Unethical? Or not? (poll! please vote)

[deadman]

[Image]




If the kids are okay with it, I don't see what the big deal is. At the age of 7 most children are still too young to have hangups about their bodies. Too young to think of themselves in sexual terms too. I think that blogger is overreacting, whether genuinely or in a performative outrage sort of way I can't say. What "suggestive expressions" is he talking about? I don't see it. You could easily imagine the exact same picture with the kids in T shirts. There's no provocative posing, no implied sexual attraction between the kids or directed out at the viewer. The one girl with her hand on another boy's shoulder isn't making doe eyes at him, it's a gesture of friendship. Completely harmless picture. I'm sure this group of preadolescents were horsing around and having fun on set without any self-consciousness. They probably had to be told to put their shirts back on when the shoot was over.

Even if they were teenagers that same picture would be fine - as long as it was completely voluntary and they were comfortable being topless.When I read about situations where a young actress was subjected to a lot of pressure, not told up front (before she agreed to the role) what would be involved, or otherwise forced to do a scene she didn't want to do, that bothers me. Kids who are used to being topless or completely naked on beaches in front of thousands of strangers are less likely to mind appearing that way in a photoshoot, commercial, or movie. The key difference is whether or not someone has internalized a nudity taboo.

No one should ever be forced out of their comfort zone under duress. If you come from a culture where no one gets naked in public, ever, or even at home in front of family members, and you're constantly told to cover up, which is the case in America, taking off your clothes in front of a camera is completely unnatural. It's even harder for a young teenage girl than for an adult. Yet there are societies where nobody ever wears much clothing and nakedness is normal (much healthier attitude imo). A girl the same age would pose nude for a picture without a second thought. As long as your subject isn't bothered by it, there's nothing unethical about taking the picture.