The unfolding story of Jimmy Savile's systematic abuse of young and vulnerable teenage girls is deeply disturbing. There have been stories of other DJs being involved in sex with underage teenage girls, including John Peel who I used to like listening to. I don't think this is restricted to DJs or even to celebrities but I think in Savile's case his fame helped him get privilege and trust he should never have had. It has become clear he was a paedophile.
For pop and rock stars and DJs in the 70s it was accepted that teenage girls would idolise them. Look at A Hard Days Night and it has teenage girls chasing The Beatles down streets. There were theatres full of girls just going nuts for British bands in the 1960s. There was also an acceptance that bands or DJs on the road could expect to get offers of sex. I read Ray Davies autobiography and he mentions The Kinks band members receiving blowjobs from fans in different cities.
Sex without being married was also a form of liberation for women after widespread availability of the pill.
The impact of AIDS, changes in general society on equality of the sexes and a better understanding that fame can happen to very ordinary people through things like reality TV and the web, have had their impact on our beliefs about how we view celebrities. It was never right for men to have sexual relations with underage girls but now it is criminal and taboo whereas in the 70s it seemed it was almost something that some men boasted about and got away with.
2 comments:
I'm thankful that there does seem to have been a change in the attitude about older, powerful men taking advantage of young girls. Of course it still happens, but there are a lot more people willing to see it as reprehensible, rather than a cool perk of fame.
LB: Yes, society should be getting more progressive rather than degenerating.
Post a Comment