Over the
last few weeks children’s access to online pornography has been much in the
news. Few can doubt how damaging the
consequences of such access can be but there is something much more subtle also
at play. David Cameron described our
society as ‘sleepwalking to a place where porn is the norm’ and nowhere has
this been more apparent than in several music videos released recently by some
of the world’s biggest female pop stars.
Recent
videos from Britney Spears, Rhianna and Miley Cyrus have included nudity,
highly sexualised dancing and imagery and visual references to
prostitution. What is particularly
disturbing about this is that the fan base of all these performers is so
young. Watching them, one could be
forgiven for thinking that these videos have been produced to appeal to an
adult male audience but, in reality, they are far more likely to be viewed by
school children.
Young
boys watching these videos will come believe that women are merely sex objects
for their entertainment and young girls will learn that their value lies in
their sex appeal and how they look.
Many
critics will cry that ‘it was ever thus’ but what we are seeing as mainstream
in music videos now is barely inches away from pornography. This week two of the Grandes Dames of pop music, Sinead O’Conner and Annie Lennox, waded
into the debate.
Annie
Lennox described the sexualised imagery of modern pop videos as
"dark" and "pornographic". "I don't think there's one
parent of young boys and girls in this country that would honestly, comfortably
say they were fine with seeing their kids being exposed to that kind of
thing."
She told
BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm all for freedom of expression but this is clearly
one step beyond, and it's clearly into the realm of porn. "How do you stop your kids being exposed
to it? It's so powerful. "
The
singer called for pop videos to be rated in the same way as films and said that
pressure from parents could help to establish "very clear boundaries"
on acceptable standards in videos.
Parents
who responded to the government’s Bailey Review in 2011 cited music videos as a
major concern. The report subsequently
recommended that age restrictions should be applied to music videos to prevent
children buying sexually explicit videos and guide broadcasters over when to
show them.
Presently
music videos, along with news, sport and religious video works, are not
classified by the BBFC. Last year we
responded to a DCMS consultation and expressed our view that it is time they
were. Following the consultation the
government announced that they would change The Video Recordings Act so that any of these products that are unsuitable for
younger children will have to carry the familiar "12", "15"
and "18" BBFC age ratings in future. The changes are expected to come
into force next year.
Ministers
have also called on the industry to develop solutions so that more online
videos, particularly those that are likely to be sought out by children and
young people, carry advice about their age suitability in future.
It is
worth noting that as porn culture is increasingly normalised it is not just the
audience who are being manipulated but also the stars themselves. Performer Britney Spears recently spoke about
how she felt she was pushed too far produce sexually explicit music
videos. Sinead O'Connor penned an open
letter to the Miley Cyrus warning her not to be exploited by the music
business.
Over the
past few years the tide of public opinion has begun to turn and, as a society,
we are taking stock of the position in which we now find ourselves. It is vital that we continue to speak out
about the pornification of our culture and the damage it is causing,
particularly to the next generation.
As Annie
Lennox said: "I think this debate is about getting the voice of reason
back there to say ‘look, we want to protect our kids.’"
