#amazonfail
Thanks to Twitter, this story has spread like wildfire. Here are the details so far (short version):On Sunday, author Mark R. Probst noticed that the sales rankings of hundreds of gay and lesbian books had disappeared from Amazon.com. When he contacted them to find out what was going on, he got the following response:
"In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude 'adult' material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature. Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back to us. Best regards, Ashlyn D Member Services Amazon.com Advantage."
Among the books, de-ranked thusly:Heather Has Two MommiesBrokeback MountainSex and the Single GirlRubyfruit JungleFull Frontal Feminism... and many many moreBooks not delisted for "adult" content:Traci Lords: Underneath It AllI'm With The Band: Confessions of a GroupiePlayboy: The Complete CenterfoldsThe Professional Bachelor Dating Guide: How To Exploit Her Inner Psycho... and many, many moreThough there is not complete consistency in the lists, it's clear that books that are sympathetic to homosexuality or feminism tended to get de-ranked, whereas heterosexual erotica and porn were deemed just fine. Also deemed just fine: the entire oeuvre of books about how to "cure" homosexuality.Does Amazon honestly believe its customers need to be protected from books like Heather Has Two Mommies? Can that in anyway be deemed "adult" content?Thankfully, Cycler, which also has gay and feminist content, seems to have slipped neatly under the radar, as have quite a few YA books with gay content. But is this a trend? Is this the new front in the war against tolerance?What could possibly be the point? It's not as if you're under any obligation to buy Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain just because it's on a bestseller list. As with all things Internet related, everyone's free to use the Ignore button.Jezebel has a more complete list of de-ranked and still-ranked books. And so far, both the LA Times and Entertainment Weekly have picked up the scent. The rest of the mainstream media, as far as I can tell, hasn't picked it up yet.Let's hope they do and let's hope Amazon pulls its head out of its ass.