midnightpulp
03-19-2011, 07:29 PM
completely arbitrary, or a legitimate moral standard?
I'll start off by saying I totally love the trash TV aesthetic of NBC's "To Catch a Predator." The pathetic desperation of the "pedophiles", the arrogant, exaggerated self-righteousness of Chris Hansen and the Perverted Justice team, the scare tactics, suggesting "tips" to keep your oh so innocent 14 year daughter safe from the evil clutches of sexual deviants, and finally, the left-field excuses the men come up with. "I w-w-was here to, uh, to uh, just bring her lunch."
What I don't like? The 5 year prison sentences and the lifelong branding of the person as a "sexual predator", which no doubt will ruin the person's life.
Psychologically speaking, most of the men featured on the show aren't "sexually deviant". Socially unsophisticated, definitely. Problems with impulse control, obviously. However, following a drive and instinct that has been instilled in us by nature from the get go is not an example of sexual deviation. What I think is going on is an example of an outmoded puritanical mentality left over from the sanitized, "In (Christian) God We Trust" 1950s. You could say it's an extension of the Victorian principles the U.S. was founded upon, but that's not the case:
Social (and the resulting legal) attitudes toward the appropriate age of consent have drifted upwards in modern times. For example, while ages from 10 to 13 were typically acceptable in western countries during the mid-19th century,[1] 15 to 18 had become the norm in many countries by the end of the 20th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent
I also find it ironic that one country's pedophile is another's well adjusted person. Here's the Age of Consent laws around the world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Age_of_Consent.png
To Catch of Predator would have a lot more legitimacy if the "victims" in question were pre-pubescent, but in most cases the child is 13 or older. And again, these people are having their lives ruined for talking dirty. No statutory rape laws have been broken, since there was no sexual activity. To me, that's the real tragedy, not that a 14 year old girl was, gasp, shown a webcam stream of a penis. And for those who are going to come with, "well, what if he was a rapist, or a potential murderer?" It's illogical to extrapolate those scenarios from the situation.
Personally, I'm with Camille Paglia. I think the sexual Age of Consent law should be 14. I know I'll get some rabid critics, and I'll bet they'll be middle-aged men with a pre-teen, teenaged daughter, who would wish death on someone who corrupted their pure, angelic Susie. This in part illuminates the problem. Why is sex seen to be dehumanizing and degrading? I understand concern over disease and pregancy, but to call for imprisonment or violence against someone who wishes to or had sex with your post-pubescent (an important distinction) daughter (or son) is irrational.
To sum it up, the sexual attitudes in this country are way too conservative and shaped too much by religion. I mean, after Janet Jackson had her wardrobe malfuction during the Super Bowl a few years ago, there was a crusade against CBS by a variety of "Family Values" activist groups. Says a lot.
Posted this while ago on a different forum. Ignore my smug language in the OP. The forum in question was filled with an older, very socially conservative crowd that I wanted to rile up a bit. Nonetheless, I think this topic would make an interesting Club discussion.
And inb4 the Chris Hansen pictures are posted and the Midnightpedo account is created.
I'll start off by saying I totally love the trash TV aesthetic of NBC's "To Catch a Predator." The pathetic desperation of the "pedophiles", the arrogant, exaggerated self-righteousness of Chris Hansen and the Perverted Justice team, the scare tactics, suggesting "tips" to keep your oh so innocent 14 year daughter safe from the evil clutches of sexual deviants, and finally, the left-field excuses the men come up with. "I w-w-was here to, uh, to uh, just bring her lunch."
What I don't like? The 5 year prison sentences and the lifelong branding of the person as a "sexual predator", which no doubt will ruin the person's life.
Psychologically speaking, most of the men featured on the show aren't "sexually deviant". Socially unsophisticated, definitely. Problems with impulse control, obviously. However, following a drive and instinct that has been instilled in us by nature from the get go is not an example of sexual deviation. What I think is going on is an example of an outmoded puritanical mentality left over from the sanitized, "In (Christian) God We Trust" 1950s. You could say it's an extension of the Victorian principles the U.S. was founded upon, but that's not the case:
Social (and the resulting legal) attitudes toward the appropriate age of consent have drifted upwards in modern times. For example, while ages from 10 to 13 were typically acceptable in western countries during the mid-19th century,[1] 15 to 18 had become the norm in many countries by the end of the 20th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent
I also find it ironic that one country's pedophile is another's well adjusted person. Here's the Age of Consent laws around the world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Age_of_Consent.png
To Catch of Predator would have a lot more legitimacy if the "victims" in question were pre-pubescent, but in most cases the child is 13 or older. And again, these people are having their lives ruined for talking dirty. No statutory rape laws have been broken, since there was no sexual activity. To me, that's the real tragedy, not that a 14 year old girl was, gasp, shown a webcam stream of a penis. And for those who are going to come with, "well, what if he was a rapist, or a potential murderer?" It's illogical to extrapolate those scenarios from the situation.
Personally, I'm with Camille Paglia. I think the sexual Age of Consent law should be 14. I know I'll get some rabid critics, and I'll bet they'll be middle-aged men with a pre-teen, teenaged daughter, who would wish death on someone who corrupted their pure, angelic Susie. This in part illuminates the problem. Why is sex seen to be dehumanizing and degrading? I understand concern over disease and pregancy, but to call for imprisonment or violence against someone who wishes to or had sex with your post-pubescent (an important distinction) daughter (or son) is irrational.
To sum it up, the sexual attitudes in this country are way too conservative and shaped too much by religion. I mean, after Janet Jackson had her wardrobe malfuction during the Super Bowl a few years ago, there was a crusade against CBS by a variety of "Family Values" activist groups. Says a lot.
Posted this while ago on a different forum. Ignore my smug language in the OP. The forum in question was filled with an older, very socially conservative crowd that I wanted to rile up a bit. Nonetheless, I think this topic would make an interesting Club discussion.
And inb4 the Chris Hansen pictures are posted and the Midnightpedo account is created.