Joel Stein says adults should stop reading YA

MKrys · Mar 29, 2012

It just came to my notice that Joel Stein, columnist with The New York Times, wrote a very interesting (?curmudgeonly) article today.

An excerpt from the article:

"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.

I’m sure all those books are well written. So is “Horton Hatches the Egg.” But Horton doesn’t have the depth of language and character as literature written for people who have stopped physically growing." Joel Stein, http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction/adults-should-read-adult-books

My thought? Ugh. And also, Pshhhh!

Your thoughts?

Devil Ledbetter · Mar 29, 2012

MKrys said:
It just came to my notice that Joel Stein, columnist with The New York Times, wrote a very, interesting (?curmudgeonly) article today.

An excerpt from the article:

"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.

I’m sure all those books are well written. So is “Horton Hatches the Egg.” But Horton doesn’t have the depth of language and character as literature written for people who have stopped physically growing." Joel Stein, http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction/adults-should-read-adult-books

My thought? Ugh. And also, Pshhhh!

Your thoughts?

What a pretentious snob. What does he care what anyone reads? For that matter, what does he care if they look at porn? Maybe if he read more he'd have less time for all this standing around staring at what other people are doing.

It's nice when self-important, judgmental buttwipes out themselves, so we can know to avoid them.

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 29, 2012

Nobody ever went broke being an arrant jerk in print. Contrarians bug me.

Lehcarjt · Mar 29, 2012

People read for different reasons. Some people (like this guy) don't get it and think that their personal reasons for loving literature must be universal for all readers. Meh... People like him aren't worth worrying about.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 29, 2012

If Joel Stein wishes to join the ranks of the type of people who try to pressure and shame others out of reading (insert any type of literature here -- seriously, they've all been here at one time or another), then look you, he is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb.

Calla Lily · Mar 29, 2012

There are not enough stars to rate this thread highly enough.

Sydneyd · Mar 29, 2012

Quoted from the article: "I have no idea what “The Hunger Games” is like."

Then don't write an article about it.

folkchick · Mar 29, 2012

When I was a teen my mom and I would take turns reading the same book. We'd have big conversations about it, both so excited about the plot that it was if we were there in the book together experiencing the events. Sometimes it was young adult, sometimes romance, sometimes general fiction. It didn't matter.

One should never be pretentious about what one reads. The book I'm currently reading is YA. The last one was classic fiction. Next on the list is a collection of short stories. Anyway, I've always heard to read widely.

Drachen Jager · Mar 29, 2012

Joel Stein is a professional troll.

That's literally all he does, write controversial articles that will irk some readers and come off somewhat funny to others.

Don't be troll bait. Resist the urge.

RKLipman · Mar 29, 2012

Pardon my French, but Joel Stein is also the asshole who wrote a few years back about how the 'dirty' Indian immigrant communities were ruining Jersey.

I grew up in Jersey and still lived there when that trash came out. Hated him then, hate him now.

My life has gotten a lot less annoying since I stopped taking anything he said even remotely seriously.

Cyia · Mar 29, 2012

Sydneyd said:
Quoted from the article: "I have no idea what “The Hunger Games” is like."

It's like having a story so massively popular you sell more than 1million e-books and over 20 million in hardcopy while attracting fans so devoted they buy out midnight showings for the film, in costume, causing it to break records and net the actors escalating bonus by the end of the first weekend.

MKrys · Mar 29, 2012

RKLipman said:
Pardon my French, but Joel Stein is also the asshole who wrote a few years back about how the 'dirty' Indian immigrant communities were ruining Jersey.

Sounds like a nice man!

MKrys · Mar 29, 2012

Cyia said:
It's like having a story so massively popular you sell more than 1million e-books and over 20 million in hardback while attracting fans so devoted they buy out midnight showings for the film, in costume, causing it to break records and net the actors escalating bonus by the end of the first weekend.

Yeah. So 'embarrassing', to quote his article again!

Mclesh · Mar 29, 2012

Does anyone take a word Joel Stein says seriously? I know I don't.

Vandal · Mar 29, 2012

I'll bet he secretly watches American Idol and Glee

Calla Lily · Mar 29, 2012

What odds that he's got a trunked YA that not even PublishAmerica would take?

leahzero · Mar 29, 2012

There's another writer I'll never have to worry about reading.

Mclesh · Mar 29, 2012

callalily61 said:
What odds that he's got a trunked YA that not even PublishAmerica would take?

Just what I was thinking.

MJNL · Mar 29, 2012

Stopped physically growing? Dare I say we’ve identified someone who’s stopped psychologically growing?

"That stuff's for kids!" is a very immature attitude, one many teens take when they're trying to move from adolescenc into adulthood. Once you're there, you get over that. So...

Parametric · Mar 29, 2012

Yeah, stop having fun, guys!

MKrys · Mar 29, 2012

How happy I am, as an author (and avid reader) of YA, to find so many people disagree with this article

Niiicola · Mar 29, 2012

Nice how he gets in a dig at "tween girls" while he's at it. Stay classy, Joel.

meowzbark · Mar 29, 2012

Shoot, I still read Dr. Seuss for fun. When I pick out children's books to read to my kid, I pick stories that I like rather than what I think he will like. I recently threw away a children's book because I hated the story. The author came across as an bigot.

I don't care what genre the book is labeled. If the story is interesting, I will read it. I've read "gangsta" books (but I haven't pay for one), dollar store romance novels, YA, MG, horror, fantasy, and true crime novels.

That said, I haven't read a "classic" that I liked.

EngineerTiger · Mar 29, 2012

I'll wager if I got a look at his favorite books reading list, I'd respond with a very wide yawn. Just another pseudo-intellectual to NOT read.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 29, 2012

MJNL said:
Stopped physically growing? Dare I say we’ve identified someone who’s stopped psychologically growing?

"That stuff's for kids!" is a very immature attitude, one many teens take when they're trying to move from adolescenc into adulthood. Once you're there, you get over that. So...

I didn't really appreciate Dr. Seuss until I was an adult. The man's a genius.

Joel Stein says adults should stop reading YA

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