Censorship is not so sexy

The other day I nearly drove into a ditch when I heard that, in South Africa, a film has been banned for the first time since the dawn of our new democracy in 1994.

In this day and age of growing liberalism, deteriorating morals and values, where all things criminal seem to be natural and all things profane and strange are acceptable, how did it come to pass that a movie has been banned?

For those who missed the news, Of Good Report tells the story of a schoolteacher who has a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student. The film was due to open the Durban international film festival, but the censors reportedly cited “child pornography”, objecting to a scene that depicts a teacher performing a sexual act on the student.

The film was thus refused classification by the film and publications board, in terms of the Film and Publications Act of 1996.

Jahmil XT Qubeka, the film’s director, is protesting against the ban, vowing to continue the fight.

This ban is about as ridiculous as when they banned Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

To ban something creates hype, so readers were quite eager to get a copy of this controversial DH Lawrence novel.

For those who found a copy perchance, well, they were highly disappointed because, really, compared to what find is published these days, Lady’s Chatterley’s Lover is like rolling in the hay with your clothes on, while giggling stupidly.

To return to SA’s ban, the film was cited for being controversial, yet, funnily enough, the pupil who plays the part of the schoolgirl is a 23-year-old actor who is, herself, a mother.

So, technically, it wasn’t really child porn, as a child wasn’t involved. And it is not like the we are talking about a 10-year-old girl.

In the case Of Good Report, its defenders say the film raises awareness of a vital social issue: teachers who sexually prey on schoolgirls.

Therefore, the content was done for a purpose, and was not intended to be for amusement.

The banning has subsequently stimulated a groundswell of protest in the local entertainment industry.

This is not a debate about the merits of censorship, as this would be as fruitless as trying to debate the merits of legalising marijuana or the rhino horn trade.

Rather, we are talking about the bizarre decisions that are made daily in this country that make no sense whatsoever.

And these decisions are made by the “guardians” who determine how society is shaped and influenced, which is a rather scary thought.

What I really find puzzling, is that we live in a westernised world, where all kinds of pornography is easily accessible, and there is even the potential green light to be granted for three porn channels to be aired.

Porn is out there – hard and soft – it is on the streets, on the cellphones, and easily accessible on the internet.

Forget about Popcorn Valley or Silicone Valley, welcome to Porn Valley.

Long gone are the days of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, welcome the soft porn series Fifty Shades of Grey that has been flying off the shelves.

But, of course, Fifty Shades will not be banned, neither would movies like Twilight or Harry Potter, after all, such movies, in their own right, can be seen as being controversial, considering their potential dangerous message and content.

No, let us rather ban a movie that is trying to make a social point.

What are we saying with the banning Of Good Report? That teens don’t have sex?

Here is a quick update – teens are sexually active, probably more than ever and, because the issue is not properly addressed, teenage pregnancies are rife, which leads to all kinds of negative consequences..

Where is our moral compass in this country?

Remember how, years ago, you still had to show your ID at the movies to make sure children did not see material that was unsuitable for them?

You would stand trembling before the kiosk with your ID, hoping that you could get into the 16 and up movie, but, instead, you got the evil eye from the cashier.

TV programmes were clean in South Africa, even the ads did not cause someone’s blood pressure to rise for some obscure reason.

Those good old days have been abandoned.

Now, small children are watching movies filled with violence and sexual content on the big screen.

Most soaps, and even ads, these days are filled with sexual content, and who knows how old some of the actors are, or the audience sitting at home?

Social platforms are open channels for all kinds of immoral actions and behaviour, yet we slap a ban on a movie that actually tries to address the downward spiral of today’s youth.

Last year, there was controversy around a painting that depicted President Jacob Zuma with exposed genitalia. If you visit Emperors Palace, you will find a mock statue of David fully exposed – talk about flaunting one’s genitalia. Of course, that is not censored.

It seems that this country’s moral compass and, one fears, the compass of the world, is badly disorientated and pointing in all the wrong directions.

Is this country then heading towards selective censorship, driving personal agendas, if we also take into account the looming Secrecy Bill?

It may seem that freedom of expression under South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution is more than ever under real threat.

Whatever one’s standpoint on censorship, this latest case belongs in the Twilight Zone, because in this country, as in the rest of the world, corruption, pornography and crime are rife, so what is the point of banning a movie when it seeks to expose a social plight?