Bill Henson. This is a textbook example of the society we live in. Much that is wrong with it is encapsulated in this one act by police/government: it reveals idiocy and corruption of culture.

- A naked adolescent's body is "sinful" according to our government.

- Government officials have said it's "disgusting". Rudd has emulated John Howard and shown how much of his beliefs and views are identical to the former PM.

- Police seized these pictures from a private gallery and from a private artist and citizen of Australia. Their actions are no different from the Chinese government: They are thugs forcing the government's morality on others.

All because:

- Our culture has given an incredibly small percentage of people in society extreme prominence and voice in the media, to the degree that Australians are now petrified of them. It is a corruption and disease in the minds of these Australians (much of it is sourced as religious and feminist in nature...no surprises there).

Kevin Rudd > "While the Prime Minister described the works as "revolting" and devoid of artistic merit"

This moron has never even been to a gallery has no training and is a religious bigot. If we had to rely on the opinions of ignorant people to determine what was artistic you could throw away most of last centuries art work.

I think all artists should create such work in a public display of defiance at this offensive act of censorship. I think others should finally realise that Rudd and Howard have been pursuing a de facto theocracy.

Mr Rudd is to be congratulated. A naked 12 or 13 year old is child pornography. Every paedophile would agree. If the average Joe took a photo of his nude daughter he would be locked up (and should be). Calling something 'art' does not change what it really is. This 'artist' is obviously one sick cookie and so are those who defend child pornography.

But it is perfectly acceptable for Rudd to attend strip clubs.

I guess artistic merit is wasted on our christian PM.

runner: << A naked 12 or 13 year old is child pornography. >>

Only in the minds of people who sexualise children - like religious nutters tend to.

I agree Steel - this utter nonsense is nothing more than a 'moral panic' inspired by a weird coalition of religious and feminist prudes, who project their own sexual repression on to art.

Rudd would have been better to have kept his mouth shut than to display his ignorant Christian wowserism. He reminds me of a certain ex-PM in that way.

Feminists prudes? I have talked to a lot of feminists over the past couple of days and have not yet talked to one who's for the removal of Henson's work. I note most of the arts administrators defending Henson's work are women. Judy Annear, who's curator of photography at the Art Gallery of NSW has been supporting Henson on any medium that'll have her. The redoubtable Anna Schwartz called it "a dark day for Australian culture."

The rather hysterical "child protection" advocate Hetty Johnson, founder of Bravehearts, made initial complaint, I believe. Bravehearts lobby and advocate for, and helps, people who have been/are being sexually assaulted in childhood. I'm sure they do some terrific work, and, given the stories they must hear, perhaps it's not surprise they see monsters in the shadows. Ultimately, it's up to the cops to uphold or reject Johnson's complaint. It is they who have decided that the photos depict "a child under the age of 16 years of age in a sexual context".

Presumably on the assumption that nudity is by definition sexual.

Bravehearts is not, however, an explicitly feminist organisation. So is there any concrete reasons why feminists are to blame, or are they just the usual suspects?

Steel, snap with our threads.

I missed Steel's reference to 'feminist prudes'. I am getting really fed up with men who decide what feminists think.

Steel, please note; on this thread, on porno threads and on her own thread regarding Henson; Vanilla and I have spoken out against censorship such as this. While there may be a minority of feminists who are easily outraged, the majority believe in freedom of speech, expression and sexuality. In fact I believe a feminist prude is something of an oxymoron.

Steel, I and the majority of feminists agree that nakedness is not a sin, we want to see a society freed of sexual hang-ups, that is the path towards greater acceptance of each gender. So please stop assuming you have any inkling of what feminists think and please stop assuming that we all hold the same homogenous opinions, we are as diverse as any other group of people.