear campaigns” and ad hominem attacks.
  
  
  
  • Deliberate use of false or misleading information to damage or malign an individual, political cause or interest.
  
  
  • Deliberate attempts to dehumanize or create hatred towards an individual, political cause or interest.
  
  
  • Content is presented in a manner calculated to be offensive or insulting to a supporter of a specific individual, political cause or interest.

• Mature Content Not Required; Politically Themed
These circumstances occur when a subject is approached fairly and factually and with no malign or insulting intent.



• All information provided is based upon readily available facts and presented in a manner which can be considered a valid debate or argument.


• While the topic may be negative it is approached in a manner which is considered fair and reasonable.


• Content is not presented in a manner considered to be deliberately offensive.

• Mature Content Optional; Politically Themed
These circumstances occur when a subject is approached with sarcasm or in some manner which could result in a minority of viewers being offended. In these cases due diligence should be given to judging whether or not a Mature Content tag is truly warranted. Please err towards placing a Mature Content tag in cases of indecision.



• A political cause or interest treated in a satirical or humorous manner.


• An unflattering caricature of a politician.

Ideologically Sensitive; Religiously Themed
Religious themes can cause heated debates and often the works associated with debates concerning belief systems can easily prove to be offensive as such arguments strike towards the very core values held by various people and cultures. The goal of the Mature Content system is to simply ensure that those people holding strong faith-based beliefs have the benefit of a mature content warning prior to viewing a work which they may find subjectively offensive.

• Mature Content Automatically Required; Religiously Themed
These circumstances call for the automatic addition of a Mature Content tag by staff regardless of any other factors which may or may not be present and address negative propaganda, aggressive criticism, and other content which could be considered an attack on a belief systems core values.


• Deliberate use of false or misleading information to damage or malign.


• Deliberate attempts to dehumanize believers or characterize a belief system as inherently harmful.


• Deliberate attempts to characterize believers or a belief system as a whole as morally or intellectually deficient.


• Depiction of a religious icon or personage when such depictions are forbidden or discouraged within the belief system (example; depicting the prophet Muhammad is forbidden by some interpretations of recorded Islamic oral traditions).


• Directly associating a religious icon with a generally accepted taboo within the belief system (example; depicting Jesus Christ as homosexual).

• Mature Content Not Required; Religiously Themed
These circumstances occur when a subject is approached fairly and factually and with no malign or insulting intent. .


• All information provided is based upon readily available facts and presented in a manner which can be considered a valid debate or argument.


• While the topic may be negative it is approached in a manner which is considered fair and reasonable.


• Content is not presented in a manner considered to be deliberately offensive.

• Mature Content Optional; Religiously Themed
These circumstances occur when a subject is approached with sarcasm or in some manner which could result in a minority of viewers being offended. In these cases due diligence should be given to judging whether or not a Mature Content tag is truly warranted. Please err towards placing a Mature Content tag in cases of indecision. .


• A belief or value is treated in a satirical or humorous manner.


• An unflattering caricature of a religious icon.

Ideologically Sensitive; Offensive Ideologies
Offensive ideologies is a special class of content which is not necessarily political or religious in nature but refers instead to a host of other systems, groups or ways of thought which are based upon socially unacceptable ideals and which may immediately strike a negative and offensive chord with certain viewers because of this fact. A prime example of such an ideology is Nazism but in general this type of content causes offense based upon the ideology itself and not necessarily upon the content depicted in the deviation.

• Mature Content Automatically Required; Offensive Ideologies
These circumstances call for the automatic addition of a Mature Content tag by staff regardless of any other factors which may or may not be present and in general the content can be considered to promote the offensive ideology as beneficial or enticing. .


• Content which glorifies or celebrates the offensive ideology.


• Content is considered to be propaganda intended to promote the offensive ideology.

• Mature Content Not Required; Offensive Ideologies
These circumstances typically do not require a Mature Content tag and in general can be considered an unbiased presentation of the material.


• Content is presented in a neutral fashion and is based upon readily available facts and presented in a manner which can be considered a valid debate or argument.


• Content is presented in a fashion which could be considered to have historical or documentary value.

• Mature Content Optional; Offensive Ideologies
There circumstances occur when an offensive ideology is approached with sarcasm, humor or parody or when the more unsavory aspects of the ideology are explored.

Please use due diligence when judging whether or not a Mature Content tag is truly warranted bearing in mind the reaction of the general viewing public and please err towards placing a Mature Content tag in cases of indecision.

As it is impossible to predict all the various ways in which this type of content could be considered borderline we cannot provide examples.