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We've found an unwelcome feature on Bluesky: you can't add your own content filters, but it will randomly slap one on sometimes. Yesterday's post, which was as deeply unsexy as it was anatomically incorrect, is "sexually suggestive" according to Bluesky...
masto.ai/@vagina_museum/110667…


Figure "drawn after nature" by Jean Jacques Lequeu (1757-1826). As well as the extra clitoral hood, this illustration is also labelled "black woman", so we're not sure how much this really was painted from a model...

Courtesy of Bibliothèque nationale de France


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This afternoon, we're going to have a bit of fun on there and post some of our favourite art and and see what Bluesky's automated content filters make of them.

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L'origine du monde

L'origine du monde is not masked. Guess they learned from the Facebook lawsuit incident.

"L'origine du monde" by Gustave Courbet, 1866. Musee d'Orsay.

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Leda and the Swan (and terrible pun)

It's a lovely day in the village and you are a horrible Zeus. Bluesky does NOT provide an automatic filter on this one, not even to hide the bad pun.

Leda and the Swan, attributed to François Boucher, circa 1740. Private collection

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Kilpeck Sheela-Na-Gig

They don't have a problem with 12th century church carvings.

Kilpeck Sheela-Na-Gig, circa 12th century

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Les deux amis

This charming painting depicting a close friendship between two women *is* sexually suggestive, according to Bluesky.

"Les deux amis" by Jean-Jacques Lagrenée (1739–1821).

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Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (shunga tentacle sex)

This shunga work is the first to get flagged as "explicit", not merely suggestive.

"Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" by Katsushika Hokusai (1814)

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Side note: by Bluesky's own criteria, "sexually explicit" equals porn; "sexually suggestive" means no nudity, and we're a bit baffled by this because the "suggestive" ones definitely featured nudity...
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Photo of a human cervix

A photo of a human cervix is also classified in the "Sexually Explicit" category - this is a very value-laden judgment on Bluesky's part.

Photo of a human cervix on day 15 of the menstrual cycle. Courtesy of the Beautiful Cervix project

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Photo of a human cervix
curious what it would think of some cuts of raw meat that's basically all the cervix picture looks like
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Georgia O'Keeffe painting

Georgia O'Keeffe is NOT masked by Bluesky. O'Keeffe would be so pleased, she maintained throughout her life that she was simply painting flowers.

"Black Iris" by Georgia O'Keeffe, 1926. Courtesy of MOMA.

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The Cautious Lover

This painting depicting condom use is "sexually suggestive".

We still can't figure out exactly how they're making the distinction.

"The Cautious Lover" by Nicolas François Octave Tassaert, circa 1860.

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"Cunnyseurs", frustrated allcaps

OH COME ON

"Cunnyseurs" by Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827)

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Rokudenashiko kayak

At least Japanese obscenity authorities aren't making the Bluesky algorithms. This one was PERMITTED.

"Man-boat" (pussy boat) by Rokudenashiko, 2014, courtesy of the artist. The artist was arrested and convicted under Japanese obscenity laws for part of her process in creating this work, which is based on 3D scans of her own vulva.

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So what have we learned this afternoon? Bluesky's content warning algorithm is arbitrary, applies a kind of moral judgment as to what is porn and what is merely "suggestive", and is entirely opaque.

We'd prefer to be able to apply our own warnings, thank you very much.

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I really much enjoy this :blobcatgiggle: We don’t like that ‘automated marking’ stuff.. Just regular people work here :cat_hug_triangle:
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Rokudenashiko kayak

I love Rokudenashiko’s work! She also does amazing landscape pieces that are similarly molded & vinyl manko toys that are super cute 🤩 Folks can see more on her website:

6d745.com/gallery/

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Photo of a human cervix
⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️
Donc un col de l'utérus, ça ressemble à un gland 🤔
(et bon appétit si vous êtes à table)
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I think "does not include nudity" means that nudity isn't relevant to the judgment of suggestive, not that it definitely doesn't include nudity
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Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (shunga tentacle sex)
Of course it was hidden. Remember this app is from a country where showing your body is taboo but it’s your constitutional right to buy automatic weapons at your local corner shop
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I give up, what's the terrible pun here? ( I'm transfixed by the swan's head apparently being uses as a dildo)
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Leda and the Swan (and terrible pun)
pretty sure "and you are a horrible Zeus" is every day in any given Greek village
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L'origine du monde
What's the facebook lawsuit incident? I think I've missed that..