Thursday, April 8, 2010

Do you want some porn with your petrol?

An Australian Mum, Catherine Manning, founder of Say No 4 Kids, has appeared on a prime time Channel 7 current affairs show, The 7pm Project, Tuesday night (I know, I know, I wanted to post this earlier, but I wanted to get some research behind me before I started venting!) to speak about her petition to have adult magazines moved out of children’s eyeline in milk bars and service stations.

Some people are dismissing her as a wowser or a prude. I’m willing to bet those people don’t have kids. One such person who was clearly dismissive of these idea, and shame on him, was The 7pm Project’s panellist Steve Price, who was clearly dismissive of this idea and very condescending towards her. I am well aware it’s a journalist’s job to question stories, but he showed a very unprofessional personal bias, both during the interview and in the brief discussion afterwards. You can view the episode here. You want the 9 minute mark. You can contact Steve Price here... oh no, wait, seems Mr Tough Guy has no contact information anywhere on the web. I wonder why? He’s perfectly happy to dish out his opinion to all and sundry whether we want it or not, but isn’t willing to hear what we have to say in reply? Way to stand by your opinions, Mr Price.

Plus, I don’t think he was actually paying attention. Steve seemed under the impression she was worried about kids opening and reading the magazine, whereas in reality just the covers themselves are a problem. One argument made was that a seeing a woman in lingerie on the front of an adult magazine was the same as seeing a woman in a swimsuit. In other words, seeing this...


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... was just the same as seeing this:



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Uh-huh... right.

Apart from the fact I couldn’t agree with her more, I think she’s being pretty reasonable. She isn’t saying there’s anything wrong with selling the magazines, or adults buying them, she just wants them moved. Pretty tolerant actually, considering many child experts want them banned all together from these outlets and sold only in adult stores.

And she’s right, every time I go into a service station, there, right by the door, and usually right across from or beside the chocolate bars and lollies, are various women in various slutty poses, vacantly staring open-mouthed right at my knees. In other words, right at GG’s eyeline.

So why do we need to protect our kids from these magazines? Well, apart from the fact that the images and captions lead to some very uncomfortable questions ( “Why is that lady nudie rudie Mummy?” is one I’ve already had to deal with), they are part of an insidious sexualisation of children that is starting to permeate every aspect of popular culture these days.

In The Australia Institute’s discussion paper “Corporate Paedophilia, Sexualisation of Children in Australia” Emma Rush and Andrea La Nauze detail how the early exposure of sexual images helps in the “grooming” process paedophiles use to abuse young children, as well as the development of body image issues and eating disorders in young girls.

Various studies have also shown a link between exposure to pornographic images at a young age to paedophilia. One such study available online here.

To get more information on the group Say No 4 Kids, or to sign the petition, you can visit their website.



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17 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree with you more! Totally spot on. ;)

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  2. I am absolutely passionate about this issue too. Thanks for writing about it. In fact in the OHT at the petrol station they go way worse than Ralph magazine they have full blown fetish pornos at the front window, I suppose for the truckies... oh don't get me started..... actually I might have to write about this too. Nice on Quixy

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  3. Clapping loudly at computer. I agree 100%.

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  4. They're just as bad in the newsagents. I hate them. I wish they didn't sell them at all, or if they must then can't they be out of sight somewhere.

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  5. Hi
    I often lurk and read your blog sans comment, but am moved to respond to this. I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to raise such a sensible discussion. Totally agree. Thank you.

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  6. Wow - thanks for bringing this to light - I totally share your perspective!

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  7. Agree! And Steve Price is a twat!

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  8. Oh. Wholehearted agreement here too. Of course. And you know, I was saying (looking at those two comparitive "just in a bathing suit" shots you posted) "Uh-huh..." and chuckled a bit when I scrolled down and you've typed the same thing. Because seriously, UH-HUH.

    Why isn't it done as a given? (moving them out of eyeline of young kids) Why are they debating? Why do we have to sign? This should be fecking automatic. Short-sighted imbeciles.

    Signing petition as soon as I hit send on this comment.

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  9. Yes Q, you nailed it! I'd never minded Steve Price but he was a total dick about this!
    I'd never really thought about the topic, but when this lady brought it up, i thought YES, I agree!
    Mostly because that is so wrong that our kids should grow up thinking that is the norm, that is how guys should see women & that girls should grow up thinking that's how women should be!
    I don't think she's being a prude, just reasonable. And husband agreed with me, he wouldn't want his daughter to grow up thinking that's the norm for women or our son to think that's how girls should be viewed.
    So Steve Price who has 2 daughters you are just a knobhead!

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  10. Great post, honey! I totally agree with you and I hope Steve Price googles his name and finds this!

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  11. I'm an adult and I don't like seeing them. Nothing makes you feel fatter then a hot, skinny, airbrushed chick on the cover of a magazine. I can't imagine what it does to young, impressionable young girls. I'm with you. Don't stop selling them, just move 'em up.

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  12. Great article and I agree with Sarah, it is so refreshing to read a sensible well argued point of view.

    The thing is that the magazines are but the tip of the iceberg .. Billboards, TV, Radio, All forms of written print, internet .. all saturated with sex to sell to the point that society doesn’t even notice anymore .. Until Now ! .. Speak Proud & Speak Loud !

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  13. on another note, it is refreshing to see Liz Hurley looking great but REAL, so rare! unrelated I know but just stopped by again.

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  14. Hi, came over from Sharni's blog. Good post. This is illegal in US. They have to be wrapped or up high, I believe. Ridiculous.

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  15. I could swear that this exact topic was actually passes as a law before..... must've been somewhere else I've lived. Oz should totally adopt that one!

    Prude-shmude. When you are asked why they are "nudie-rudie" or "having sexy" *then* you can pass judgement! IMHO if a 5 year old knows its wrong, well..... why don't you, Mr Price?

    My son is only 9, and I have already been asked why Gay men have sex in their bums (along with such jewels as "but its gross mum.... dont they get poo on their willy's?") and asked how lesbians have sex, then you know society has gone not to the dogs, but the hookers.

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  16. I followed link here from Sharni's blog. Its not an issue I really thought about to be honest, but this post was an interesting read. i really, really like and respect the work of the Australia Institute, and the topic about the sexualisation of children is one I have considered, and been downhearted by.
    Interesting stuff, thanks

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Hi! Thanks for leaving a comment. :)