Adults Shouldn’t Read YA (WTF)

Not sure if any of you have noticed the buzz going around about Joel Stien’s latest essay Adults Should Read Adult Books. It’s been heated debate around all the book related joints online and I finally caved after reading a bit of his essay after a friend on Goodreads posted this: 

The only thing more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer is seeing a guy on the plane reading “The Hunger Games.” Or a Twilight book. Or Harry Potter. The only time I’m O.K. with an adult holding a children’s book is if he’s moving his mouth as he reads.

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The man has been a writer for the Times for a while now, but he’s one of my least favorite. Most of the crap he spouts off is based on his “I haven’t experienced it, but trust me cause I can write bull crap circles around it” matter of fact opinion.

If you haven’t read his article yet I encourage you to do so, I really want to know what you pick up from the whole snobbish thing.

I for one know this now:

 
1. Stien does not know the difference between age groups for books. If it isn’t adult apparently it doesn’t matter.
2. Even if a book is the most amazing thing since Shakespeare he’s not going to give it a try because of a label.
3. Apparently a pervert who has the indecency to watch porn on a plane surrounded by people is a good thing to him. Better then some guy emasculating himself by reading a lower reading level.
4. Those YA readers he is referring to are men. So honestly he only cares how his sex looks when they read YA.
5. Being an adult and doing anything that might have child like fun involved is bad.

He also states that you learn from reading, and I do see the implied “you’re dumb if you read below an adult reading level” jibe.  Let’s face it, people with poor vocabulary do not read period. YA readers mainly tell me that they like YA because most of the time they don’t have to worry about sex, not that the vocabulary is easier.

The man should be happy that people still read in a day an age where video games, movies, and TV are the main pass time enjoyment.

Also, let’s stop pointing out the “tween girls” part. Tween boys like Harry Potter just as much, if not more then the girls. Let’s stop being sexist here. Like the Dragonlance male readers aren’t just as bad as the sparkly fans of Twilight.

In the end I’m pretty sure this is just a publicity stunt to up his latest book release. He references all the fan bases that will come to the rescue. Harry Potter fans, Twilight, Dr. Seuss, The Hunger Games, and so on.

So why at this point am I helping this idiot spread his overestimated essay? Well you know me, I have to get my two cents in.

Let me know what you think about his yammering.