BP and Shell service stations will drop pornographic Category 1 magazines from their stores after a successful campaign to have them removed by Kids Free 2 B Kids and Australian Women’s Forum. According to Refused-Classification.com, Kids Free 2 B Kids issued a press release in September accusing the petrol giants of selling material condoning rape, incest and child sex abuse. Some pretty serious allegations.
Of course, material directly condoning such heinous acts would never pass ACB muster — the classified magazines referred to were almost certainly run of the mill porn mags featuring models of legal age. BP and Shell’s decision to remove these mags is a result of a knee jerk company policy, not government or law enforcement intervention.
Here’s a quick run down of what happened:
- Kids Free 2 B Kids Director, Julie Gale, says magazines approved for sale encourage the sexual penetration of under-age girls and some of the video/dvd advertisements validate crimes such as incest and rape. Gale says the young women are often posed in pigtails, plaits, school uniform, pink headbands and with soft cuddly toys. Milk bars, convenience stores and petrol stations selling magazines are targeted.
- Barnaby Joyce takes Kids Free 2 B Kids claims to Senate Estimates in October (documented here on STotC and at R-C.com). He expresses concern that pornography available in petrol stations and corner stores is encouraging paedophilia. He also has a problem with the use of ‘innocent-looking babes’ and wants to know when it will be stopped.
- November 20, BP decides to remove all ‘R-Rated materials’ from company owned and operated stores. BP says the decision was taken on the basis that they were not comfortable with the titles of some of the range, nor did they feel the material was consistent with company values.
- November 26, Shell/Coles Express follow suit removing Category 1 magazines nationwide. Julie Gale says ‘The Federal classification system and its State and Territory enforcement arms need an overhaul. They are not working.’
Those associated with Kids Free 2B Kids include Young Media Australia (support) and Dr Clive Hamilton (unspecified).
8 comments
James says:
Dec 3, 2008
“Innocent (legally adult) babes” are encouraging paedophilia?
So then, the publishers of Wanton Old Whores Monthly are presumably going to be able to continue selling at servos unmolested (pun intended).
Matthew says:
Dec 4, 2008
Yeah, these magazines (mostly US titles; Cheri, High Society, Fox, and magazines that are offshoots of those publishers) are the SAME ONES disributed in newsagents, and judging from the bags with the black back and front two thirds covering everything but the magazine’s title, it’s from the same distributor.
So it’s those crappy censored Amercian magazines, with usually pages torn out or black stickers over the penetration stuff. So I’m assuming American men who read these magazines (all mainstream mens magazines who’ve been around for 30 years or more) are all paedophiles. I must also point out that in magazines like Fox, they included no ‘innocent-looking babes’. They all look like dirty whores to me.
Ah geez, I hope they don’t now go after newsagents now. I’m rather fond of the Paul Raymond published magazines. I’d rather not have to go online for this stuff as I prefer the UK published soft stuff.
Jarrod says:
Dec 4, 2008
If all the models in these magazines are above the legal age then there is no decent reason to have these magazines banned. It pisses me off when they make claims such as,”encourage the sexual penetration of under-age girls and some of the video/dvd advertisements validate crimes such as incest and rape.” and “pornography available in petrol stations and corner stores is encouraging paedophilia” without backing it up with any evidence. Servos already to enough to “protect the children” by placing those black cover in and ID checks when selling R18+ magazines.
Colin says:
Dec 4, 2008
This is quite interesting. It means the wave of moral panic is gaining momentum, if anything – and even the oil companies feel enough community pressure to give in. On the same note, these child-advocacy organisations seem to be popping up. “Kids Free 2 B Kids?” (Adults using kids as a cover for their lobbying.)
Sooner or later the pendulum will swing back. The more successful the moral panic brigade are, the more significant will be the thawing once the tide turns.
Stephen says:
Dec 4, 2008
And everyone knows I can’t wait for the government to be brought to its knees
Especially the thought of the policies we’ve had over the last decade and a half (and now more, thanks to KRudd) completely washed clean and people actually looking after their own families brings a tear to my eye 
SkipEU says:
Dec 4, 2008
Nowadays they are using paedophilia for all sorts of lobbying. If you want to ban something just connect it somehow to paedophilia.
In Europe they sell all those really hardcore pornographic magazines and DVDs on petrol stations and no one is stupid enough to connect those to paedophils.
SkipEU says:
Dec 4, 2008
Looks like in Australia you are obsessed with child-advocacy organisations because you have so many of them. Soon every child will have his own supporting organization. Who is financing them?
franko says:
Dec 7, 2008
You may also be interested in this rant (http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2429316.htm) by Melinda Tankard Reist of Women’s forum Australia where she puts forward her opinion that:
“If this material [allegedly sold in "milkbars, supermarkets and petrol stations] is allowed to be sold – and sold so openly – the Classification Board is sending a message that its okay to want sex with real ‘live young girls’”