There is, at the moment, a great deal of slavering media frenzy over a few pictures of a naked young female.
Are they "art" - are they "pornography"?
Haven't really wanted to get involved in this sort of discussion as don't really have time to write a comprehensive and rational essay that needs extensive research to comprehend the multiple shades of hypocrisy and innuendo.
Apparently the Prime Minister has labelled them "disgusting" .. but haven't looked up the exact quote .. and there are too many blogs and newspaper articles wasting words on it.
What does fascinate me is that the images were to be displayed in an Art Gallery, more than likely only to be seen by a few "officionados" .. until the legal system became involved. Now, the "newspapers" are happily reprinting the images all over Australia. (never give the sleazebucket Murdochs an even break). Oh yes, the "news" papers are placing strategic black bars over nipples and crotch .. but leaving the face quite recognisable.
My point is, here, what is now considered "obscene"? Have a look at these images, and yes, they are small, have been taken from Google image search, and are not given attribution, since i don't want to promote the sites that they came from. Always bear in mind, though, that these images are NOT from some arcane, hidden, secret child pornography websites.
The original images were, more than likely; freely, openly and widely published in "Fashion" magazines.
But this, in my opinion, is the most "obscene" of this batch ..
(PS.3.20pm. have just been half listening to an interview with the president of the Law Society of NSW in Radio National. Don't quote me on this, but think that i heard him say that the "artist" - or the originator of the work or image - has a defense under the legal definition of "art" .. but "anybody who copies, reproduces, forwards that image; for either salacious purpose or otherwise, cannot claim that defense." Interesting.)
13 comments:
I know a fella that spent a year in a U.S. Federal Prison because he had a bunch of pictures on his computer much like those. Interesting.
Yer, well, 70+ - i only have them on my hard drive 'cos i went looking for them to illustrate this post. If the thought police suddenly turned up on my doorstep, would probably have to do some heavy explaining.
It is part of a long tradition of children being dressed up in the styles of their parents, like sailors suits and crinolenes.
Not that I approve of today's dress codes, morality, press or anything at all. I'm old enough to be a grumpy old man & disapprove of everything indiscriminately: everything that is not the same as my childhood.
Anyway Davo, when the thought police turn up and take you away, allowing you a few telephone calls, let me know and I will speak up for your probity!
Davo, there's a world of difference between Henson's contemplative, soft-focus and careful lighting- and a pic of a 5 year old in a classic bum-in-the-air porno pose.
However, there's not much between 'lolita porn' (a cheap, normalising name for child pornography) and accomplished photog Nan Goldin's 'Klara & Edda - belly dancing'... if taken out of context.
I suppose you could take clippings from the kids' cotton underwear section of any department store catalogue and put them on a website that accompanies images with text like 'young, hot & posed for you' and wind up with child porn. The sexualising occurs after the fact. The nut, though, is overt sexualising- which Henson has never done.
Weez, long story, i guess. personally can't see much merit -Artistic or otherwise - in the Henson pics (such as have seen, and yes, only per courtesy of your site) .. can't see what the fuss is about in this instance.
Can someone tell me the name of the photographer who was behind those popular posters during the '70's. Winsome young females, wide-brimmed hats, diaphanous back-lit dresses?
Vincent, methinks there's a difference between 'sailor suits', crinolines; and the overt sexualising of pre-teens.
Children clad in 'parents' clothing back in those days were, by and large, part of 'family' portraits.
Correct me if am wrong, but can't think of too many examples of advertisements in that era presenting and promoting the subtle, subliminal subtext of ..
"dress your kiddie like mummie and she, too, can aspire to capture the sexual core of the wealthy Plantation owner or next multimillionaire Industrialist".
Yes, Davo, that was precisely my point. The overt sexualising of pre-teens is a direct result of the overt sexualising of adults. It is the price "civilisation" has to pay for its freedoms.
Here in my street, the little children dress like their mums. They are devout Muslims, so the mums are covered all except for face and arms, and so are the little girls who go every afternoon to the equivalent of Sunday School in the mosque.
Yup, long story Vincent. Contra- directions. muslims vs christians.
Vincent, first one has to understand how "Christianity" came about .. then 600 or so years later .."Islam".
It's all a wank. Successful wank, mind you. Who else could hold a hard on fer 1700 years .. heh.
Religion in general has a use-by date. If it was not for the faerie tale-ists' persistent grooming of impressionable children, no one would buy in. All religion should be rated NC-18- no children under the age of 18, with or without parental guidance.
If you had to start a new one in the western world tomorrow arvo at 3, you'd be laughed out of town, right after you told your prosective rubes to simply accept and believe cos your god said it.
Speaking of being laughed out of town, Ratzo's coming. Got your welcome banner made? I sure do.
"Welcome King Ratzo. Now fuck off."
Took me a little while to get the gist of that comment, Weez, without the customary "smiley" - but yes - the 'religion' "Christianity" was specifically designed to perpetuate the wealth and influence of "Imperial" Rome with all it's hypocrisy and sham.
Sad, really, that the origins have been subsumed and submerged .. heh.
Weez, you've got me thinking. Am a wiry old scrubber from way back. very little "artistic" merit in presenting nude pics of me, per se .. but am more than prepared to stand naked in this world. If fact, has always been my challenge .. if ya wanna fight, stand naked on my doorstep.
Great pics, see a different variety each time I visit the beach (local) to go fishing when boat unavailable. I have eight Gr/ daughters 10 - 26 who delight in portraying their charms.
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