Lower the age of consent?

When law people go crazy, or just get lazy.

A twitter friend today sent me an article from the paper, and as I read it, my jaw literally dropped, and I may have even let out an audible gasp. Go read the article, then come back here for my rant…

In the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal, and with Operation Yewtree in full swing, Britain is finally standing up and going after a whole bunch of people who were previously untouchable. Which is awesome. Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean that you should be above the law.

However, one woman, British Barrister Barbara Hewson, thinks that it’s just a witch hunt, and the better thing to do would be to simply lower the age of consent to 13 and we should get rid of the anonymity for victims. There should also be a statute of limitations, and most of these pedobears should only be charged with a misdemeanor.

So I’m wondering if she is just lazy, or has no clue of the impact of sexual assault on it’s victims. I’m hoping she’s just lazy, and thinks that all these “old cases” are just taking up her valuable time, which she could be doing something more important to her.

A lot of people simply don’t understand the impact of sexual assault on victims. Some people are able to heal from the trauma. Others are just really good at hiding how hurt they are. Some people openly have problems, but most people don’t know why a person is that way.

Assault actually has physical changes on the brain. It can change the way people deal with life. It can affect all their future interactions with society.I wish more people would look into the physical and emotional effects of assault before they start spouting off bullshit like this barrister did.

Does she truly believe that serial offenders like Jimmy Savile should have been allowed to get away with it “because they’re old”? Just because someone has gotten away with a crime for 20 or 30 or even 50 years, doesn’t mean they should be pardoned. The victims have had to live with the effects of that abuse their whole life, while the pedo was out and about, enjoying life. I don’t care if a child rapist is 90 years old. If he committed a crime, he shouldn’t get to go to the grave a free man. He should face his crimes the same as if he’d been brought to prosecution a day after the event.

I’m also tired of people pardoning pedophiles simply because they’re in the entertainment industry. People like Roman Polanski are still happily working, and all these people keep jumping to his defense, because even though he drugged, raped and sodomized a 13 year old girl, he’s an artiste, so it’s ok. Even though he was charged, then fled the country to avoid jail time, and has managed to avoid extradition a number of times, people still want to work with him. I just don’t get it. You couldn’t get me in the same room as that man. I won’t watch any of his films. I certainly wouldn’t work with him. I remember an interview with Kate Winslet saying that when Roman Polaski asks you to be in his film, you don’t say no. I so wish I had been there so I could say, Why, because he wouldn’t listen if you said no anyway?

Old men of the entertainment industry, you have been put on notice. You are no longer safe. All of us are getting strong and taking back our souls. If you did bad things to kids, you’re probably going to get a knock on the door.

Right now, it’s Britain leading the way, and Australia is doing pretty damn good too. There’s a lot of former child stars, and current working ones in the US who are watching these cases very closely. It won’t be long before there’s a lot of arrests in Hollywood. Unfortunately, for the older people, there is a statute of limitations in the US. However, for the younger kids who are currently living it, they’ll know that the older actors and execs are no longer untouchable. They’ll find their voices, and they’ll start to speak out.

April 23, 2013

Splash

Dive in to Splash

So anyone who reads my blog knows I’m a bit of a reality TV tragic. I figure the format isn’t going to go away, so you may as well embrace it. Besides, some of it is interesting. A lot of scripted TV shows just don’t hold my attention anymore, or they become so predictable it’s boring.

So tonight, when presented with the choice of my old favourite NCIS, or reality selections including a Kardashian special, Hell’s Kitchen, The Voice or Splash, I started out on the Kardashians, well, mainly because I had been watching E! news and it just came on. That’s when I looked at the TV guide. 😉 Now since I’m not in the mood to actually pay attention to the TV, which NCIS requires, coupled with the fact that I can watch it again in repeats, preferably in a marathon on a lazy rainy day with my husband, I decided to give Splash another go.

Now, I know you’re all thinking I’m crazy. Yes, it’s a show about a bunch of kinda celebs diving into a pool. But I think Channel 7 may have been onto something when they picked this show up. I mean honestly, when the concept of Dancing With The Stars was first announced, how many of us were like, WTF? Really, a show about dancing celebs? Ballroom, Tango? Why do we care? But look how successful that show is. Well, Splash is kinda like DWTS, and here in the US, Splash is on at 7pm, and DWTS follows on the same channel at 8pm.

Now just like Dancing, you’ve got some TV types who are learning a new skill. One that’s way out of their element. What I didn’t expect was what a train wreck this show was going to be. You don’t really think of diving as a dangerous sport. However, there’s already been several people on the US version who’ve had serious injuries. Chuy, the little nugget from Chelsea Lately broke his foot in training. Last episode one of the guys overturned and smacked the back of his head and was really disorientated.. Tonight, someone flopped on their face and got a black eye. Seriously, a black eye. There’s lots of bellyflops and ouch moments. Let’s face it, we all like watching people hurt themselves. That’s why we love Jackass or those sports clips with all the car wrecks.

It’s also nice to see people who we think have everything show a human side. Kendra was terrified on the high board. She did the show to overcome her fear of heights, but it was too much for her. Some people made fun of her for not jumping, but I think a lot of people would back away on the 10m board. Just because you’re on TV doesn’t make you super human.

Just like DWTS, it’s about the competition, but it follows the same format of showing the rehearsals, and a peek into the personalities of the contestants.

If it’s got nothing else going for it, it’s on at dinner time and you don’t actually have to pay attention to it. You can have it on, and look up occasionally and know what’s going on. Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t want to have to actually watch, we just want some background noise on. After a long day at work, I don’t want to have to actually think when I get home and watch TV….

So make fun all you like of Seven’s upcoming Celebrity Splash, but I bet it rates well for the first couple weeks at least. If nothing else, people will watch the first episode to see how good, or bad, people look in their swimwear.

March 25, 2013

Rewarding bad behaviour

Teaching the wrong life lessons

This is going to sound like a stab at Lindsay, and it’s not meant to be, because I really still hope the girl can turn her life around. However, I just don’t see how that’s going to happen when people keep rewarding her for bad behaviour.

Fresh off her court appearance, and being sentenced to 90 days of “locked-in” rehab, there’s news she’s flying out to Brazil to earn 6 figures for a few appearances. There’s also speculation she’s going to Australia for a similar sum of cash. Now – power to the girl that she can still make money, and hopefully she’s actually using some of it to pay her bills. We keep hearing there’s a lot of them.

However, at the same time, I think we’re just teaching Lindsay that the more she fucks up, the more money she can make. They’re keeping her in the headlines, and keeping her front page news. She’s never going to start looking after herself if she can still make money, jail time and all.

It’s not just Lindsay either. The US has a bad habit of rewarding bad behaviour. Look at Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian. Both made sex tapes and were rewarded with reality shows. People on shows like Celebrity Apprentice know that bad behaviour equals better ratings. There’s shows like Celebrity Rehab and The Surreal Life for stars that have gone bad.

Even worse though, is that if a celebrity tries to do good, they’re banished. Corey Feldman tried to speak out about the abuse he and Haim suffered, and he was immediately tossed into the oblivion bin. Turn to God and you’re put in the crazy basket. Decide to actually stop drinking, and you’re declared boring and you’ll die a slow “whatever happened to that person” death….

It’s OK to donate money to charity, or do a couple of events, as long as it’s all red carpet glamour. But if you actually decide to get serious and devote a good chunk of your life to a cause, prepare yourself to be thrown out of the working circle. There’s no faster kiss of death than being considered an activist.

I wish we would reward people for thinking about something other than themselves. Those who donate time and money, or who put their personal reputations on the line for a cause shouldn’t become Persona Non Grata. Instead, those who continually flout laws, hurt others, or who act as if no matter what they do, they’ll still have money to pay their bills, (but don’t) should stop being rewarded.

I’m worried about what we’re teaching the next generation.

Make yourself famous at any cost. Stay famous, no matter what it takes. Don’t worry about breaking laws – you’ll never actually do time, and you’ll still be raking in the big bucks.

Take a personal stand, try to do right by some other people, and be told you’ll never work in the industry again….