Pornography

 First published in Column 8, on 23^rd October, 1991

Jenny Shipley can’t be anyone’s favourite person these days, but she reduced her demerits slightly in a recent speech to the National Council of Women.

Fed up with the soft approach to pornography, she said, ‘I make no apologies to those who believe they should be free to choose for themselves what they would view and read.’

She wants to put a Bill through Parliament that legally defines pornography, and freely admits she’s advocating legislative censorship.

Quite honestly, though I know something has to be done, I don’t know where she’ll start. The country is saturated with pornography, and it’s become so insidious we take it for granted.

When my uncle owned a dairy some years ago, he got himself into strife with the distributors because he wouldn’t sell any magazine flaunting naked bodies. How many shopkeepers would make a stand like that now? I only have to walk outside my house to the grocer’s next door to find advertisements of naked women adorning the pavement.

Is it coincidental that two of the most popular New Zealand plays of the last decade have contained frequent scenes of nudity? (Male, just for a change.)

Once it was uncommon to go to the movies and see nudity (apart from foreign movies, which spiced up their plots with naked bodies, whether they had anything to do with the story or not.) Now it’s the norm in almost anything we see not only at the movies but at home on TV.

Even on the news. Apart from the Nightline episode of lovers coupling, which at least took place after 10 pm, there was the report on the young women stripping at a pub in Wellington. This was shown during the tea hour in our house.

Worse than the young women’s behaviour was the bestial shouting by the male spectators, and the casual indifference of the pub owner. For him it was a way to make money. Lots of it.

That doesn’t bother you? Then perhaps the fact that videos with pornographic content are available in nearly all video outlets, and are often taken home and shown to children concerns you more.

Or maybe it doesn’t. It certainly didn’t concern somebody in charge at Washdyke, when children were freely able to watch pornographic videos stored on the school premises, without a single teacher being aware.

I think we’re so corrupted by pornography we barely fuss when it slaps us in the face. Things sexual corrode us, seeping into every area of our lives. It’s a form of idolatry, and some people can’t stop worshipping.

No wonder so many crimes in this country have a sexual content. Virtually every magazine we open has some article in it on the subject that was once taboo.

We’d like to think it’s because we’re more broadminded now, that we’re balancing out a time when people never talked about sex – supposedly.

We’d like to convince ourselves that it’s not psychologically good for us to be modest about the matter. Fat chance of being modest, in this day and age.

Humanity is notorious for swinging from one extreme to the other. Maybe Jenny Shipley’s aggressive attack on pornography heralds a return to some semblance of balance in the whole matter.

Maybe not. Either way, she’s got an uphill battle.

Jenny Shipley in 2013

 One of the plays mentioned above was probably Foreskin’s Lament. I don’t know now what the other would have been, unless it was Equus.

The Washdyke incident should have been a surprise, but since then any number of schools have been found to have pornographic material available, often on the computers the children can access. It makes the news, but doesn’t change the mentality of those in charge. And each morning, as I open the newspaper, I’m faced with yet another case of some male – including well-known ones – hoarding child pornography on their computer, often on their work computer.

Shipley’s legislative aim found some ground in the 1993 ‘Films, Videos and Publications Classification Bill.’  But of course, classifying material leaves it still freely available to those want to see it, whether they’re of a proper age or  not. And even though most streaming material these days shows classifications, it offers no way for children and younger people to avoid what is shown within the movie or TV series.

There were several letters written in response to this article. I’ve slightly edited the format of the originals for more readability online. 

10.11.91

Sir, I would like to pay tribute to Mike Crowl for his column concerning pornography published in the October 23 Midweek. I have five children whom my husband and I strive to bring up with healthy attitudes and codes of behaviour. The support we receive from society is being undermined by the insidious entry of adult videos into our local dairies and video stores. In find it an affront as a woman and an insult as a parent to take my children to places where explicit sexual poses are portrayed on video covers, magazines and other media. Our society is being complacent to this dangerous material being exposed to our young people. Any form of material which belittles, abuses or devalues people’s standing in society is damaging and this constant hard-sell of women as sexual objects is endangering the safety of women and their children in New Zealand.

Am I the only woman, the only parent, who is concerned that my children grow up without being subjected to pornographic material, the glorification of violence and force to solve problems in Dunedin? If not why is it when I am offended at the display of explicit videos or magazines I am answered with, ‘Oh, no one else has complained.’ Come on Dunedin shopowners and parents. Children cannot be fed a diet of ‘Do as I say,  not as I do,’ and not become confused and angry at our weak and morally sick society. 

Mary Guthrie

 

17.11.91

Sir, I couldn’t have agreed more with Mike Crowl (Midweek 23.10.91), and Mary Guthrie (Weekender 10.11.91) on the availability of pornography and its effect particularly on the young. The evidence is everywhere, with elderly women being raped and killed by teenagers, something that would have never entered the minds of the youth of earlier generations. Greedy depraved people who sell this filthy for profit should be heavily penalised; they are the instigators of our new crime – the young, weak-minded and those with sick disturbed minds after viewing pornographic material, sexually aroused, go out and copy acts recently seen.

The old argument that parents should ensure their children do not have this material available comes unstuck when we remember the recent occurrence of children watching adult, depraved videos which had been kept in a cupboard in a school library, by a teacher. Libertarians who argue that people have the right to view whatever they want to, cannot be related to what is now available for viewing, violent deviant sex and bestiality. The civil liberties groups are becoming a sick joke when they continually put the rights of the criminals before those of the victims. I agree with Mary Guthrie that we live in a morally sick society, and children cannot be fed a diet of ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ Parents should combine to foce those who sell adult videos out of business, if the law doesn’t.

Mary Buchanan

 

17.11.91

Sir, I like Mary Guthrie, agree with the remarks made by Mike Crowl, concerning pornography in Column Eight of Midweek, October 23. The remarks made by Mary Guthrie, herself, in Weekender, November 10, are all correct, too, and I would like to congratulate her on writing a letter bringing such matters before parents and public in general.

Concerned Pollie

 

17.11.91

Sir, It was with extreme interest I read Mary Guthrie’s letter to the Weekender (10.11.91). An extremely worried mum taking up the fight against society’s long-standing enemies – sex and pornography. This good mother is taking a strong stand in defence of our country’s children and teenagers, concerned at the complacency of the adult world who seemingly accept the over-emphasis of this mindless soul-destroying problem that is part of the permissive society.

Consider the results concerning the Washdyke Primary School when a large number of pupils had access to a number of pornographic video tapes left in a cupboard in, of all places, the school’s library, the ensuing anger and frustration on parents, pupils and staff bringing the good name of the school into bad repute. Time alone will prove the damage caused to the children, parents and staff but one can be sure this will be a lesson well learned to all and sundry. The Bible tells us ‘Our children are the heritage of the Lord,’ and all are accountable to Him. We must all take heed as there is no doubt that the high moral standards of yesteryear are fast being eroded away. Given most parents treat their children with loving care, we must beware – it is a wicked world out there.

Hazel D Knox

 

20.11.91 [in The Weekender]

Sir, I agree with Marie Guthrie’s tribute (Weekender 10.11.91) to Mike Crowl’s article concerning pornography, also Penman’s concern in the same issue regarding Television 1, Channel 2, and TV3, all showing sexual intercourse about 9.30 on Monday night.[Penman was another columnist who wrote in the Weekender] Parents certainly face an uphill battle these days. I am tired of hearing the deprecating remark ‘we are adult surely’ or similar after expressing my dismay at pornography on television, radio, video or in magazines. Does being ‘adult’ mean the acceptance and condoning of such pornography as the norm? If so, the message our young people are receiving is that anything is acceptable as long as they use condoms (which are not guaranteed even by the manufacturers).

In Uganda the government, on the insistence of Muslims and Christians, has banned the advertising of condoms because their use has encouraged promiscuity in young people, and now Uganda has the highest incidence of AIDs in the world. Safer sex indeed! Pope John Paul II has also stated his concern in these matters. Congratulations to Weekender and Midweek for not advertising ‘massage parlours’ and ‘escort services.’ Perhaps one day, if space is available, we may see the Ten Commandments in print. Long time no see – anywhere!

Gran

 

20.11.91

Sir, Thank you Mary Guthrie and Sorrel Bovett for your very good letters. I share your concern and so do thousands of other decent people who deplore the disastrous moral state of the country. the country is being managed by hypocritical people who seem to want ti this way. I can tell by all the letters of complaints I have written to them and been given the same negative reply. All pornographic exposure is bad but the worst, I think, is television because it invades our homes and places where there is no escape. The intrusion of television’s destructive sex education on the mind is an insidious liberalisation of freedom out of control.

Conservationists protect plant and animal life so generously against destruction, yet our human life is given very little respect or protection from elements which are both body and soul-destroying. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a Government who really cared! I say to others who feel lost in the wilderness out there, come forward and let yourselves be heard.

Julia

 

20.11.91

Sir, Regards pornography. I’ve often been amazed at the elderly folk who seem to accept these blatant, disgusting posters stuck on the corner dairy window as if they are of no account. I see respectable, elderly shopkeepers selling filthy books for a few dollars. It’s beyond my comprehension how good-living people can advertise and sell these evil magazines and videos without a conscience. The elderly are quick enough to demand attention as regards money, but care nothing about the filth in our shops.

Visually Abused

 

20.11.91

Sir, All these people parading their extremely one-sided, restrictive, uneducated views in your paper these past weeks, including Mary Buchanan, Hazel D Knox and Mike Crowl, do not know what they are talking about. There is not, and never has been, any correlation proven between rape, child abuse, or any sexual crime, and pornographic material. Show me any unequivocal conclusive proof between the two, and I shall seriously alter my views on the subject.

Pornography, in its present form, has been around for maybe 30 to 40 years. Erotica has been around for approximately 100,000 years, probably longer. There appears to be a slight contradiction in these statistics. I think you’ll find that if there has been any increase in reported rapes or sex abuse cases, it could quite easily be attribute to increase in world population, the more open views promoted in such cases encouraging people to speak out rather than keep hidden, or even more efficiency in collating statistics.

Yes, a lot of sex abusers will possess pornographic material, but they also will possess bicycles, drink milk, own a dog, or play tennis. Do we confiscate bikes, ban milk, destroy dogs, or license tennis rackets?

I think you are still thinking of rapists as being dirty men in raincoats who slobber and slink through gardens at night, when in truth absolutely anybody in the entire world, from judges, to chefs, to animal rights activists, could be, and sometimes are, sex offenders.

Children, as we know, will very often do exactly what they are told not to do, simply because they are curious about the unknown, as are we all. That’s how we learn. If we restrict children from the ways of sex and all its (if you’ll excuse the expression) ins and outs, then by hook or by crook, they will want to know why, and what all the mystery is about. End result, they get a hold of some form of so-called pornographic material, usually nothing more tame than your average men’s magazine and think of sex as being a dirty disgusting act. Which it is not.

I think you’ll find that true pornography, that which is injurious to the public good, i.e. violent or abusive, underage, bestiality or even slightly ‘deviant’ sexual acts, are not freely available on newsagent shelves at all. They are almost always very much underground, and illegally [sic] in the country. We have strict laws already about such material, so you should not be concerned. Your moral attitudes to people’s lives should be commended, of course, but you are restricting people’s freedom! There are millions upon millions of people who find adult material merely entertaining and educational! You can not be so restrictive about so many people’s personal preferences just for the sake of the occasional weirdo who would commit any sex crime at all whether there was pornography available to him or not (or her).

Just think. If pornography or adult material wasn’t available think how many sex offenders there’d be then, what with no other way to gain sexual release for many.

Definitely Not A Rapist.

 

Penman himself joined in on the subject in his own column in the same paper as the above:

To Anon – I found the sex scenes I spoke of neither particularly obscene nor immoral. I was making the observation that anyone wanting to watch something on television other than sex at that moment was out of luck on all three channels, and questioned whether this should be so. It would be hard to deny that each of the three scenes being screened adhered to the dictionary definition of pornography: ‘designed to stimulate sexual excitement.’ Therefore this example of prevalence supported the claims made in the letter to the Editor – that pornography is rife.

 

1.12.91

Sir, In response to the letters in the Weekender, a group of concerned women have formed ‘Family against Pornography and Violence.’ The unprecedented decline in our society’s values and the horrific crimes that are being committed cannot continue if we are to remain a free society. The society’s aim is to reduce the level of pornography and violence that our children are subjected to, from exposure to television and displays of pornographic material in video shops and other retailers.

Would any individual or organisation interested in helping please contact 454-2336. Also write to Jenny Shipley, c/- Parliament Building, Wellington (postage free) and express the urgent need to change the law.

Mary Guthrie, Valerie Alexander

[I don’t know what happened with this group as there doesn’t seem to be any information on line. Perhaps it was absorbed into the great NZ efforts regarding the problem at the time.]