“9 Songs” and “Mysterious Skin”

Those who care about the well-being of South Australian young people will welcome today’s decision by the SA Classification Council to refuse classification to “9 Songs”.

Australia’s classification guidelines say that scenes of real sex cannot be accommodated in the R18+ category. Films showing explicit sex can be classified X18+ , but only if they do not include fetishes such as bondage. “9 Songs” contains many scenes of explicit sex including ejaculation, plus two scenes of bondage. The only possible category for this film is “RC” (refused classification).

However the SA Council’s ruling to allow the R18+ rating of “Mysterious Skin” to stand is disappointing. This film has an important message about the harm done by child sexual abuse – but that message could have been portrayed equally powerfully without including the lengthy detail of two scenes in particular. The film has an erotic effect on some viewers which could over-ride any message about the damage done by paedophilia.

Research shows that images of sex can have a powerful impact on the mind of the viewer and can distort his or her perception of reality. When the sexual images are shown in a violent context, the impact can be particularly dangerous.

Censorship is necessary in some circumstances in order to protect the community. Governments censor our freedom to take harmful drugs, along with our freedom to drive at any speed we like on the roads, as well as our freedom to design any type of house we want to build.

More and more evidence is coming in about the harm done by pornography. Dr Mary Anne Layden, an expert in sexual trauma and psychopathology, gave evidence about this harm to the US Senate last year and was the keynote speaker at a seminar in Parliament House Canberra last week (8-9 August).

Dr Layden told federal MPs and others about the latest research which shows that pornography damages the viewer, the performer and the spouses and children of the viewers and performers.

She said such images impart “toxic mis-education”. They lead to increased levels of domestic violence, date rape and incest. When pornography is normalised by being made freely available on DVDs, children as well as adults become victims.

Some film buffs are screaming loudly against the censorship of films like “9 Songs”. But their silence about South Australia’s alarming increase in rape and child sex abuse is deafening. ……………………………………..

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:

Mrs Roslyn Phillips, B Sc Dip Ed Research Officer, Festival of Light Australia

Website http://www.fol.org.au