According to the Central Intelligence Agency's World Fact Book, the United States has a 99% literacy rate. Sounds pretty damn good, doesn't it? Well, it is. But stop and consider for a moment, Poland has a literacy rate of 99.3%, Cuba has a literacy rate of 99.8%, and Georgia (the nation) has a literacy rate of 100%. This is the United States, we can do better than 99%.
So, to that end, we've got a program called Read Across America, which has the goal of trying to get kids interested in reading. See, a simple truth is that you can teach a kid how to read, but unless they want to read they won't remember how to do it. A part of how they can do that is get celebrities and other famous people to come in, read to the kids and make a day of it and hopefully get them excited enough that they'll want to keep reading.
This would be wonderful, right? Well, it seems a few parental units out there are pissed off. Not about the program, it seems, but because Sasha Grey was a guest reader at one of the schools.
Known for years as one of the greatest porn-stars of all time, these days she's retired from porn (stop crying) and is now getting largely mainstream roles in TV shows and films. In that vein I'm glad to see she's not letting herself be defined by a career in porn. She's also something of an activist, she's a supporter of PETA (but I won't hold that against her) and is also a fan of Occupy Wall Street. And she's also a supporter of education and literacy.
An article from Huffington Post:
How would you feel if an adult film star read to your seven year old child? Believe it or not, some parents in California are pretty angry that it happened in their kids' classroom.Porn legend Sasha Grey was a guest reader at Emerson Elementary School in Compton, California earlier this month, joining first and third grade students in their Read Across America day. Grey certainly enjoyed the experience, tweeting, "Spent the am with Read Across America Compton, reading to the sweetest 1st & 3rd grade students @ Emerson Elementary!"
The problem, TMZ reports, is that parents aren't happy -- and that school officials, instead of addressing the issue, are claiming it never happened. Of course, it'd be silly for Grey to tweet about it if it hadn't happened, and more importantly, TMZ has a photo of the event (as they always seem to do).
After this ruckus went up, Grey has been getting pressure to drop out of the program, all because of things she's done in the past. Now, from the reaction this is getting, as well as the school's weak-ass attempt at a cover-up, you'd think she's have probably showed up to the classroom in a corset and fishnets and was preforming a fan dance with Green Eggs and Ham and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Well, that'd get my ass interested in reading, to be sure. That sort of thing would make the outcry from these people understandable. Except, this is what she wore (as provided by TMZ):
By all accounts the kids enjoyed her time at the school, and she did too. So, what was the problem? She did porn. The only problem here is with the parents because, remember, these kids are 1st and 3rd graders. I doubt that it would make much difference to them if they did know she'd done porn but in all likelihood, they don't. I know its hard to believe, but porn stars can, in fact, be active members of the community and want to help others if they can. See, they're human, subject to all the virtues and faults of humanity.
So, I have to quote my friend Cait because she summed it up better than I could have:
I just have to point out that without already knowing beforehand that she's a pornstar, it wouldn't even occur to you. So obviously the people making a big messy stink over the whole business have to be aware she was a pornstar. And how did they know that, hm? Just an innocent bit of research or did someone use the last of the hand lotion again?
Beyond the parentals reactions, I'm especially pleased with a statement Grey released not too long ago:
"I am proud to have participated in the "Read Across America" program at Emerson Elementary School in Compton, CA. I read “Dog Breath” by Dav Pilkey to the sweetest 1st and 3rd grade children.
"Read Across America" is a program that was designed to promote literacy and instill a lifelong love of reading in elementary school students. Promoting education is an effort that is close to my heart. Illiteracy contributes to poverty; encouraging children to pick up a book is fundamental.
I believe education is a universal right. I committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am and what I represent.
I am an actor. I am an artist. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a partner. I have a past that some people may not agree with, but it does not define who I am.
I will not live in fear of it. To challenge non-profit education programs is an exercise in futility, counter-productive and anti-educational.
I cannot thank my fans and 'Read Across America' enough for supporting my decision. Your support and kind words continue to inspire me. I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives."
Yes, I'll applaud Sasha Grey for this. Education is an important aspect to a person's life and I'll give a pat on the back to anyone who'd want to further a kid's education and literacy. Too few people out there these days place an importance on a quality education and some even seem to hold ignorance as a virtue and I feel that we should encourage and treasure anyone who wants to help the next generation better themselves; even if that person has a past we may not agree with.
...of course, if you're a kiddy diddler then you can fuck right the hell on off.
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