Showing posts with label Thats My Boy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thats My Boy. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2012
That's My Boy, Prevent Child Abuse America, Jim McKay, and the Huffington Post.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Prevent Child Abuse America, Stop It Now!, and Darkness to Light's letter to Columbia Pictures regarding the release of "That's My Boy."
Yesterday we shared the STATEMENT - here - we released along with Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! regarding our position on the release of the new Adam Sandler movie "That's My Boy." In the STATEMENT we reference the letter we sent to Columbia Pictures spelling out our concerns and providing a series of responses we suggest Columbia Pictures pursue in partnership with our organizations to adress these concerns. Today we want to share that letter with you.
May 21, 2012
Jeff Blake, Vice Chairman
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group,
Worldwide Marketing and Distribution
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Dear Mr. Blake,
After reading numerous media stories about the content of Columbia Pictures new movie “That’s My Boy,” we are very concerned that that this picture makes light of statutory rape in its depiction of a thirteen-year old boy’s sexual relationship with his teacher at school. The mission of our organizations is to prevent child abuse and neglect of any type before it ever occurs. This mission is helped when we engage individuals, organizations and “institutions” to recognize a collective responsibility to ensure our nation’s children have an opportunity for healthy child development.
One such responsibility is to ensure that the portrayal of abuse is not treated with humor. “That’s My Boy” has crossed this line and indicates that there is some confusion about the appropriate response to the idea that a thirteen-year old boy is in a sexual relationship with an adult authority figure. This is rape, plain and simple, and the idea that it would be portrayed as titillating or cool is an antiquated understanding of sexual abuse and healthy child development. This confusion must be eliminated through deliberate actions by responsible adults who share a common vision that all children have the right to a happy and abuse-free childhood.
We believe the controversy around this movie and how you choose to handle it, however, provides us with an opportunity to join forces, advance this cause and further educate the public that we not only all play a role in children’s lives, but that all adults are responsible for the prevention of child sexual abuse. Given this, we would like to propose that our respective organizations partner to:
Provide sexual abuse prevention training to your creative and marketing staff members;
Create a series of public service announcements that (1) provide parents and communities with vital sexual abuse prevention information and tips and (2) advocate for public policies that support sexual abuse prevention programming; and/or
Visit the websites of the three signers of this letter for the FAQ’s.
We believe that together we have the chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children. We will follow-up in the near future to explore the ways in which we may accomplish this. In the meantime, feel free to contact James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, at (312) 663-3520, extension 810.
Sincerely,
Prevent Child Abuse America
Stop It Now!
Darkness to Light
Thursday, June 7, 2012
New Adam Sandler movie “That’s My Boy” glorifies outdated views on healthy sexuality
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL, June 7, 2012 - Numerous media outlets are reporting that Adam Sandler’s new movie “That’s My Boy” makes light of statutory rape in its depiction of a thirteen-year old boy’s sexual relationship with his teacher at school. That relationship results in the teacher’s pregnancy, a jail sentence, and Sandler’s character being forced to raise the child himself. When the child turns eighteen, he leaves home and does not interact with his father again until the eve of his wedding, when the Sandler character shows up at his home in need of money.
Some will argue in defense of this movie by stating that the story ultimately focuses on the characters’ reconciliation and that since the movie is a comedy, advocates such as organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America, Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! are taking the story line too seriously. We would suggest that these arguments are specious at best. They do not excuse the movie’s outdated views on child sexuality, and the sexuality of boys specifically, much less the long term impact of sexual abuse on children. Nor do these arguments ameliorate the fact that the corporate culture of Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions is one that embraces child rape as a means for making a profit.
“It goes without saying,” stated Jim Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “that Adam Sandler and Columbia Pictures would never have made a similar movie about a thirteen-year old girl and a teacher of hers, so how is it that in 2012 they still find it acceptable to make such a movie about a character who is a boy? This is a movie about rape, plain and simple, and while we could have an endless dialogue about how this is a comedy, or a story that highlights the resilience of children, I call upon the viewing public to express their strong disapproval. Along with my colleagues from Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! we have sent the producers of the film an offer to discuss how misguided this attempt at humor is, and what message can be salvaged from this screenplay. All of us regardless of what we do in our lives have a responsibility to the children and families in this country. I suggest we figure out together how they can fulfill that responsibility in a way that supports the healthy child development of all children.”
###
ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA
Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We believe that communities across the country are doing innovative things with great results to prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring, and what we need to do as a nation is commit to bringing this kind of ingenuity to communities everywhere. Based in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has chapters in 49 states and over 400 Healthy Families America, home visitation sites in 37 states, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. For more information, please visit here and here.
ABOUT DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Darkness to Light is a national non-profit organization with the mission to empower people to prevent child sexual abuse. We do this by increasing public awareness of the issue, educating adults to prevent, recognize the signs and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, and by engaging communities in building and sustaining child sexual abuse prevention initiatives. Learn more here.
ABOUT STOP IT NOW!
Stop It Now! ® prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. We provide support, information and resources so individuals and families around the world can keep children safe and create healthier communities. Read more here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)