Australian Sex Party will challenge filtering, what about R18+ games?
November 19, 2008 – 10:23 pmThe Australian Sex Party launches tomorrow with the slogan ‘serious about sex’, but is this Eros backed party serious about reducing censorship as reported?
While the Australian Sex Party will work at abolishing the government’s proposed internet filter, their links with Eros suggest their commitment to reducing censorship may not extend beyond pornographic material. Eros continues to oppose the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games despite games of a sexual nature being potentially banned to Australian adults.
Discussing the launch and their policies, party convenor and CEO of Eros, Fiona Patten, told AAP :
“It’s (the filter) a real step backwards to where we’ve come. In fact it’s far more censorial then we probably were 30 years ago,” she told ABC Radio.
“Material that would be classified X-rated … is considered illegal content and that is material that is currently available … in newsagents.
“You will not be able to opt out of that block.”
She also spoke to AFP about the recent AMI billboard removal:
Commenting on a recent case where a company was forced to remove billboard ads for a medication promising “longer lasting sex” because of a large number of complaints, she said an “absolute fear of the word sex” had developed.
“And it’s just crazy,” Patten said. “Sex is as natural to us as food. It’s a necessary part of our lives.”
No mention of games.
Will they be any different to Eros? Will they act only in the interest of Eros members or will they fight to eradicate all forms of media censorship? I’m eager to see their policy documents tomorrow, but I think only time will tell.
Update 20/11/08 11:40AM: ASP policies now online and games get a mention:
To bring about the establishment of a truly national classification scheme which includes a uniform non-violent erotica rating for explicit adult material for all jurisdictions and through all media including the Internet and computer games.
4 Responses to “Australian Sex Party will challenge filtering, what about R18+ games?”
Time will tell, but the safe bet is that the Sex Party/Eros will be as provincial as folks like Alison Croggon/2020.
The sad fact is that minority opinion holders are all too eager to say “We’re *this*, not *that*. *This* should be legal, but we agree *that* is quite awful. Don’t worry. Making *this* legal, won’t mean *that* will become legal.”
By Tony Comstock on Nov 19, 2008
I don’t know why they mention it’s more censored than 30 years ago. We are already far more censored than 30 years ago now. I remember full frontal nudity on prime time television in the 70′s. You could hire xxx rate porn from video libraries in the 80′s, and that’s just related to the sex industry, not to mention all the other things taken from us in the last 30 years.
Fireworks? Why are they banned? Bon-fire nights? Drinking in the open? Maybe i’m just reminiscing, but times were certainly more liberal 30 years ago.
By James on Nov 20, 2008
Heh! Great minds think alike. I just emailed them via their website advising them that they should expand their policies and campaign on a more broad, anti-censorship platform. I recommended the following two policies be added to their list:
16) We will support the implementation of a nationwide R18+ classification for computer games.
17) We will work against the excessive censorship of television, with a particular focus on content such as sex, nudity and course language. We will update the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice to bring it into line with the code employed by the Classification Board and the Classification Review Board for the classification of films and computer games.
By Heath on Nov 20, 2008