Playing in the Sandbox

I have to mention something here that kind of pisses me off, and that is the moral double standard this country supports. Although it is regulated by law, morality is a concept. Morality laws are written based on a majority of people in congress and state legislatures who agreed that pornography needs to be regulated to protect the 'moral majority' and the innocent from undue psychological harm. With that in mind, I bring your attention to two films. Although the structure of each film is different, the morality message is, or should be, the same.

In 1978, when Brooke Shields was 12 years old, she portrayed a child raised in a brothel at the turn of the century by her mother who was a prostitute. The moral values the child was taught were of the lowest decadent philosophy, to which she delighted in the knowledge thereof. When she was still not quite a teen, she was auctioned off as a virgin in the bar of the brothel to a room full of seedy and equally decadent men, one being a United States senator I might add. Her attitude was that of indifference, and yet a desire to do well in her new role in the whorehouse, while her mother basically ignored her and left her to fend for herself. Brooke was portrayed naked more than once in this film, showing her budding but undeveloped breasts, a partial crotch shot, and her buttocks. Others were naked also adding to the 'atmosphere' of the era. Although no sex acts were actually depicted, they were strongly suggested and sound effects indicated the young virgin getting her "cherry popped", and beginning her career as a prostitute herself. She ends up marrying a man twice her age.

In 1983, Traci Lords was 15 years old. She did what is commonly referred to as a standard porno film. She did everything you're not supposed to do on film until you are 18, the age selected by the federal government for displaying yourself in sexual acts for sale to the general public. The only difference between this film and the Brooke Shields film is the actual visualization and a few more dubbed in sound effects. The defenders of the moral code in congress will tell you that you can't compare the two films because they depict different things and different values. Oh, really? Seems to me they suggest and portray the same values, only difference being Traci did it for free and Brooke charged money for her services. Which, then, is more decadent? You tell me.

The biggest and most obvious factor here is that they are both under aged children. One film was produced in Hollywood with parental supervision and is called "career and/or artistic development", and the other film was produced someplace else in the immoral world of pornographic films. Brooke's parents and agent were up front about her age. Traci lied about her age. I don't think the honesty or dishonesty of age disclosure has anything to do with the fact that you can still get Brook's movie 'Pretty Baby', but you cannot get Traci's movie 'Sister Dearest' anywhere in the United States (not that I am looking for it). Some people will tell you it is because of the further inference indicated by the title that suggests she is having incestuous relations with her brother. Meanwhile, a 12 year old prostitute does not suggest anything but a child duped into unfortunate circumstances and faced with making her own decisions in life? Ahem.... They try to justify their moral position at the end of the film where her morally reformed and now married mother returns to get her, tearing her away from her husband against her will, and calling her life wrong.

Very interesting plot twist don't you think? Traci didn't reform at the end of her film. Is that why her movie was banned and Traci was punished? No, it was banned because the sex acts were actually filmed instead of merely suggested. However, the fact remains that both girls were depicted completely naked in their respective films. If Traci was just naked and didn't put that guys penis in her mouth or vagina, would her film be treated exactly like Brook's film? I seriously doubt it. Because her film was made in the so-called 'porn underworld' and not by credited and reputable professional artists under sanctioned film society rights, Traci was banned. Double standard? Yeah, I think so. Later.