Also - a follow up...

[ampheebian]

How is it that Bill Henson was cleared of all charges and it went by without my notice? It pisses me off that someone can so easily be defamed and then the pieces not be picked up again and proper apologies made.

I still have things to say, most primary of all, is to those who say it was an issue of consent not the content of the images - this has

Comments

[ampheebian]

Yes, you can!

And I absolutely agree with that. And hell, I have nearly taken children away from parents given I knew that I could do a better job than the parents could - and I don't have a parental bone in my body!

Of course we need bodies that state and govern such things - like child protective services... -but- it's important that these bodies view things impartially. My real problem with Hetty Johnston is that this is not the first time she has taken down a public figure for the sake of beating her breast - and she doesn't do it with reasonable argument - she always takes things to the extremes.

Sure, we can change the law on these things, but as it stands right now, the legal system is working in a specific way and that's what we all have to work within, whether we like something's content or not. And to change such laws, or to govern what parents cannot give consent to, I believe, gives more loop holes than not... if that makes sense? For example - you can give consent for photograph type 'A', but not photograph type 'B', someone will always find a way of making B into A...

These are all arguments that stay away from the Henson articles themselves - which I think is why this debate is so interesting. But, to address Henson's artwork and the way in which he constructs his pieces and the respect between subject and photographer is evident not only through finished product but also through the respect of his former subjects (now mature adults), the parents and the artistic community at large.

I think it is most important to interrogate debate from both sides, ask the questions and try to get under the skin of things, as long as it doesn't resort to name calling or belittling of others - and in an idealised artistic world, art in its best form does that... I'm the worst player of devil's advocate this world has ever seen.

[secondslater]

Yeah I agree, but the law is way behind in most things and with the prolific use of the 'net to portray people in any way that the 'user' sees fit, then I reckon it's impossible to stop abuse. Hetty Johnston is like so many 'advocates'. They lose sight of what's important in the big picture in the hunt to destroy people's reputations and lives. And it's often the wrong people. Take pedophilia, wasn't there 12 million hits on one pedophile site when pics were put there for 76 minutes? Now there's your problem.

[ampheebian]

And that's the shit that gets me ropeable! I also like the idea that we live in a society where we don't punish everyone for the assholes on this planet that are screwed in the noggin'. I think there'd be better advantage to train people to look for the danger signs in the onlooker, so that those of us that don't need to be sanctioned can enjoy all that life has to offer - but apparently that makes me idealistic. Oh well...

It's complex, I don't deny it, but man did it make me angry at the time.

[secondslater]

No harm in being idealistic Pheebs. Nothing wrong with aspiring to be more than we are. I reckon there should be more of it and then we'd have a better model for living than 'Big Brother', hey? :-)

[ampheebian]

Oh my - I read the 'Big Brother' comment just as I was sipping a drink - messy business that! Actually - scary thought, we did study Big Brother as a model for what we think the ideal Australian is and Aussie values from the show's winners over time... scary thought indeed!

[secondslater]

And what values did you decide were important to us Aussies? And I have t'ask, is there such a thing as the ideal Aussie? ;p

[ampheebian]

Well - some people would like us to think so, for sure. Check out the literature we bandy about as the quintessential read for all Australians... or the advertisements that go out about the country etc etc... which generally are a crock - but still! Not to mention I think there's plenty of people that'd say quite adamantly that we're a white, beer drinking, footy and pie enjoying, working class country with little to no place for creative and intellectual expression - scary how many of them exist out there, but they're kinda weird when you meet them. I think we just gotta keep encouraging people to see this as an adapting nation, which some people are too quick to try and tie it down to 'something concrete'... we're a child nation, we need an adult to give us consent to define ourselves one could say =D (oh I'm cheeky)

At the stage we did this test, I think only the first two series had come out, so yeah, it was like, Male aussie battler with a generous soul, but meagre background, white, sporty, and into hard work... or something.

[secondslater]

And looking at BB now we could say what? Party-boy-celeb-for-a-day from Narre Warren meets older white female? And nah, I don't watch it! My brain's fried enough!

I think that Aussie myth is slowly dying out, as we drag ourselves into this century! But there'll always be rednecks Pheebs, you see 'em no matter where you love.

Gotta go, catch you later!

[ampheebian]

Bloody rednecks in their redneck wonderland...

Catchya!

[manchester_red]

Child? Surely at least mid-teens by now?

[ampheebian]

Could be! But I say you can smack a mid-teen on the wrist still for behaving stupidly *G*

[manchester_red]

*l* yeah, or box their ears

[secondslater]

*cough I meant no matter where you live up above ;p

[ampheebian]

Ah! It's all good - the reference worked just as well given my impaling post and my love for this city =D

[manchester_red]

'And I have t'ask, is there such a thing as the ideal Aussie?'

Rolf Harris. ;-)

[manchester_red]

Big Brother is unmitigated shit IMO and I can't stand it.

EDIT: will offer an opinion on the rest of it after work . . .