Ben Westwood Opposes Extreme Porn Law (74)

Fri 29 Aug 08, 12:19 AM
emark
UK, 5 yrs Some wider criticism of the extreme porn law today:
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,,ben-westwo...
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/...

Ben Westwood, the photographer son of fashion doyenne Dame Vivienne, is leading a backlash among artists against the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which will come into force in the new year.
Part of the Act will outlaw anything which might be considered as "extreme pornography". This will effectively make illegal any image that portrays a man or woman's life as being in danger.
Westwood has thus been informed that, as a result of the ruling, his book of erotic photography, Fuck Fashion, will be banned from sale from 1 January. Furthermore, anyone owning a copy of the tome could theoretically receive a three-year jail sentence.
"Jack Straw and the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith need to be bound up together and gagged," says Westwood Junior. "They are trying to dismantle our basic human rights. We cannot just sit here and take this. We cannot just lie back and watch this ludicrous Act slip in the back door."
Westwood's campaign already appears to be gathering momentum. According to his agent, Lois Hillgrove, he has so far enlisted the support of celebrity chums including the singer Gwen Stefani and the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, who was once married to goth rocker Marilyn Manson.
Not clear who has "informed" him that the book will be illegal. But this looks good publicity against the law.
Section 63 criminalises "extreme" images of consenting adults - see http://www.backlash-uk.org.uk/ and http://www.seenoevil.org.uk/wiki/index.php/Main_... .

29 Aug 08, 12:34 AM
Sirebel
UK(N), 23 mths
Must go and buy a copy before it becomes illegal. Price will shoot up.

29 Aug 08, 12:38 AM
blooey
UK(SO), 2 yrs

Westwood wrote:
"Da Strawman and the Home Sec JacquiS, dems is needin' to be bound up together and gagged innit," says Westwood. "Dey is trying to dismantle the kids basic human rights. Homies, we cannot just sit here and take dis. We cannot just lie back and watch this phat Act slip in the back door. The Big Dog is keepin' it REAL"

29 Aug 08, 12:42 AM
xjames
UK(SS), 2 yrs This is where to buy it. http://www.eroticprints.org/westwoodfashion.asp
I understood from the Hansard debate that if an image was in a book, it would come under the obscene publications act. So either I've got it wrong, or Mr Westwood is wrong.
Doesn't matter too much because any maintstream media publicity is good publicity. Would be good to get to the bottom of OPA v CJIA in this case though. Views?
Obligatory wanky Latin tagline: Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit

29 Aug 08, 12:43 AM
Nemi75
UK, 11 mths

blooey wrote:

Westwood wrote:
"Da Strawman and the Home Sec JacquiS, dems is needin' to be bound up together and gagged innit," says Westwood. "Dey is trying to dismantle the kids basic human rights. Homies, we cannot just sit here and take dis. We cannot just lie back and watch this phat Act slip in the back door. The Big Dog is keepin' it REAL"

You has da wrong Westwood. You is talkin bout da big dog who puts on a fake accent and pretends he is from the hood when he is actually the 50 year old son of an Anglican bishop .
Bless.
One of God's own prototypes, a high powered mutant of some kind, never considered for mass production. Too weird to live, too rare to die.

29 Aug 08, 12:45 AM
BlueisViolet
UK(DH), 5 mths

Nemi75 wrote:

blooey wrote:

Westwood wrote:
"Da Strawman and the Home Sec JacquiS, dems is needin' to be bound up together and gagged innit," says Westwood. "Dey is trying to dismantle the kids basic human rights. Homies, we cannot just sit here and take dis. We cannot just lie back and watch this phat Act slip in the back door. The Big Dog is keepin' it REAL"

You has da wrong Westwood. You is talkin bout da big dog who puts on a fake accent and pretends he is from the hood when he is actually the 50 year old son of an Anglican bishop .
Bless.
*cries laughing*

29 Aug 08, 12:48 AM
emark
UK, 5 yrs
xjames wrote:
This is where to buy it. http://www.eroticprints.org/westwoodfashion.asp
I understood from the Hansard debate that if an image was in a book, it would come under the obscene publications act. So either I've got it wrong, or Mr Westwood is wrong.
Well, this all comes down to the Government's claim that this only covered material illegal under the OPA, which many believe to be dubious or an outright lie.
We know the law doesn't have the "deprave and corrupt" clause, and specifically includes extracts from legal films in its scope. When pushed, the Government have refined their point of view to saying that they think material caught under the law should be, or is probably, illegal under the OPA. But at the end of the day, that's up to the jury to decide.

Doesn't matter too much because any maintstream media publicity is good publicity. Would be good to get to the bottom of OPA v CJIA in this case though. Views?
I agree, to both.
If images in a published book are found to be legal, then that's a good thing, because it restricts the scope of the law. If they are found to be illegal - it shows the Government's claim to be wrong, and creates more opposition to the law.
Section 63 criminalises "extreme" images of consenting adults - see http://www.backlash-uk.org.uk/ and http://www.seenoevil.org.uk/wiki/index.php/Main_... .
Edited 29 Aug 08, 12:55 AM by emark

29 Aug 08, 12:49 AM
syndee
UK, 2 yrs
oh it's off!
The world and their vacuous stylish wives/groupies/hangers on are gonna claim they're gonna be persecuted cos they're avant garde.
It'll make the bdsm angle look like a dead herring in a congealed pan.
getcher bandwaggon here
edited to say that looks like an Extremely Dull Booke - (errrr thanks(?) for the linkage) there's thousands of vaguely wimpy-fet bookes out there....................

In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
Edited 29 Aug 08, 12:55 AM by syndee

29 Aug 08, 2:59 AM
badspyro
UK(PO), 4 yrs
Damn, I love that woman and her spawn!
I'm now thankful I learnt about her in GCSE textiles and spent a significant amount of time reading up on her. To be honest, with her past track record on designs, I'm not surprised that her and her son are against it, especially when you take a look at her latex fashion design and her amazing corsetry.
And knowing her, the government could be in for a war fairly soon, she's not known as one who keeps quiet, and I'm rather hopeful that this is one case of like mother like son
thanks, badspyro
Uni is bliss...

29 Aug 08, 6:49 AM
Rubberwitch
UK, 13 mths
Ben's a nice chap. The fact he still wears Westwood is more a tribute to the fact that he still lets his mum dress him rather than any real sense of fashion. In a strangely circular fashion, I met him at his first exhibition at A&D Gallery, which opened the place with a show titled "Porn Again". October also sees a new show at the gallery definitely worth looking at. Called "Porn Saints", it's an interesting view of sex, beatification, celebrity, and extremism, and definitely would be unshowable after January.

29 Aug 08, 8:48 AM
Degenerate
UK, 21 mths
Marvellous news!

CAAN - Beware the kinky porn ban! http://www.informedconsent.co.uk/p/C_A_A_N/ - CJIB Wiki and Seenoevil forum: - http://www.seenoevil.org.uk - The times they are a-changin' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ_XwLSN45I - FREEDOM NOW!

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