Australian ‘sexploitation' expert Melinda Tankard Reist is bringing her message about the link between pornography and violence to Bay parents, educators and youth next week
Melinda is co-founder of the grassroots campaign ‘Collective Shout' which exposes corporations, advertisers and marketers who objectify women and sexualise girls to sell their products and services.
Her trip to Tauranga is organised by local tech company Safe Surfer which is also passionate about reducing the harm pornography is causing in society.
Safe Surfer founder Rory Birkbeck believes Melinda's message is an important one for local families that needs to be heard.
'Melinda is one of the world's best presenters on the damage advertisers and pornography can do to our youth and she has a huge ability to shift our current highly-sexualised youth culture.
'Her ‘Collective Shout' campaign generated momentum in Australia that forced some of the biggest retail brands to withdraw inappropriate products and axe commercials thanks to sheer public pressure.”
A free lecture for parents and educators entitled ‘Too Sexy Too Soon: what media, internet, marketing and pop culture are teaching your children and what you can do about it' will be held at 7pm, Wednesday, July 5 at Lifezone Church, 7 Oak Lane, Judea.
Melinda will also speak to 1500 Bay teenagers at organised school and youth group events where she'll deliver the same message tailored to a younger audience.
Her message directly to Bay school students will be equally as powerful. ‘Pornography, the internet and sexualised advertising have a direct impact on the way youth view their own self-image, love and relationships.'
9 comments
Misguided efforts
Posted on 01-07-2017 15:31 | By Bay Citizen
I think the sexualisation of children has gone too far, and there are issues about providing girls with good role models (Miley Cyrus, I'm thinking of you here), but Reist's demonization of pornography is misguided. The link between pornography and violence is tenuous at best. The suggested "harm to society" it is causing sounds like the scaremongering of a prude. As for "objectification", we all objectify most people, most of the time. It's just a term that feminists use to beat up on men's desire of visual stimulation. After all, Reist and her ilk never seem to target pornography that women find erotic such as 50 Shades of Grey or any Jilly Cooper novel, which arguably gives women just as unrealistic expectations about men as Playboy centerfolds do about women.
Yes but society has changed attitude
Posted on 02-07-2017 10:33 | By Papamoaner
As a young fulla in the 1970's, I could sidle up to a good looking Sheila as we called them then. (An endearment by the way), and ask her out. If I was lucky she would say yes. Hell's Bells, if we do that these days, we would be charged with sexual harrassment, or worse, Stalking! I also remember when a snazzy flossy (another endearment) walked past a building site, the boys always gave her a chorus of wolf whistles, invariably much to her liking, followed by much laughter and waving. And why not? After all, it was always meant to be a compliment. Those were the days when everybody was relaxed and enjoyed life with great humour. Everybody is so uptight these days it's a wonder we don't all have stomach ulcers, cool chicks included.
@ Papamoaner
Posted on 03-07-2017 17:23 | By astex
Fully agree with everything you say. Never met a "sheila" back then that didn't appreciate a good whistle. (no pun intended). In fact they were disappointed if they didn't get whistled at. "everybody was relaxed and enjoyed life with great humour". This is now banned. Humour is no longer permitted if anybody whatsoever "could" be offended. Snowflake society at it's best.
@Astex
Posted on 04-07-2017 10:57 | By Papamoaner
And sadly, it's bound to worsen as we gradually become more dehumanised by computers
Slang
Posted on 04-07-2017 12:23 | By Minib
I not sure where in N Z.you hail from but where I'm from Sheila was not a word we used it is a Australian slang word not widely used in our country but there again you may be Australian.
Sheila's, Bodgies and Widgies etc
Posted on 04-07-2017 17:53 | By Papamoaner
People who are not familiar with "Sheila" are obviously much younger than some of us. During the 1950's and 60's, and into the 70's, "Sheila" was universally used throughout new Zealand. Even when Bodgies and Widgies became fashionable, as did "milk Bar Cowboys" Sheila remained popular. It endured longer in Austraila, and I heard it used at the 2up Casino in Kalgoorlie as recently as the early 1990's. I doubt it was used in NZ after about 1975. All those titles were endearments by the way, and many young guys had their surname replaced by "Bodge" eg; "Bodge Jones" etc, but as a mark of respect, "Widge" was never used for females. The word "delinquent" was universally used for derogatory notation. Or Juvenile delinquent if very young. They were good days.
@Minib
Posted on 04-07-2017 18:22 | By Papamoaner
I am NZ born and bred on the west cost of the south island, but have visited Australia quite a few times. Sorry to have disappointed you.
Sheila
Posted on 05-07-2017 10:16 | By Minib
I am not disappointed I too was someone who was born in 40s and grew up during the 50s 60s and 70s and maintain Sheila was not used I believe you make things up as you go along,I enjoyed being a bodgie.
@Minib
Posted on 05-07-2017 19:34 | By Papamoaner
Oh dear! One of us has a dysfunctional memory and I don't think it's me. Maybe you weren't allowed out much and never looked at the sheilas nor thought about them. We will have to agree to disagree on this one old chap. It's getting a bit off topic anyway.
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