Friday 23 April 2010

What's offensive is subjective

The Kiwi Party want a law against "offensive behavior." They're primarily concerned about the Boobs on Bikes parades that Steve Crow runs and which we've had quite a few discussions about here before.

And they've jumped on the bandwagon that gets hauled out every year around this time, of determining precisely what our war fallen fought for (or didn't). The Kiwi Party reckons "The ‘Steve Crow type anything goes sexual freedom’ is not what they sacrificed and often gave their lives for!" (Their exclamation mark)

Here's another snippet from their release:
Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock said they see no reason why the Summary Offences Act and Crimes Act should not be amended to clearly define what is offensive public behaviour rather than leaving it to subjective judicial interpretation. Why not have the law simply state that the 'private parts' that have been traditionally covered (boobs, bums and fronts!!) should not be publicly displayed?
Now let me tell you what I find the most offensive behaviour in a public place. Anti-abortion protesters who parade around with their misleading fetus pictures and their incredibly emotive slogans, harassing women outside clinics that offer terminations. But somehow I don't think the Kiwi Party would want a law that banned that.

As for "traditionally covered", whose traditions are we talking about?

I've written before about my ambivalence about the Boobs on Bikes stuff, although Anjum is not so conflicted. I'm just sick of morality crusades by the likes of the Kiwi Party. Their basis for opposing Boobs on Bikes is about a paternalistic attitude towards women that to my mind only seeks to reinforce the idea that our bodies can be viewed as property - just not property that we should be devaluing by flaunting. Grrr!

10 comments:

Boganette said...

"(boobs, bums and fronts!!)"

LOL oh that's pathetic.

A Nonny Moose said...

Oh grow up like the rest of us and learn to say penis, vagina and breasts, Kiwi Party.

Anonymous said...

Do you guys find this offensive?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3613952/Sex-counts-scrapped-to-avoid-farce

Those who falsely accuse men of sexual crimes should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The actions of these low life females do nothing to help the genuine victims of sexual crime.

Anonymous said...

What I do find offensive is when rape trials are called 'sex trials' in the media.

Anonymous said...

I find trolls on feminist sites who use victims to push their anti-women agendas offensive.

Anonymous said...

Who is anti women?

It is a legitimate question and one you seem happy to avoid.

I can only conclude that you really could not care less that some poor man has had his name blackened by the actions of some bitter and twisted female.

Given that false rape or sexual assault allegations only make it tougher on those poor women who are the victims of genuine attacks this leaves me wondering if you are not pro woman but more anti male.

David said...

Personally I find prudes offensive, along with anyone who disagrees with me.

stargazer said...

bb, you can wonder all you like. but to come on this site, derailing on a post and then throwing a little tanty because people refuse to talk about what you want to talk about? yeah you don't need to wonder what we think of that kind of behaviour: it's called trolling and we think it's pathetic. you don't get to tell us what we should discuss, or when we should discuss it. the only place you get to do that is on your own blog.

now, either stay on topic or go away.

Brett Dale said...

BigBruv:

Your not the same bigbruv from pandasport?

A Nonny Moose said...

So David, all women should be sexually liberated and available, and love it, despite their cultural, upbringing or religious views, all for your benefit?