Mail Underage Sex Hitch

Pausing only to shout “Jimmy Savile” to his readers in order to get their attention, the Mail’s Peter Hitchens has today gone into full why-oh-why mode on the premature sexualisation of the young. And this is so much worse than what might or might not have happened in a BBC dressing room 20 years or more ago, because, as Hitch asserts, that rotten old monolithic state is doing it.

Get those eyes swivelling!

“Today, children, we’re teaching underage sex and debauchery” he froths, even working the dread name of Babylon into his copy – twice. There’s a problem with Hitch’s argument, though: this is a conspiracy that he can’t prove, when he says “The almighty authorities of this country, backed by Parliament, and ultimately by the force of fines, police and prisons, are now forcing their  tawdry sexual standards on an entire generation”.

What individual doctors prescribe their patients is something different, but this doesn’t stop Hitch ranting about “deliberate violation of innocence ... undermining of family life ... subversion of parental authority ... the State is the predator, cynically grooming vulnerable children for underage sex”.

But how does this “underage sex” get encouraged? After all, if there is nothing to promote it, there’s little point in health practitioners giving teenagers contraceptive pills and injections. Something must be encouraging the sexualisation of those who Hitchens notes are “as young as 13”. Well, Hitch, have I got news for you: I’ve found the culprits, and there is indeed encouragement going on.

For instance, how about the photos of 15 year old Hailee Seinfeld (nine of them), who has “reached that age where girls and boys start to discover each other and start dating”? Or another Hailee Seinfeld feature with six photos? Or a slew of photos of 15 year old Kendall Jenner in “bondage heels”? Or another Kendall Jenner feature? Or one of Madonna’s 15 year old daughter Lourdes?

Younger still? You betcha: how about a photo feature of “all grown up” Chloe Moretz, who is 14? Or several pics of “sophisticated in a metallic dress” Bella Thorne, who is also 14? After all, Hitch, you do make a point of telling your readers that “The age of consent ... is still16”, don’t you? And you’re not happy about “encouraging the sexualisation” of those “as young as 13”, so you’d be unhappy with those who do.

Those pushing, for instance, five photos of Ellie Fanning, who “looks all grown up at 13”? And it’s not a one-off instance: here’s more photos of Ellie Fanning, who is supposedly “All grown up” and “looks older than her 13 years”. So what’s the source of every one of these links, Hitch? You don’t know? It’s the website of the Daily Mail. Yes, Hitch, that’s the same paper you’re using for your rants.

 Peter Hitchens, you and your editor are stinking hypocrites. No change there, then.