Simon Kennedy
I have spent the last two years working at a multi-billion mega-project construction worksite in regional Western Australia. Every day I walk amongst a bunch of men that resemble a merry band of desert vikings who are building prosperity for their community and their country. They come in all shapes and sizes, tall, short, hairy, dark, light and in desperate need of a shower by 5pm (at least those who aren’t scared of a hard day’s work). These are the boys you would want by your side in a catastrophe – they can get it done.
Whilst their language can be lacking in imagination, and using repetitive adjectives (predominantly beginning with the letter F), not one of the 2,450 workforce would consider bringing this pencil case to our worksite. It is not because the graphics are not arousing or stimulating enough (exactly the opposite). It is because they would understand that in this day and age, it is inappropriate material for the workplace. Should they want to keep their well-paid employment, all racist, sexist, ageist and every other potentially offensive material is not to be brought into the workplace. It is not worth losing your job over.
How can a school principal be so blind in their ways as to set this student up for future failure solely based in a lack of basic understanding that women, like men, come in all shapes and sizes? If nude and semi-nude pictures of women which are commonly presented in mainstream marketing (but really representing a tiny fraction of the total population) are inappropriate in my workplace, they are not appropriate in primary or high school.
This sort of marketing by City Beach is about weaning our young men, our future hope, onto a pornography habit that costs plenty and yields nothing but broken relationships and despair.
Use that $19 to help pay for his footy fees, his wrestling trunks, a new basketball, his piano tuition, his dance class, his favourite hobby, his favourite charity, his best mate, flowers for his girlfriend’s mother, a unitard because you don’t want to dispel his dream of lead guitarist in the new Kiss! Just don’t sell his future down the road of self-gratification through the visualisation of 2-dimensional imagery that even if he could snare such a perceived beauty, would only last a relatively short season – what is he supposed to do for the next 40 years?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – pornography is in the eye of the captive.
I hate this pencil case – at 14 years of age, it should be skateboards and motorbikes that fathers have to contend with, not a hyper-sexualised mini-me.
See: ‘Provocative images on pencil cases cause furore in schools’
9 Responses
Thank you, Simon, your letter comes at this issue from the stance of a father – a father who is willing to be a hero for his son (and, potentially, the reader). I hope I can commit your line to memory: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – pornography is in the eye of the captive.” Your attitude demonstrates compassion for the pornography victim. We need more father’s like you, fathers/ men with insight who will inspire their communities to see the effect that a life of pornography addiction begun with a pencil case in highschool will take a person to in 40 years. The outlook is bleak, unless we can see with eyes like you do and inspire this generation to say ‘no’ to a City Beach style enslavement and ‘yes’ to the courage to embrace rewarding relationships.
A year 8 boy, however obnoxious, can kind of be excused for buying a pencil case like that.
City Beach, on the other hand, should probably be prosecuted for selling it to him.
Well done Simon. The pervasiveness of pornofied imagery aimed at young people is astounding. As parents we can only do so much by having conversations with our own children about these issues, bu I agree that schools, like workplaces, must take responsibility for ensuring women and girls are not objectified in a place of education. Schools suggesting they have no responsibility is naive and perhaps suggests that some of our children are not safe there.
I have been a member of Victoria’s whole of government Family Violence Advisory Committee for over eight year. The committee is made up of government, judicial, police and non-government representatives in developing statewide responses to family violence and violence against women. I can recall the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development being at just one of those meetings over that entire time – and they didn’t contribute anything. I suggest this is not an issue solely for teachers and principles but instead requires policy commitment at a government level. One would hope governments should be taking this seriously.
Simon, a wonderful and insightful post. I too love the line
” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – pornography is in the eye of the captive”.
I think the school needs a swift kick up the derrière along with city beach for allowing this sort of thing in the school, I’m shocked at the attitude they have displayed.
There’s wars going on, you know. And you’re arguing over a pencil case. Sure, it’s inappropriate, but don’t have better things to do with your time? If you don’t like something that others do, ignore, stop bitching about it.
Its not “just a pencil case” Mike. Its a pencil case covered in pornographic images. If it were a pencil case covered in swastikas and racist remarks would that just be a-okay because its only a pencil case? Everyone has a right to feel safe at school – that includes women students and teachers.
Mike – ignore? Bad things happen when good people stand back and no nothing. You obviously don’t get the issue here. We are a society that stands back and ignores far too often. Well done to you Simon – you are obviously a responsible parent and I wish there were more like you. I am a primary school teacher and would not hesitate to confiscate this from my classroom if a child brought it to school. These sexualised images have no place in a school environment and I have huge concerns for anyone who thinks it does. Good on you!
Mike, this IS a war! Sure, there are no guns, or bullets flying, but it is a war nonetheless – for our children’s minds, souls and bodies. If we continue to desensitise children to pornography, they WILL wind up being porn consumers. But it won’t be soft porn they consume – no it will be harder and harder stuff, because research has demonstrated that porn works on the mind like cocaine works on the body (produces the same sort of high). So, should we really be setting vulnerable kids up with massive porn addictions? I don’t think so! Great article, Simon! Keep spreading the word.
Fabulous, truly, for a man to be bothered to comment on something that he could simply condone with silence as the unfortunate majority of men do. Congratulations on actually seeing, thinking, feeling, challenging – and being tuned in to something not so obviously “wrong”. Your son will be fine, I am sure, with a Dad who takes notice, sees something that’s not right, and actually comments on it/does something real about it.
Thank you.