Sia’s video: let’s be wary of seeing paedophilia everywhere

From the Guardian:

Australian musician Sia has apologised to anyone “triggered” by her video for Elastic Heart, featuring Shia LaBeouf and 12-year-old dance prodigy Maggie Ziegler, dancing together, in flesh-coloured outfits (Ziegler sporting a platinum Sia wig), in a cage. The video has caused uproar in some quarters. Fame-averse Sia (who generally performs with her face hidden) tweeted: “I anticipated some ‘paedophilia!!!’ cries for this video. All I can say is Maddie and Shia are two of the only actors I felt could play these two warring ‘Sia self states’”, adding that her intention was to “create some emotional content, not to upset anybody”.

More here.

One of my facebook friends posted the above linked article on my page, sort of in response to comments another facebook friend had made in another discussion about how she thinks all child molesters should be executed within minutes of being charged.  Of course, I championed due process, myself, but it opened up a can of worms that seems impossible to discuss.  Because it is impossible to discuss.

Here's what I wrote in response to my first friend posting the Guardian piece:

It's a really sad state of affairs. So bad, in fact, that I generally avoid the topic altogether, simply because it's impossible to have a frank and honest discussion about it. I also stay away from children, and keep whatever dealings I do have with them brief and superficial. When I was teaching high school, I just assumed people were going to make assumptions if I didn't go out of my way to appear innocent, even while I was and am innocent.

For at least twenty five years, our culture has been in a state of irrational hysteria about not only molestation, but also the concept of child sexuality itself. We're at a Salem witch trials level of paranoia on this. It's bad, and I don't think I can personally do anything about it, except try to stay out of the way.

You remember the whole Woody Allen thing last spring. It was horrible, and I lost a couple of high school friends because of it. Calling out Israel about Palestine is a tiptoe through the tulips compared to talking in any way at all about children and sex.

So I remain silent for the most part. It's bad.

Also, this book is great.

'Nuff said.

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