Barbie needs a good lawyer

An FBI alert over a Barbie doll with a video camera has generated a lot of interesting discussion by people who are worried that the dolls might somehow be used by pedophiles to make kiddie porn:

...that the new "Video Girl Barbie" comes with a hidden camera, which could be used to record child pornography.

"The alert's intent was to ensure law enforcement agencies were aware that the doll, like any other video-capable equipment, could contain evidence and to not disregard such an item during a search," the FBI explained in a statement.

Naturally, everyone assumes that the "evidence" and the "search" would relate to an adult pervert -- you know, the guy in a long overcoat who waves the doll and says, "Hey little girl, wanna play with Barbie?" That scenario is certainly a possibility, but I'm surprised that so many people are missing the most likely criminal conduct these dolls could facilitate.

Children filming themselves! According to the laws we live under, children who photograph themselves nude are violating the child pornography laws.

The female students at Greensburg Salem High School in Greensburg, Pa., all 14- or 15-years-old, face charges of manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography while the boys, who are 16 and 17, face charges of possession, according to WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, which published the story on its Web site on Tuesday.

Police told the station that the photos were discovered in October, after school officials seized a cell phone from a male student who was using it in violation of school rules and found a nude photo of a classmate on it. Police were called in and their investigation led them to other phones containing more photos, it said.

A Barbie doll is not a phone, but "her" camera "can shoot 30 minutes of video footage and be uploaded to a computer via USB."

Saying "Barbie did it" would probably not be a defense. That's because if we are to be strictly logical, the adults among us must recognize that Barbie is not a human being. Which means that "she" cannot be an actual child pornographer, even though the manufacturers have created a situation where it is easy for her to become a virtual one. Where are the outraged feminists? I mean, why put poor Barbie in the position of being a proxy porn producer, when we all know that the evil men are most often the real cultural villains? Why isn't Ken being made a proxy porn maker? Where's the virtual equality?

I don't know, but if I were the manufacturer, I would cover my ass by putting some sort of label on the toy.

WARNING: THIS VIDEO DEVICE IS NOT SOLD OR MARKETED OR INTENDED FOR USE BY MINORS! ALLOWING CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH THIS ADULT TOY WHILE THEY ARE OTHER THAN FULLY CLOTHED AND BEHAVING IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER MAY SUBJECT THEM AND/OR THEIR PARENTS TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT CONCERNED PARENTS NOT ALLOW ANY UNSUPERVISED ACCESS TO THIS TOY AND THAT THEY OBTAIN APPROPRIATE LEGAL ADVICE.

posted by Eric on 12.10.10 at 11:05 AM





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Comments

LOL - I love your warning.

But, yanno - you've got to wonder about the manufacturers. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot were they thinking?

Kathy Kinsley   ·  December 11, 2010 06:41 PM

This is such a non-story it's pathetic. Any pre-teen, tween, or adolescent girl with a webcam can do the same thing, and transfer the result via webcam-sharing services like stickam, if I recall the name properly.

Exchanging these kind of videos has become a minor cottage industry. From what I've heard (and read about), a very large proportion of these videos are teens who send "naughty" videos to their boyfriends.

Others seem to enjoy some sort of video exchange while person A watches person B via live webcam, and vice versa. Apparently they text with each other at the same time. It seems to be a hi-tech form of "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Bottom line: if you give your daughters uncontrolled access to the web with a webcam and their own computer, there's not much you can do to stop them becoming the next hard-core Britney or Miley.

Webcam-Barbie is the least of their worries.

Casey   ·  December 11, 2010 11:43 PM

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