Comments on: Henson schmenson, take a look at Dolly

By: Kez

Kez — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Pedantic correction: In this line “Who decided that soft p-rnographic music video clips are acceptable for P and PG time slots where children have every right to be viewing?” - It should be “..G and PG time slots…”. There is no P rating.

By: Leah Fawthrop

Leah Fawthrop — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I am an artist and have long admired Bill Henson’s work. I envy his talent. Yes taken out of a gallery the individual art works are confronting. However like Julie I find the overt sexualisation of children in the advertising world and by parents by entering their children into beauty/talent competitions. It is sometimes horrifying to see little girls dressed up in very revealing outfits that a prosittute or ‘exotic’ dancer would consider wearing. Where are our values? Why do we constantly accept it is ok. It is not ok. Kids should be allowed to be kids - they shouldn’t have to worry about not having hips yet, or breasts. Whether they have applied the right lipstick. Bravo Julie. Keep up the fight.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

That’s a real catalogue of worries listed there, yet I still come back to the brute politics of the police raid on the Henson exhibition. By extraordinarily inauspicious timing, the big media coverage of the show only followed ex MP Orkopoulos being sent down for 9+ years for predation on under age teens and illegal drug use. Given his ALP branding as uncomfortable as their party now feel about that, and the convergence of Sydney Writers Festival arty types same week in Sydney with their Labor tendencies, it was a gift to the conservative press to leverage the situation and get a reaction. Very opportunistic. Very effective. Maybe even sincere in part over child safety. And the arts community have been manipulated into that reaction. No show without Punch. This is the real calculus in Rudd coming out fast and categorical: To not be wrong footed by the Right. Besides where are the writers and artists going to go with their support apart from a protest letter? However does anyone really believe Ork did what he did because of the catalogue of obnoxious exploitative media listed above? Maybe you are right, this commodification of children for adult purposes is a shadow in our society, as big politics commodifies the public for their own benefit. But it still feels like a stretch to me - Stateline NSW last Friday ran with Paul OGrady, out and proud, who really put the boot in to Orkopoulos for being well known as a gay man living a secret life as straight. Said he would absolutely participate in any parliamentary inquiry into who knew what when. The Greens are considering their position apparently as per Rhiannon MP.

By: David M

David M — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Gaol the bastard