BBC Woman’s Hour asked social media followers to submit opinions about “the best way to inform teenagers” about “age-appropriate porn.”
The women’s radio magazine program — which has been on the air since 1946 — tweeted on Tuesday morning: “What’s the best way to inform teenagers about porn? Should there be age-appropriate porn as has been suggested so they can learn about consent and what’s respectful and what’s not? What do you think? Email us your opinions.”
What’s the best way to inform teenagers about porn? Should there be age-appropriate porn as has been suggested so they can learn about consent and what’s respectful and what’s not? What do you think? Email us your opinions 📧 https://t.co/GABQqgVQ4p pic.twitter.com/YnXL21bnlQ
— BBC Woman's Hour (@BBCWomansHour) August 3, 2021
With over 2,000 quote tweets outweighing roughly 100 likes, Twitter users strongly condemned the outlet’s decision to solicit comments on the topic.
“No,” responded podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey. “You teach them that porn is objectifying, addictive, unhealthy, unrealistic, can ruin relationships & create self-loathing, and functions as the fuel for the sex trafficking of women & children.”
“Y’all are dangerously close to recommending that teens ‘star’ in porn,” noted commentator Elisha Krauss. “Porn is bad. Minors watching or starring in porn is worse.”
“It’s not too late to delete this,” said rapper Zuby.
“STOP TRYING TO GIVE MINORS PORN,” added commentator Lauren Chen. “WHY DO I EVEN NEED TO SAY THIS.”
BBC Woman’s Hour solicited the comment days after GQ journalist Flora Gill claimed in a since-deleted tweet that “someone needs to create porn for children.”
“Hear me out,” Gill continued. “Young teens are already watching porn but they’re finding hardcore, aggressive videos that give a terrible view of sex. They need entry level porn! A soft core site where everyone asks for consent and no one gets choked.”
Gill’s call is among the latest from pundits advocating for the sexualization of children.
Last month, The Washington Post ran an op-ed called “Yes, kink belongs at Pride. And I want my kids to see it.” Philadelphia-based writer Lauren Rowello drafted the article after taking her children to a pride parade and witnessing dozens of “kinksters” mimicking sex acts:
When our children grew tired of marching, we plopped onto a nearby curb. Just as we got settled, our elementary-schooler pointed in the direction of oncoming floats, raising an eyebrow at a bare-chested man in dark sunglasses whose black suspenders clipped into a leather thong. The man paused to be spanked playfully by a partner with a flog. “What are they doing?” my curious kid asked as our toddler cheered them on. The pair was the first of a few dozen kinksters who danced down the street, laughing together as they twirled their whips and batons, some leading companions by leashes. At the time, my children were too young to understand the nuance of the situation, but I told them the truth: That these folks were members of our community celebrating who they are and what they like to do.
As Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard recently explained to The Daily Wire, sex traffickers rely upon pornographic material to ripen children for abuse: “If they can get access, they will try to desensitize them by showing them sexual things.”