Pedophilia & the Movies

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My life isn't written very well.
Anybody notice the trend of movies containing the subject matter pedophilia? Well, I have. And they seem to be sympathetic to pedophiles. Remember Happiness, L.I.E or Lolita?
Now I'm not saying that these films glorified the perversion, the characters who engaged in the fetish led horrid and pitiful lives. But strangely you felt for sorry for the people in these movies. It reminds me of the movie The Childrens Hour, made first in 1932, then remade in 1962, where homosexuality was portrayed as sick and perverted. But look how far we have come from that stereotype in films now. Albeit not that far, but at least gay characters have evolved from the tragic Sal Mineo character in Rebel Without A Cause into the tragic gay character--with a life partner--in Philidelphia. And believe me MoFo's homosexual roles are very, very hot in Hollywood right now. Think Dennis Quaid in Far From Heaven. Or any of the women in The Hours.

This summer, a movie that won the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize titled Capturing the Friedmans, will hit theaters. And guess what the subject matter is about? Pedophilia.

My question dear members; why the sudden interest in pedophilia? Not only in directors, but viewers as well. I mean they wouldn't make these films if people didn't watch them.
Do you think that one day pedophilia will be as accepted as homosexuality? To me pedophilia is so very disturbing. If anyone had touched my brother or sister in that way, or tried to pursuade them into thinking it was okay to do so, they would have been sorry.

But, Happiness in my opinion, although deeply disturbing, was a very good film. Why is this subject matter the storyline for many movies lately?
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A novel adaptation.
Albeit not that far, but at least gay characters have evolved from the tragic Sal Mineo character in Rebel Without A Cause
Although the actual Sal Mineo was gay, I'm not so sure his character in Rebel Without A Cause, Plato, actually was a homosexual. Just a weirdo, and I mean, c;mon, we've all had friends that we've really admired, maybe even looked to as a father figure.
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Originally posted by r3port3r66
Why is this subject matter the storyline for many movies lately?
Maybe I'm not looking, but I don't find this subject matter in many movies lately.



I See You When You're Sleeping
Have you seen the movie Kids? It's about a kid (17 years old) looking to have sex with 14 year olds. It sounds insane but infact it's a brilliant movie. It bringsthe reality of the subject harshly into focus by shocking the audience. Here's a synopsis.

"Telly, a coarse 17-year-old skateboard enthusiast, lives only to get laid. As Telly discourses nonstop on the pleasures of deflowering 14-year-old girls, he and his best friend Casper tool around New York City's East Side, steal, smoke dope, and eventually make their way to an all-night party, at which Telly bags another virgin and Casper gives up his humanity altogether. While all this is going on, one of Telly's past victims, now HIV-positive, forlornly searches for her lover."



I am having a nervous breakdance
Your comparision between homosexuality and pedophilia is a bit risky. It's a big difference between the two things and therefore it's hard to compare them to each other.

but anyway....

I can't say that I have noticed this trend either. Mabye the taboo is somewhat loosened up, but I wouldn't call it a trend.

"Happiness", which I too like a lot, is showing the tragedy of pedophilia. Stereotypes get us nowhere, not even when it comes to depicting child abusers. This film shows us that it doesn't have to be a certain type of men that do this things to kids. On the contrary, it can be the all-american guy, the perfect guy next door or your english teacher. Pedohilia has nothing to do with race or social class or not necessarily background, which "Happiness" shows in a great way.

By the way, Mini. "Kids" is one of my absolute favourite films.
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I See You When You're Sleeping
Yes Kids is a fantastic film, off subject though one of my favourite bits is the 'I've got no legs' bit on the train. It always has me in stitches.



Lets put a smile on that block
Originally posted by Piddzilla
Your comparision between homosexuality and pedophilia is a bit risky. It's a big difference between the two things and therefore it's hard to compare them to each other.
i totally agree. A few years back, a lot of poeple associated homersexuality with peadophilia, some small minded poeple still do, but you just cannot do that, apart from the fact that they are a "controversial" sexual preferance, they are completey different. I use "Controversial" only in the way that homersexuality is mostly accpeted now throughout the world.
But i have always thought about this subject when it comes to peadophilia. It will never be accepted becuase it is just a thing that shouldnt be done, unlike homersuxuality which is normally when two sexually and mentally mature people of the same sex are attracted to one another, but with peadophilia its only the peadophile who is sexually mature and not the child. you dont screw with kids and how they grow up and thats that. But the fact that Peadophila is just someones sexual preference is something that shuold be thought about. i dont think that peadophiles are "evil" for having these sexual thoughts but they certainly need help before and if they act upon them.

Anyway, sorry about the rant, not really much to do with your thread topic but i just got started there! Hmmmmm, popularity with peadophila in films? i havnt noticed it myself but maybe its coming about now becuase of the recent and increasing cases of peadophila that have been occuring lately, ESPECIALLY in the UK. Maybe movie folks see it as an format to make controversial and topical movies, they are the type that normally do so well.
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Pedophilia, homosexuality, beastiality, you name it -- all labels invented to put the "controversial" in them. They don't even need to exist. Nature has its own laws, which man has always tried to conquer. "Pedophilia" has always existed -- in Ancient Greece, it was rational and honorable for men and boys to join together sexually. Man/boy or man/girl love has been around forever, and you can find it art, literature, and film, going way back.

Why is it always wrong for an adult and a child to have sex or fall in love? Why does the adult take all the blame? A minor can definitely feel attracted to an older person, and can definitely have other feelings for one too. A 14 year old girl could seduce her 27 year old english teacher if she wanted to. The teacher doesn't have to be some kind of strict pedophile either - he could have dated many girlfriends who are his same age. I myself have dated someone twice my age, at the barely legal age of 18. When I was born, he was in college. I adored him, and he was very sexy too. I'm sure if I had met him at 16, I would have found some way to be with him then.

And speaking of Sal Mineo, who cares what his sexuality was in Rebel Without a Cause? It wasn't an issue. But it's definitely homoerotic watching him following James Dean around, with James being his quirky friend. When Sal's hiding in that observatory and James goes after him, it's almost seductive. These days, Sal, James, and Natalie Wood would have had a threesome in that old house with the swimming pool.

I've also seen L.I.E. -- at first, I really liked it, but now I think it's silly and not as bold as some of you might think it is. There are better movies to check out about the subject -- I just haven't seen all of them yet.



My life isn't written very well.
For those of you who may wonder about Sal Mineo's intended sexuality in Rebel Without a Cause, even for those who don't rightly care, check out the movie Celluloid Closet. You may be surprised to find out that some of the characters from some of your favorite movies were in fact supposed to be homosexual, but film makers, especially those doing adaptations, had to subtlize the gay characters orientation in fear of censorship or controversy. Remember Fried Green Tomatoes? I've pasted the IMDb link here:

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0112651

But back to pedophilia. I think American Beauty had hints of pedophilia within it. I also think that adult pedophiles who want relationships with "kids" aren't looking for children under the age of say, 12. Most adult internet sites, even magazines, make their models look "young" or "barely legal". Not "young" as in preteen young, but young as in Junior/Senior year in high school young. I think that more movies in the future are going to address this issue simply because so many of us that reached puberty in our mid to late teens had sexual feelings, maybe acted on them, but were mature enough to know that it wasn't wrong. We weren't scarred from the act, but maybe scarred from a broken heart.



Originally posted by r3port3r66
I think American Beauty had hints of pedophilia within it.
Hints?! Kevin Spacey spends the entire movie lusting and dreaming and finally getting the chance to screw an underage girl who's also sexually attracted to him!

It's incredible!



Registered User
Originally posted by Sexy Celebrity
Hints?! Kevin Spacey spends the entire movie lusting and dreaming and finally getting the chance to screw an underage girl who's also sexually attracted to him!
WHAT?? you consider THAT pedophillia??? i'm shocked

pedophillia is having sex with CHILDREN not highly sexed high school girls!!! once a boy/girl reaches puberty, they cease being a child...keep in mind, it is America's law that under 18 year olds can't have sex, not the rest of the planet's

are you telling me that if a 20year old guy had sex with a 17year old girl, he would be charged and jailed in America for pedophillia???
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I am having a nervous breakdance
Originally posted by n7of9


WHAT?? you consider THAT pedophillia??? i'm shocked

pedophillia is having sex with CHILDREN not highly sexed high school girls!!! once a boy/girl reaches puberty, they cease being a child...keep in mind, it is America's law that under 18 year olds can't have sex, not the rest of the planet's

are you telling me that if a 20year old guy had sex with a 17year old girl, he would be charged and jailed in America for pedophillia???
I agree. To me pedophilia is more about abusing kids (like in "Happiness"), and with kids I mean those who haven't reached puberty yet. I don't think "American Beauty" is about that kind of pedophilia. It's more about "forbidden fruit".



I think the adult always takes the blame, SC, because, well, they're older. They "ought to know better." It'd be like blaming the a baby for falling down a flight of stairs because it was curious about the second floor. It doesn't know better -- but the parents do.



Hmmm... pedophilia and babies falling.... we're back to Michael Jackson.

I know that, Yodes, but getting back to n7of9 and Piddy, yes, it is America's law, however, it IS still considered pedophilia by many when an older man is doing things with underage girls or boys. They're still labeled a pedophile. A guy can get arrested for looking at child pornography on the internet, pornography that features children ages 13-17, and he's still considered a pedophile type. Those who act out their fantasies are the child molesters. Pee Wee Herman's VAST collection of pornography in his own playhouse had magazines titled "TEEN Nudes", which I assume featured underage boys in erotic poses.

Reporter brought up the movie L.I.E. earlier -- a movie which promotes itself as a movie about a pedophile. But the pedophile, Brian Cox, is into teenage boys. The main character, and some supporting characters, are all homosexual teens that Brian Cox conquests.

I don't know of any movies that deal with pedophilia involving kids under 10. I believe I've seen scenes in some movies where kids are almost kidnapped or are kidnapped by older men, but I can't remember which movies. I'll have to look into that. Home Alone was probably a pedophile's fantasy -- an eight year old boy, home alone, treats two older men who break into his home as two sadomasochists. Just a thought. Maybe that's why Michael Jackson liked Macauley Culkin.



Originally posted by Sexy Celebrity
Hmmm... pedophilia and babies falling.... we're back to Michael Jackson.

I don't know of any movies that deal with pedophilia involving kids under 10.
Pretty Baby is awfully close.

BTW, how ya' doin' Jason? Miss talking with you.
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It was beauty killed the beast.
Originally posted by Sexy Celebrity
Why is it always wrong for an adult and a child to have sex or fall in love? Why does the adult take all the blame? A minor can definitely feel attracted to an older person, and can definitely have other feelings for one too. A 14 year old girl could seduce her 27 year old english teacher if she wanted to. The teacher doesn't have to be some kind of strict pedophile either - he could have dated many girlfriends who are his same age.
Kong suggests you know what you're talking about before talking about what you don't know.

Pedophilia is sexual attraction to an individual under 13 years of age and more than 5 years younger than the pedophile. So your example doesn't cut it. A more appropriate example would be a 53 year old male who is sexually attracted to 7 year old boys.

As to why the adult takes the blame, because the adult is the one at fault. The adult in the situation is the agressor, the one with the abnormal behavior, and the one with mental/sexual maturity. Pedophilia is very different from mutaully consentual forms of sex in that it isn't mutually consentual. Your saying that 5 year olds should bear some blame in cases of pedophilia is like saying rape victims should be put on trial right along side their rapists.

Anyways, as another poster noted pedophiles aren't evil, rather they suffer from abnormal desires and need to seek or be forced into treatment (or containment from children). Kong hasn't really noticed a large trend in the depiction of pedophiles on film, but society has learned that keeping such matters in the dark doesn't cure the problem and this has allowed (to some degree) the subject to be more widely accepted.



Kong suggests you know what you're talking about before talking about what you don't know.
Sexy Celebrity suggests you should fall off the Empire State Building in an embarassing Tim Curry/Frank-n-Furter teddy, size 2000.

Pedophilia is sexual attraction to an individual under 13 years of age and more than 5 years younger than the pedophile. So your example doesn't cut it. A more appropriate example would be a 53 year old male who is sexually attracted to 7 year old boys.
Yeah, so? Screw my example then. I still know what I'm talking about.

As to why the adult takes the blame, because the adult is the one at fault. The adult in the situation is the agressor, the one with the abnormal behavior, and the one with mental/sexual maturity.
How are you certain it's ABNORMAL behavior, exactly? Because psychologists say so?

Your saying that 5 year olds should bear some blame in cases of pedophilia is like saying rape victims should be put on trial right along side their rapists.
Well, I never used the age example of 5, but hey, a 5 year old could be partially responsible for such a thing to happen, but nobody would EVER give a 5 year old responsibility like that, would they? With enough intelligence, kids can do things you might not imagine. I know. People are born sexual -- kids may not have the hormones yet to want to have sex, but they're interested in it and could possibly willingly experiment with an adult who's interested in them. It is of course wrong, but it can happen. A rape victim could also enjoy being raped! There are people out there who actually FANTASIZE about being raped -- and not play rape either, REAL RAPE.