I’m shouting out a: Cooo-eeeee !!
November 30, 2014
For those who aren’t Aussie, ‘Cooee’ is a loud call which is used when one is lost – generally in The Bush; nature – or to attract attention. I’m using the latter.
I’m calling for reinforcements. A call to arms.
I’m calling on writers, politicians, people who know of Internet law – anyone – YOU ! – to have an intelligent discussion – to see if anything can be done.
I wholeheartedly believe that one of the biggest problems we face today, lies in two areas:
1. The ‘Freedom of Speech’ argument that seemingly has no limits whatsoever
2. The big companies that give hateful and violent perspectives a platform from where to spread their hatred. Like YouTube.
An abhorrent action happened a few weeks ago and it has been missed in the general conversation. Those who read my last post will know what I’m discussing here – the latest Redfoo song, and accompanying video, Literally, I can’t.
My first reaction was to ride the same wave for obvious reasons – its depiction of females to ‘toe the line’ and do as they’re told, i.e. drink, perform girl-on-girl action, dance (twerk), or be told to ‘Shut the Fuck Up’ repeatedly – and was something that incited a loud outcry; including my own.
I won’t write any more, as I have already expressed my thoughts about it and it has been covered extensively in social media.
But something even more sinister occurs within the video which, in my mind, encompasses everything that is wrong with pop culture today. Product placement has now become rampant in recent big name videos (a complete, greedy cop-out) and Redfoo’s video is no exception.
However, instead of merely advertising a set of speakers, Redfoo advertises a porn site.
So, we have a 39 year old ‘mentor’ on X Factor Australia, loved by many – especially kids and teens – advertising this porn site in his video, a video which ALSO (funnily enough) tells females to ‘shut the fuck up’ for not complying to their misogynistic ideals.
Question #216: Is this OK with you??
Well, it’s not for me and I started a petition to YouTube a few weeks ago:
>>> Here <<<
As I said above, this is not about Freedom of Speech because I am not saying Redfoo can’t make the song and video, I’m not even saying he can’t publish his song and video – what we have to stand up to are the companies like YouTube who give them a platform to spread their dangerous perspectives – like ADVERTISING PORN – regardless of their Community Standards. Facebook falls deeply into this category too.
Today, another example.
I viewed a YouTube video that is linked in a petition (which has since been won) – written by three survivors of male violence – to ‘family’ store, Target Australia, (which is advertising the R Rated 18+ video game, Grand Theft Auto 5, in their brochure for Christmas next to Peppa Pig) to take the product down.
Regardless of this rating, kids in Primary School often engage in talk about the prices for sex and blow jobs within the game because they play it; I hear this from first-hand accounts from various schools. I also know of a family whose 8 year old son had a lap dance performed on him, playing this ‘game’, witnessed by his 12 year old brother.
On offer with this version of the ‘game’, one can have ‘first person’ sex with prostitutes – and then kill them horrifically afterwards, if it pleases one.
(*TRIGGER WARNING* with this video. It is quite disturbing.)
If you don’t want to watch, I will tell you that there is a commentator going through this particular part of the game he’s playing and tells us that we’re going to see ‘Michael’ have sex. Some quotes from the commentary include:
“Michael is a married man but hey, a man has his needs”
“We are getting all three services from the prostitute. I don’t know her name, who cares what her name is, she has a job to do.”
The commentator then goes quiet as we watch – from a first person perspective – the sexual services performed. She – of course – acts like it’s the best sex she’s ever had in a car, in an alley, and even says to him in the end – “I feel like I can really talk to you, come back and see me?”
Finally the commentator says, as the prostitute walks off:
“Now in classic GTA 5 style – you can’t let her get away with your money, so we’re going to go ahead and back this bad-boy up” referring to his car as he runs her over twice – then sets her on fire, listening to her screams and finally shoots her with an automatic weapon. You may also choose a number of weapons to kill her with, including an axe.
My reason for this post is simple – just these two examples are proven to be embedded in too many young children’s social and pop-world lives – and they are on YouTube.
If the images and issues I’ve included here are shocking to you – then don’t you think something has to be done?
This is becoming the foundation of who we are as the human race because they’re the lessons that are truly getting through to our developing minds.
Why do companies like YouTube have Community Standards in the first place, if they’re not upheld? What’s the point of them?
It’s all slipping through the cracks and many kids in Primary and High School are being well and truly desensitised to the depravity they’re watching. These children will one day want to shape relationships and simply won’t know how because it’s been modelled for them in this toxic manner that surrounds them; it’s the common narrative.
Please sign my petition to YouTube. Maybe this isn’t the answer, but simply the start where we ask companies to have our back first and we’ll have theirs.
Question #217: Do you have any other suggestions on how we can have companies stand by their own standards?
[also MASSIVELY; Facebook]
Deep Breath…
COOO-EEEEE !!
Questions for Us 
Reblogged this on You think I just don't understand, but I don't believe you..
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – Ghandi
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
(The usual rally cries, tried and true!)
Thank you for speaking out, for showing up and for voicing this – many many many many people are behind you.
Let’s all keep talking, this can be healed.
Thank you! Your comment means a lot x
I’m not sure it will incite the necessary action, though. Time will tell.
Thanks again for your inspiring comment.
As a man who has taken the White Ribbon oath (www.whiteribbon.org.au), I swore never to commit, never to condone and never to remain silent about violence against women. This is an instance about which no man should be silent.
Thank you, Karl. That’s wonderful.
Any ideas on how we can pull back in the reins of porn a bit?
Or is the situation royally screwed?
As far as the porn question goes…. it’s one of the biggest businesses in the world. I can’t change that. All I have control over is my own behaviour. I have a twelve-year-old son, and I’ve already started to have some conversations with him about porn, as it’s inevitable he will be exposed to it. What I’m fervently hoping is that I can help equip him to make choices around his behaviour, particularly around his attitudes to girls and women.
One of the proudest moments of my life was when I stood with a group of men and swore the White Ribbon oath, and my then nine-year-old son chose to stand with us men and swear the oath with us.
I think that’s SO fantastic. You must be so proud of your son. 😀
I worry so deeply that the majority of boys/men my daughters will one day meet will have no idea how to form a relationship, let alone know what healthy and reapectful sex is, becasue they were exposed to so many kinds of porn all selling the same, limited narrative. It’s a lovely ray of hope to hear of boys like your son.
I feel very strongly about the ‘standards’ we aim to have as a human race and feel that it’s time to call on businesses and companies to stand my them; show some integrity.
Thanks so much for your comment, Karl.
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Reblogged this on The Barefoot Cook.
It’s about values,as a society we don’t condone violence….??? or do we??? This kind of violence, sexual violence , gender violence attacks one of the corner stones that supports our mental health as a community, that is the ability to care for and be cared for , love if you will , respect ,at the very least , for women and the indisputable crucial role that we play, in every corner of the plant, every hour of every day.. mothers , sisters, daughters, lovers , girl friends , wives , defactos… and that’s just us when we’re at home , we’d need a whole web site to began to discuss the role that women play in our community and society.
Its mind boggling that this gets past the people who are meant to be scrutinizing for this kind of thing …???? (and yet they can have a hissy about someone breastfeeding their infant)…. or is it ??? guess that’s about who is paying whose bills…Lots of $ in the porn industry for product placement too, obviously . Redfoo’s clip debarcle is not an accident , it’s marketing ! Shame on him I say and the entire production,,, would that it were that simple and all we had to do was remove one clip and give Red Foo a slap on the wrist.. this thing needs all of us too fight , to discuss, to keep on the front burners in our homes and lives.
The majority of pornography is the antithesis of self esteem and personal power. What on earth must a young person think when first confronted by some of the garbage out there, we have a society of young men who are convinced their penises are abnormal and believe that girls like it really rough, our young women think a head job on a first date is the norm and if you have pubic hair or don’t “put out” it’s the nunnery with you after suffering an eternity of torture and humiliation on Facebook.
If your gay , well, forget it , you don’t even get a chance to pass go.
Sex rocks! that is also an indisputable fact for a just about everyone. Some of us choose not to and some of us are “just not into it” but for most of us ,it’s what keeps us sane,grounded, reconnected, happy , content, and so many other things.
Sex sells too and that’s also indisputable . but lets try, maybe , to keep the market restricted, to those like it “that way” and are able to make a fully informed decision about being there to sell or buy their wares.AND let’s try too, to keep it safe , for those who don’t some much ” like it that way” but find themselves ,needing ,for many different reasons to be at the market, even just for a while.OHS for sex workers.
Our young people are really struggling, they all have massive ” L” plates on …(or should have), they are impressionable and risk takers by nature. Keeping them as safe as we possibly can whilst they form their opinions and personal rules is everyone’s job .This charge, this huge responsibility we have , should be on every politician and community leaders agenda too. All the time .
If it’s not, we must remind them, and keep on their backs ’til they truly understand. We can talk at home till we are blue in the face but if we don’t have the support as the society at large we may as well stop trying. Parenting’s being put in the too hard basket by lots of us who find the monolith of big business insurmountable.
Free expression is vital too ,if we are to continue to grow and develop and a society, one only has to venture( not too far) into history to find repeated examples of the disaster that reigns when a state\person\party\identity rules in absolute and controls media and personal lives BUT freedom of speech and expression is nullified the very second that it impinges of the rights of others.
The pornography industry and the gaming industry are impinging on my Basic Human Rights and those of all my family and friends, , porn decimates articles 1-7 at the very least. I here by demand they stop. My sons and his buddies and their partners and friends all deserve so much more than that…. and so do I
Marion Baker
Apologies for the lengthy post. I think I’m venting. thank you for creating the space . let’s hope the right people read this discussion. I think I might send mine to my local members and their opposition . let’s make this an election issue.
Wow, Marion, vent away!
I think you articulated some very important points and connected them all so well – especially about pur youth. I’m a high school teacher, and parent, and agree wholeheartedly about what our youth (and WE) deserve.
Feel free to vent any time 🙂
Paula