Who to complain to!

My wife expects good service when she shops somewhere. I don't blame her. I get frustrated when I want to buy something and the stupid shop assistant can't get off the mobile to her boyfriend, 'HELLO! I have money that I want to spend in your shop...'

My wife teaches customer-facing people in business how to provide good service. So when she's had a shopping experience that is less-than-satisfying I generally hear about it in all its detail. Depending on how cheesed-off she gets with the sales assistant she'll either say, 'I could have fair slapped her!' which reflects pretty poor service. But give her a 'sorry that's not my job' sales person response to her request or question and it really, really gets her blowing steam. THEN I usually hear, 'I should write to the chairman!'

So rewind a little to that ad on TV (for what product I can't remember, but it was a memorable ad nevertheless) where a highly strung boss shouts out the window to an employee scurrying off to get something for the boss, 'NOT. HAPPY. JAN!!!!'

Well, that got me thinking about how IBM used to have a code phrase for their fulfillment department. They would run a promotion and have people call into their 1 800 number (back then) and ask to speak with 'Sally Green.' There wasn't really a Sally Green working at IBM - the name was just a code for the folks on the other side of the phone (who were probably in Sydney at that time, rather than somewhere on the subcontinent as they are now...) that the call related to a specific promo.

So if IBM can have a 'Sally' (Green) for fulfillment purposes, can't other organisations have a 'Jan' for handling customer complaints (as in 'Not happy Jan' Jan?)

Think I might be onto a winner now. I just have to get my wife on board, ready for her next foray into complaint-land... Ready the 'Jans', corporate Australia!

Bill Henson 'controversy' - uninformed loudmouths!

Censorship! Restrictions on the arts! Some misguided and ill-informed people are making a lot of noise that could have long term consequences for the arts and artistic freedom in Australia, and I am not happy about it.

In this era of pedophiliac church leaders and hypocritical politicians some of our society has become just a little too zealous in their fear of anything outside their own beliefs!

You probably know that Australian photographic artist Bill Henson has been very prominent in national news in this country, for the confiscation by New South Wales Police of several of his photographs from Sydney fine art gallery Roslyn Oxley 9, in Paddington.

I haven't seen the photographs. And I suspect that most people complaining about them haven't seen the photos either and that's a problem.

Henson is an internationally famous artist. He is not a pornographer.

Someone called the police to complain that a photograph (perhaps the one on the exhibition invitation) was pornographic as it showed a nude child. The police investigated and confiscated several photographs, causing the gallery to cancel the exhibition that was to open on May 23rd.

I am not surprised, however I am very disappointed, with what are demonstrably uninformed comments by many people calling the artworks 'pornographic' and that they should be banned, and that the gallery owners and the artist should be punished. I'm not even surprised to read that Roslyn Oxley's husband said they had received several death threats because of the photos.

Have these people seen the photos? Do they know what pornography is? Do they know the difference between nudity and pornography? Most likely no in all cases.

Kevin Rudd, our newly elected Prime Minister, the great new hope for this country, called the photographs 'absolutely revolting.' His personal opinion.

A photo from the exhibition has been published in a newspaper, with the girl's eyes covered for anonymity, and her bare breasts covered for decency (nudity has its place - child nudity is not frequently shown in the national press).

The girl's pose is not different from the poses of paintings, photographs, and sculptures by the world's greatest artists. It is not pornographic.

I have been to Roslyn Oxley 9 gallery in Sydney. It is not some seedy backlane 'adult' bookshop. Roslyn Oxley 9 gallery shows fine art by Australia's most respected artists.

Just to check my facts, I queried the Merriam-Webster online dictionary for a definition of 'pornography':

"...Etymology: Greek pornographos adjective, writing about prostitutes...

1: the depiction of erotic behaviour (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement
2: material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behaviour and is intended to cause sexual excitement
3: the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction the pornography of violence"

From what I saw in that photo, by the above definition there is nothing pornographic about it. It is just nudity.

Perhaps the person complaining confused nudity with pornography? But they are such very different things.

On the positive, the public support of Bill Henson and the gallery has been widespread - Malcolm Turnbull, the Shadow Treasurer, has spoken in support of him and Mr Turnbull apparently owns two photographs by Henson. Prominent artists, and writers are speaking out in support of Henson and the gallery and condemning the police for their action. In this weekend's The Weekend Australian Financial Review, on page 27, there is a full page article about this issue, quoting playwright David Williamson:

'No one in their right senses would condone child pornography or the exploitation of underaged people. But there has to be a descrimination beween sordid child pornography and the sort of art that Henson creates. The two are poles apart. Anyone who can't see that is a big worry, especially if they're the leader of the country.'

To call these works pornographic is incorrect and very misleading. Those who are doing so should be ashamed.

If you feel like I do that Kevin Rudd's comments about the Bill Henson photographs are inappropriate you can write to him at: The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister, PO Box 6022, House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600.

Old Midnight Oil rocker; now Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, might be interested in how we feel as well: The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP, at the same address.

I write this as a parent of two teenaged daughters, as a former board member of an all girls school, and as an artist. The wellbeing of children is forefront in my mind. Henson's work is not pornography.