13 thoughts on “It’s Good To Be Back

        1. :-Joe

          Ye, one of the few good things about the film…
          -Shame about his insane choices and actions in the rest of his life etc..

          :-J

  1. Slightly Bemused

    I was out of the country when the truth came out about him. When I came home, I heard about it, but using only his real name, and did not make the connection. I was at a social gathering with friends, and in the course of the conversation, as a response to one comment, I grinned back and asked ‘Do you wanna be in my gang?’ Boy! Was I surprised at the reaction! Quick learning curve, I can tell you, with one of them becoming very angry at me. Thankfully, knowing I had been away, they finally accepted my ignorance of the matter.

    Recently I heard the song I most associate with Rolf Harris, Two Little Boys, but it was the original version, not his. I don’t think i have heard anything by Michael Jackson for a couple of years, and I Believe I Can Fly has, we were informed by a DJ after a request came in, was removed from that station’s playlist and deleted from their database.

    I am not trying to be smart, but I do find it interesting the reactions to different celebrities caught up in different crimes. Murder, racism, aggravated theft, etc, are all forgivable to some degree. Crimes against children are not. As a father I agree.

          1. Slightly Bemused

            At the risk of being controversial, I think it is the nature of the relationship that affects the reactions. While officially statutory rape, the relationship was never reported as being abusive and exploitative, in the manner of Gadd and Kelly. I am not excusing them, but they did reportedly care for each other.

            As Captain Pants says, there is a long history of rock stars with underage partners. Some, I will say were probably ‘more acceptable’ given the mores of the time. After all, how many rock’n’roll songs talk about the lady being sixteen, which reflects the values of their time and legal issues of their locations. Great songs, but not acceptable ages these days.

            Jerry Lee Lewis and his marriage to his cousin, who was 13, if I remember) is a case in point, where it was legal in the state where they got married, but is repugnant to modern mores, and indeed was in most US states at the time.

            I should disclose that I work in an industry and go to parts of the world where legal age of consent, if actually stated at all, is quite a lot younger than here, and where child brides are common. While work is underway to change this, it is a societal issue as much as a moral one.

            Most organisations work in these environments have zero tolerance policies for dalliances with anyone under 18, regardless of local law, a position I fully endorse.

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