Friday, April 30, 2010

FPI urge communities to reject Naked News

By Ofentse Mokae
30 April 2010


The Family Policy Institute (FPI) has called on all South African citizens to reject the proposed NakedNews programme.

The institute says all responsible citizens should not accept what they call vulgar and contemptible attempts to profit off the negative stereotyping and objectification of women.

Errol Naidoo director at the institute says NakedNews is a cheap and puerile attempt at legitimising the sexual exploitation of women.

“Women, ostensibly reading the news and shedding their clothes primarily for the sexual gratification of men and no doubt curious children, cannot be considered newsworthy or an acceptable form of entertainment under any circumstances,” said Naidoo.

Naidoo adds that by utilizing the school boy charade of a pornographic news bulletin to reinforce the destructive stereotype that women are mere sex objects should be a criminal offense in a country where the rape & sexual abuse of women and children are epidemic.

NakedNews is an international news service, whose presenters strip naked while reading the headlines.

It will be available on cellphones for as little as R10 a week and Naidoo says this will enable millions of children to be easily exposed to pornographic images, which is a criminal offence in South Africa.

However NakedNews spokesperson Melissa Douman told the media that their program is not porn.

“We don’t use anchors that have been involved with strip clubs or the porn industry. It’s a tongue-in-cheek way of ­presenting the news. The aim is not to cause arousal,” she said.

Meanwhile the programme comes amid the South African Government working on legislation that could see the prohibition of all forms of pornography and nudity be it on the internet, cellphones and other mass media networks.

Home Affairs deputy minister announced that he had asked for advice from the South African Law Reform Commission on the feasibility of a law to ban all forms of electronic porn.

FPI say they are calling on government and the Film & Publication Board to urgently investigate NakedNews compliance with adult content regulations.

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