[research] Draconian Australian law could target slash fans (among many, many others)

[unjapanologist]

Originally published at Academic FFF. You can comment here or there.

A new Australian law could impose penalties on anyone who views slash fic or other (fan) media that feature fictional minors in a sexual situation. This isn't throwing out the baby with the bathwater, it's also throwing out the bath, the parents, the dog, and a couple of people who were just walking past the house.

James Welker pointed me to the original notice linked above. Dru Pagliassotti worries about the law's impact on scholarship in Australia. An Austrialian government consultation paper has details on the proposed internet 'filter'. The protest website No Clean Feed explains how to take action, and indicates that the law will not only target anything that is deemed child pornography:

The category of material that has been 'refused classification' includes websites about euthanasia, controversial movies such as 'Ken Park' and 'Baise-moi', and many games that are designed for people over16 years of age.

If you don't live in Australia, you can sign a petition or donate to No Clean Feed.

Comments

[fanficforensics.livejournal.com]

.....For serious, I was not trying to be witty by mentioning FY. It was just the first nice anime soundtrack that popped into my head. But I guess you're right.

Now I can't think of any soundtrack I like from an anime that does not have a minor in some kind of questionable situation at some point. Even bloody Totoro has that bath scene. This is very disheartening.

[calicokat.livejournal.com]

And, frankly, anyone who says the Totoro scene is pedophillic... Well, crap, I've got childhood pictures of me like 3 and in the yard running around naked. I hate to say it, but sometimes kids are naked.

I can't see any scenerio in which this particular law isn't too much, though. >>'