This is a penetrating article about dumbed-down culture and “kidult” literature, written by British author Will Self for bbc.co.uk. I share most of his views, which some may call “elitist,” and think that the public should become aware of the reading habits of 21 st -century readers. 20 April 2012 A Point of View: In defence of obscure words by Will Self (author of Cock and Bull, Great Apes , among others) We chase "fast culture" at our peril - unusual words and difficult art are good for us, says Will Self. We are living in a risk-averse culture - there's no doubt about that. But the risk that people seem most reluctant taking is not a physical but a mental one: just as the concrete in children's playgrounds has been covered with rubber, so the hard truth about the effort needed for intellectual attainment is being softened by a sort of semantic padding. Our arts and humanities education at secondary level seems particularly afflicted by fal...