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Melinda Tankard Reist


Archive for March, 2017

Helping young people navigate porn culture: MTR podcast

MTR in the Media, News Comments Off on Helping young people navigate porn culture: MTR podcast

And how a pornified world harms our ability to achieve gender equality

sparks“Pornified messages are bombarding our young people and giving them distorted ideas about their bodies, about relationships, and about sexuality,” says Melinda Tankard Reist, in this podcast interview, “According to global research, (this is) making our kids very unwell.”

We are seeing a rise in negative physical and mental health outcomes, eating disorders, anxiety and depression, self harm, low self-esteem and poor academic performance.

“I believe we are facing a significant crisis amongst our girls,” says Melinda.

Girls are experiencing increasingly negative attitudes towards their bodies, describing themselves as fat, disgusting and unworthy (even to live). Boys are comparing girls’ bodies with porn star bodies on the basis of whether or not they match up.

“And we wonder why girls are anxious and depressed,” says Melinda, “to me the mystery is that any girls make it through unscathed.”

Boys start seeing porn at an average age of 11, often viewing pornography that eroticises and glamorises violence against women.

“We’re teaching boys that violence is sexy,” says Melinda, “We have these national campaigns to address violence against women but we are doing nothing to address the cultural drivers of that very same violence.”

Drivers such as the normative, permission-giving beliefs to boys that girls’ bodies exist for their sexual gratification and pleasure.

“Boys are learning a sense of entitlement to the bodies of women and girls,” says Melinda, “and girls are learning that they exist primarily as sexual service stations for men and boys.”

Girls are so disconnected from their own sense of pleasure, intimacy, and authentic human connection, says Melinda, that when she asked a 15-year-old girl about her first sexual experience, the girl responded, “I think my body looked okay. He seemed to enjoy it.” [Italics, mine]

“Girls shouldn’t have to be navigating sexual requests at 11 and 12 and be assessed on the basis of their bodies,” says Melinda, “they are not being valued for their gifts, their talents, their abilities, their desire to change the world, to be a loving sibling, a devoted friend, their spirituality…they are not being valued for anything other than whether they look hot or not.”

This is making our girls very unwell.

Change is difficult but possible…and every voice counts.

This is the premise behind Collective Shout for a World Free of Sexploitation, a grass roots organisation co-founded by Melinda, that works to address the toxic messages of pornography that give our young people distorted ideas about their bodies, about their relationships, and about sexuality.

Melinda speaks to girls and boys across the country, empowering girls to say no to unwanted sexual intrusions and encouraging boys and girls to seek respect-based relationships.

“It’s difficult and it takes guts,” she says but change is possible and evident in the stories she shares in this interview.

Collective Shout is active politically and also works with corporations that want to take a responsible approach by agreeing not to sexualise women and objectify girls to sell products and services. It’s a big job but Melinda and her team are proof that when voices join together for the common good, they can indeed make a collective SHOUT!

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MTR on pornography and gender equality (and a plug for Collective Shout!): Eternity interview

Click on image to play video.

eternity

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March 25th, 2017  
Tags: collective shout, Eternity, Michelle Sparkes, objectification, P*rnography, porn culture, pornificaiton, rape culture, sex, Sexualisation, sexuality, status of women, violence against women, young people



Prostitution Narratives to be launched in Tas March 29th

Events, Prostitution Narratives Comments Off on Prostitution Narratives to be launched in Tas March 29th

hobartinvite

 

 

 

 

See also:

dignitycropRead the full article here

 

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March 19th, 2017  
Tags: brothels, P*rnography, prostitution, Prostitution Narratives, rape, sex industry, sex trade, Sexualisation, Spinifex Press, violence against women



‘Prostitution Survivors: Backlash in Australia’: MTR in sexual exploitation journal

News, Prostitution Narratives 1 Comment »

dignityarticleRead the entire article here

As published in Dignity: A journal of sexual exploitation and violence

pncoverYou can purchase Prostitution Narratives here.

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March 5th, 2017  
Tags: brothels, P*rnography, prostitution, Prostitution Narratives, rape, sex industry, sex trade, Sexualisation, Spinifex Press, violence against women



WIN! Tavern application for topless waitresses denied after objections

Collective Shout, News 1 Comment »

Last year Western Australian Tavern The Sixty30 made an application to vary existing trading conditions to allow topless waitresses. Along with other members of the community and the Commissioner of Police, we lodged an objection on the basis that:

  • The use of women’s bodies in sexual entertainment and services is a form of prostitution
  • Sexual trade in women’s bodies both causes and contributes to gender inequality by reducing women to mere objects for men’s use and enjoyment, with adverse impacts on women who are directly involved as well as women as a whole
  • A significant body of research links sexual objectification of women with violence against women
  • Sexploitation venues pose a threat to women, with women reporting increased incidents of sexual harassment, abuse and violence in areas in close proximity to strip clubs

Another_WinAfter months of deliberating, we are pleased to report that the taverns’ application was denied, after Liquor Licensing found there was insufficient evidence it would be in the public interest. Read the report here.

It is also important to distinguish between the public interest and private interests… the application is primarily concerned with the private financial interests of the Applicant and the operators of Perths Best Girls. Accordingly, I reiterate that the onus remains on the Applicant to demonstrate that the grant of the application is in the public interest, and this onus cannot be discharged by simply pointing to a desire to provide additional services at the licensed premises.

The Applicant has failed to produce sufficient, probative evidence to satisfy me that the grant of the application is in the public interest.

The tavern had attempted to argue there was demand for topless waitresses (with statements of support, the Commissioner noted, predominantly from male respondents). The Commission responded:

The evidence fell well short of establishing that the variation of the licence was in the public interest. Whilst “Dan the Man”, “Show me pussy”, “Robbo”, “Marshy”, “Bob”, “Jacko”, “Swanny”, “Fido”, and others may want to see strippers at the hotel based on their signing of the questionnaire, there is nothing before the Commission that is capable of establishing that the variation of the licence is in the public interest.

As always, we are grateful for your support and participation throughout the course of this campaign. Without it, we would not have achieved this victory.

As published on Collective Shout

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March 5th, 2017  
Tags: Advertising, body image, collective shout, objectification, sex industry, sexploitation, Sexualisation, skimpies, topless waitresses, venue The Sixty30, Wins



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    • Purchase How to Talk to Your Kids about P*rnography and Good Pictures Bad Pictures for the special price of $30! (individual price $20 ea.)

    • This book throws down a challenge to Big Fertility and its minions: women are not ovens or suitcases, babies are not products. Love is not to be bought.

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    • “Getting Real contains a treasure trove of information and should be mandatory reading for all workers with young people in health, education and welfare” – Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Adolescent Psychologist

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    Recent posts

    • Building good young men: a transformative message for your boys: new vid
    • “My daughter saw porn at 8. This is how her life unravelled”
    • Sexing-up breast cancer: Honey Birdette’s pinkwashing
    • Objecting to the sexualisation of girls is not the same as objecting to sexuality: a response to false claims
    • MTR discusses harms of porn culture with former deputy PM John Anderson
    • Tired of pinkwashing: It’s time to put CSR claims into action on porn-themed ads in shopping malls

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