Wait! There's a lolspider thread?
WHERE!!!???
For the record, I dislike the avatar under discussion and avert my eyes from it whenever it's on the page. I'm old, not at all impressionable, but I don't disagree with whoever said it brings to mind babykilling/mutilation sort of feelings,(Huge paraphrase there) which in my opinion was obviously (FM)'s intent. (No, I'm not a mind reader, I DID say IMO) ...I slide the screen so it's partially off the screen for now if it's on the screen long enough while I'm reading, and I may disable avatars if it or any other one bugs me enough.
I've seen death, injury, and I've seen awful things in RL and I'm not a fluffy sort of person, I can hold a wound or artery with my bare hands if I need to so you don't bleed to death... I just don't care to see it here so I move my window off screen. I'm less offended by sexual innuendo or explicit stuff than that empty doll head, but I understand that there are many reasons for such restrictions. If I had a 13 year old who frequented this board, I would explain that in this case, I think (FM) is getting the reaction he/she wanted here and now, and it's behaviour I'd expect my kid to avoid, and that it's totally possible for a person to have a unique avatar without offending others and grasping for attention.
//eta// I know I'm just a n00B, but this thread offered me the chance to scratch the itch I got as soon as I saw that avatar.