SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Review of Classification of Sexually Explicit Teen Book

by Leave a Comment

Family First NZ Media Release (5 October 2013):

The Secretary for Internal Affairs has approved Family First NZ’s application for leave to apply to the Film and Literature Board of Review to review the classification of Into the River by Ted Dawe.

“The Office of Film and Literature Classification originally reviewed the book, which contains explicit sexual content, highly offensive language and other adult themes, after Family First NZ laid an official complaint. The OFLC acknowledged that it’s suitable for mature audiences 16 years of age and over, but they have made no requirement to warn parents about the content. They say it is up to marketers and booksellers to take the responsibility of warning parents and caregivers – something the OFLC won’t do,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “And NZ Post has provided the Award which is for books aimed at the 13-plus age group.”

“The OFLC bases their judgment extensively on those with a vested interest in the book or its award – for example, the author, the chief judge of the Awards, and a blogger who just happened to have ‘worked on in its initial assessment and editing phase’.”

“They also argue that a low number of calls to the Classification Office suggests there’s little objection. They fail to mention the widespread condemnation by many in the media including the NZ Herald editorial, and they also fail to acknowledge the massive protest to NZ Post calling on them to withdraw the Award given to the book, and that some bookstores refused to sell the book,” says Mr McCoskrie.

The report is also factually incorrect. The OFLC report says “The word ‘f**k’ and its derivatives are used occasionally and the word ‘c**t’ is seen once. The language is not likely to cause harm. These are words and terms that have relatively common usage amongst teenage boys.”

This is factually incorrect. In fact, the c-word is used a staggering total of nine times – in a book supposedly targeted at teens. ‘F**k’ is used 17 times, ‘sh*t’ 16 times, and ‘c*ck’ 10 times, amongst others.

Other concerns with the OFLC’s report are attempts to minimize the issue of having sex under the legal age, illegal drug use, child sex exploitation and the sexual relationship between the student and the teacher, and violent assault.

“The other fascinating aspect is that the report complements the book because of the analysis of the racism. The conclusion is that the analysis of racism is important, but it’s anything-goes-no-worries for teenage sex, illegal drug activity, child sexual exploitation, and violence,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Family First is seeking clear warning labels for parents to be displayed on the cover of the book and for the book to withdrawn from school and public libraries. They have also asked NZ Post to withdraw the Award given to the book.

ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Into the River – its “unrestricted” classification is to be reviewed

by Leave a Comment

The Secretary for Internal Affairs, Mr Colin MacDonald, has today approved the application for leave submitted by Family First NZ, to apply to the Film and Literature Board of Review for a review de novo of the classification of the book “Into the River” by Ted Dawe. A reduced application fee of $200 has also been approved. Family First NZ, a registered charity, is entitled to make a written submission to the Board on the self-published book which was a winner in two categories of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

LA Zombie – Herald on Sunday reporter seeks responses

by Leave a Comment

Here is the email received by the Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. (SPCS) from Herald on Sunday reporter Andre Hueber on Friday April 29, 2011 at 10.38 AM regarding LA Zombie, a film we were told was that was prevented from being screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival in July 2010. The Festival organisers had proposed to screen it, but the necessary ‘exemption’ for screening an unclassified film was not granted in that instance (pers. comm. Paul Tenison, Acting Applications Manager, Classification Branch, Australian Attorney General’s Department).

[Read more…]

Censors protecting the “public good” from morally toxic computer games

by Leave a Comment

The just released 2009/10 Annual Report of the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has highlighted a computer game that the Office has recently banned. In its summary of reasons for the decision it states:

 “The game presents still images and text that legitimises sexual violation and rape in a manner that is intended to sexually arouse the player who takes on the role of a rapist who preys primarily on school girls… Sexual violation and rape are essential to complete the game in its entirety”.

The Society considers it important that the public be made aware of the nature of the objectionable corrupting publications that are being produced for the commercial market by hard core pornographers and others bent on profiteering by the exploitation of people with addictions to moral vices etc.

 The public needs to learn about the vital role played by our Classification Office  to  ensure that such morally corrupting material that injures the “public good” is banned. For this reason it has sought over the last ten years to recommend quality, well-qualified people for nomination to the Film and Literature Board of Review that deals with appeals against classification decisions issued by the OFLC.

Suicide toll surpasses road deaths – Approval by Board of pro-suicide book slammed by Society.

by 4 Comments

In the light of the release of new coroners’ figures on suicide rates, the Society is slamming a unanimous decision by the 8-member Film and Literature Board of Review to support the public availability of a sick book that provides step-by-step methods of how to commit suicide and assist others to do so. The book – The Peaceful Pill Handbook – now classified R18 by the Board, is authored by an elderly Australian zealot, obsessed with seeking notoriety for himself – via his his culture of death propaganda message and his exploitation of weak and vulnerable people who he convinces to fly to Mexico to obtain an illegal suicide drug he promotes in his book and at his fee-paying seminars.

The Dominion Post (25-26/10/08) reports:

“More people [in New Zealand] took their own lives than died in road crashes in the past year, new coroners’ figures show. In the year to the end of June, 511 suicides were reported to coroners – 1.4 self-inflicted deaths a day…. Chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean said … Raw data about suicides was ‘rather shocking’… [As a comparison] There were 422 road deaths last year.” (See link to full report below).

The Society wants New Zealanders to know the names of the Board members who, by their decision, have released a publication into circulation that advocates for and promotes suicide. The members involved in the decision were: Claudia Elliott (President), Dr Jo Baddeley (Deputy President), Judy Callingham, Judith Fyfe, Dr Ian Lambie, Mark Andersen, Andrea Haines, and Ani Waaka (All were recommended for appointment by the Labour-led government Minister of Internal Affairs). The Board upheld the R18 classification issued earlier by the Chief Censor’s Office.

Reference:

Dominion Post 25-26 October 2008

Suicide toll surpasses road deaths

by Lane Nichols

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4738796a20475.html