Fast broadband network will increase bad behaviour: Conroy
Senator Conroy may not be Santa Claus, but he knows when you’ve been bad! According to our favourite babysitter in Canberra, his planned national broadband network will mean we’ll see an increase in cyber-bullying and other bad behaviour online: “With the development and roll-out of Labor’s national broadband scheme, we expect that there will be...
Police investigate Henson pics at Parliament House
Cops have investigated a Henson triptych of a building’s exterior which hangs in a minister’s office at Parliament House. Those dirty, obscene building exteriors. Department of Parliamentary Services, Alan Thompson, told the media “Our general impression is they simply had a list of places that might have Bill Henson works.” Good use of police resources,...
Censors investigate websites using Henson photographs
The Classification Board is investigating news media websites who published photographs taken by Bill Henson. The case was referred to them by the ACMA, but it’s unknown whether a complaint was made by a member of the public (maybe a revolted PM?) or the ACMA took it upon themselves. So on one hand you’ve got...
Sam Newman knocked off the air
Sam Newman has been temporarily boned by Nine after his recent on screen antics angered AFL execs and a group of women footballers. Nine says he came back to work after having surgery way too soon. Watch the clips below: Cheryl Laredo comments on News.com.au: ‘So what excuse does Channel Nine offer for all of...
Cyber-Safety budget report card: Children lose
Even if you support Senator Conroy’s plan to introduce mandatory ISP filtering in Australia, you have to admit it has little to do with ‘cyber-safety’. Actually, Conroy’s entire cyber-safety initiative may have little do with safety or protecting children. Irene Graham writes: The Federal Government’s ‘Cyber-safety Plan’ Budget 2008-2012, announced on 14 May 2008, allocates...
When nudity equals sex and art equals pornography
I don’t need to fill you in on today’s events involving artist Bill Henson. I have little to add to the debate that hasn’t already been said and Peter Craven, the founding editor of Quarterly Essay, puts it much more eloquently than I ever could anyway. All I ask is when did nudity automatically become...
Vodka Cruiser ‘Free Condom’ promo outrages family groups
Those wacky family groups are at it again. This time it’s over a Vodka Cruiser promotion where customers at thirteen liquor outlets across Sydney were given free condoms and the chance to win a pole dancing kit. Angela Conway from the Australian Family Association told the media that the offer was promoting a “booze-drenched culture”...
Adult Shop loses R18+ appeal
Some adults are offended by seeing other adults have sex (creating offspring must be such a dreadful task…). But are those same people representative of broad community values and standards? The Federal Court says yes. Adult Shop has lost a legal battle to have an X18+ rating overturned for the adult film Viva Erotica. The...
Conroy’s cyber-saftey party in full swing, but only one dance allowed?
Senator Conroy has announced those who will assist the Government as part of his Cyber-Safety Consultative Working Group, but has the group been designed from the get-go to be in favour of mandatory ISP filtering. When you consider people like Anthony Pillion, manager of filtered Australian ISP Webshield, and Child Wise CEO Bernadette McMenamin are...
Catharine Lumby Sydney Institute talk, May 20
UPDATE 21/05/08: Bob Bain’s recap is online. Read it here. Audio here. Catharine Lumby will speak at a Sydney Institute event this Tuesday about her new book The Porn Report. Lumby co-authored the report on Australia’s production and consumption of pornography with Alan McKee of QUT and Kath Albury of UNSW. Venue: Corrs Chambers Westgarth,...
Steve Fielding strips off in public. No, really
It’s enough to make a senior citizen want to die: Obscene? Yes. From today’s ‘Grey Power‘ protest.
Borders celebrates banned books
I like Borders bookstores. They’re like a giant library with the convenience of a Gloria Jeans (well at least in Brisbane) for long haul reading sessions when you don’t intend to buy. This week on their Must-Have list are books which have been banned at some point in time. Here’s a few: Alice’s Adventures in...
