In recent news, a magazine has caught flack for its use of "obscene getures" & its racey use of nudity...
This magazine is not Playboy, Hustler or Maxim, its none other than Quilter's Home.
Quilter's Home can be purchased anywhere in Utah. As of right now, Jo-Ann fabric is the only store not to carry this specific issue involving these "Shocking Quilts."
This quilt to the right is one of Mary Beth Bellah's signature quilts on display. Its a Viagra-inspired quilt, called "Helping Hands." This specific quilt has created quite an uproar, that Bellah has had to defend.
Some people have expressed their issue, saying "What year is this anyway?" While some people have expressed that they will only buy their crafts from Jo-Ann, because they look out to keep their business "morally-righteous."
Whatever the case, styrofoam chickens & wreaths will still be bought and scrapbooking will still push forward. My overall belief is that nobody in Utah knows about this matter. Im still awaiting the shock, which will be a Relief Society lady reaching into her mailbox, egerly awaiting to scroll through her Quilter's Home, to only find images of:
- A gun-wielding Jesus
- A baby taking a peek out of his mama's lady parts
- A gigantic, quilted phallus.
- The Viagara-Inspired Quilt
I had not heard about this, but I think it's very interesting. If you have ever taken Media Law, you know that obscenity is not a black and white issue, meaning it's hard to see where the line is. The Supreme Court's rulings on obscenity have been obscure and inconsistent in the past. With this quilt thing, I would go with the 'it's art' argument. An interesting and even surprising context for material that is volatile according to some community standards. I wonder what her explanation is, like what is the message of her work? Obviously someone thought it was interesting or creative enough to publish it in a magazine. On the flip side, no matter what you do, somebody is going to get offended. The obscenity argument is strong on both sides and continues to be unclear.
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