Some Australian parents and children organisations are outraged that the government will not implement tighter classification laws for ‘raunchy’ music videos.
According to the government, there ‘was a ‘low level’ of community concern about music videos’. They also said they had no power over the Advertising Standards Board, presumably in response to calls for stricter controls on advertising.
Barbara Biggins, of the Australian Council on Children in the Media, said young children’s exposure to sex-charged videos was a serious concern.
“Children are increasingly exposed to a hyper-sexualised media in what has been described as the ‘pornification’ of our culture,” she said.
[…]
Julie Gale, of Kids Free 2B Kids, said the response showed a continued reluctance to respond to concerns about the sexualisation of children.
“It also fails to address many of the concerns of child development professionals and increasing evidence from research,” she said.
Family First senator Steve Fielding said the Government had gone soft on the issue.
“The response is weak,” Senator Fielding said.
“Someone’s got to them.”
Maybe it was common sense, Mr Fielding?
But apparently that’s lacking, as one angry parent explains:
I take my kids to the local 7/11 for slurpies and they are confronted with a prominent display of condoms, right at the front counter, instead of a discreet corner somewhere else, like near the women’s sanitary wear. Common sense?
Imagine if they placed tampons on the counter. Anarchy!
There’s some other great ones as well:
As a caring parent, I have a right and responsibity to ensure that my children are exposed to sexualised content at a rate and to a degree that I decide is appropriate for their age and maturity. Corporate interests are at absolute odds – indeed are in direct conflict with this right. By any sane assessment I should surely win this conflict but weak-kneed politicians espousing ‘industry self-regulation’ as the solution will ensure that I do not. Let me make it clear by example. I should NOT be endlessly forced to explain the issues surrounding erectile dysfunction to an inquisitive 6 year soaking up the world from the safety of a child restraint seat… — John Colville of Sth Yarra
It would be nice if it were as simple as turning the TV off. But what happens when you go to a shopping centre, fast food outlet, bowling etc and videos of half naked teenagers dancing around polls are playing on large screens in front of you. Are we supposed to make sure our kids don’t leave the house so they aren’t subjected to this trash? — Isla Smyth
Even if one considers billboards about erectile dysfunction to be sexual in nature (as opposed to a health issue), the fact an advertisement mentions sex does not mean it sexualises children or inappropriate for public consumption.
