pedophilia

(golden Severa etc. doesn't seem the right title for this thread) David DiGiacomo exclaims:

No, I suggested that Wolfe might be using this ideal of innocence to describe Dorcas. And that Baldanders was thus inspired to clone his catamite from Dorcas cells, using the later eviscerated Pia-sister as a gestational incubator for the homunculus in the manner he previously used to create Talos. (he wouldn't wait for it to develop, full term). he also notes:

Hm.. depends on what you mean by "our societal norms", David. If you mean mainstream American culture since the late 60's, then I can conditionally agree. Many have indicted this culture (which has spread worldwide in the past 40 years) as tending toward pedophilic standards of beauty. The prevalence of body hair shaving, waxing, depililation, weight loss, tanning salons, intensive exercise, botox and plastic surgery reflect attractiveness standards which worship excessively prolonged youth. Art from the past, from the Venus of Willendorf to Peter Paul Rubens, suggests that there are times in history when the high standard of beauty was closer to the form of a voluptuous, mature woman. And of course not every culture nor every person in this modern world thinks a slim, innocent, child-like waif is the ideal form of an attractive woman. We might be able to blame a likely gay and pedophilic Alexander the Great for spreading the male practice of beard shaving. Who is old enough to remember when a hairy chest was considered universally desireble in a man in the USA? When European women didn't shave their arms or legs? Check out Marilyn Monroe closely...by today's beauty standards she is bit chubby and flabby. Wolfe lived his prime years of life while this transition in standards occurred. Perhaps it made an impact. -bsharp