EastEnders paedophilia storyline

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I hate storylines like this.. it's claimed to be 'educational' but I see it as taking a really awful experience and trivialising it for entertainment.

There are two ways they can handle it. If they go for the shock value, then they may just trivialise it.

If they do attempt to educate people (and previously, Eastenders does seem to have favoured this approach), then it could be good. As an example of a storyline that supposedly educated people, I cite the storyline in the 90s of Joe (or Jaw as my family nicknamed him) Wicks. For those who don't know, the character started off as a typical soap teenager and over the space of 2 or 3 years gradually became both more and more paranoid and eccentric (in a disturbing, not entertaining way) before being diagnosed with a mental illness. They took the time to show not only the effects on Joe, but also the effects on all the characters he was involved with.

Mental health charities even congratulated EE for showing that not all mentall illness comes on quickly.

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:44 ----------

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I don't know if that would be the case..but I sometimes think that such story lines may be excruciating for someone who has been a victim and a reminder of something they may never come to terms with.

On the other hand, if it is handled well and shows people who aren't in a position where they have had training what signs to look for, is that not a good thing?

Anyway I think that there are too many soaps showing situations such as these far too early in the evening.After 9 pm might be a better idea for some of the more adult themes...

Paedophilia mostly affects kids. I am not denying the effect it must have on the rest of the family (either the victim's or the paedophile's), but surely the person most affected is the kid it is done to.

If this storyline is handled well and senstively, it may help a victim's friends to spot the signs that he or she is a victim, and help them to know what to do.

That is of course, If.

[Hom3r]

Mount St Bianca has exploded.

[Pia]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Mount St Bianca has exploded.

Eh?

[Hom3r]

She's just found out Witney & Tony.

[Pia]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

She's just found out Witney & Tony.

Oooh, i thought that was going to be a Xmas thing.

[Hom3r]

Nah thats the return of Nick Cotton.

[moaningmags]

I don't watch Eastenders but turned it when you posted above.
I don't think it's a storyline too far.
And it's good Bianca stood by her daughter, didn't blame her as many mothers would have done, and from the ending it looks as though the daughter has realised what's actually happened to her.
Hopefully, any young teenage girls watching this who are in this situation will realise too and speak out.

[Charlie_Bubble]

I think they've done quite a good job of this storyline. They've managed to show a predatory paedophile at work. They've shown how they start exploiting young girls with the Lauren storyline. They've also shown how they end relationships with girls when the girl grows up too much and begins to become a woman with the Whitney storyline. They've managed to show how the girls often don't even realise it's happening and think it's a normal boy - girl relationship and if anything, blame themselves later.

They've also hopefully thrown out some people's misconceptions that all paedophiles must be dirty old men in macs that hang around schools looking for victims. This one was a young, good looking bloke who zeroed in on a vulnerable single mother to move in on her daughter.

We all know that young people identify a lot more with people from soaps and bands etc, than they do with teachers, social workers, politicians and if just one girl has managed to realise from these storylines that she is in an abusive relationship like this, then it's been worth it. May also make some single mothers a bit more wary of letting the wrong person into their life.

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Nah thats the return of Nick Cotton.

A penny to a pound that when Nasty Nick returns home his opening line will be,
"Allo Ma"

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by frogstamper

A penny to a pound that when Nasty Nick returns home his opening line will be,
"Allo Ma"

I bet it more likely to be

'Merry Christmas Ma!!'

[Stuart]

Another good episode last night. The Lynch mob is forming, and already they have the wrong person in their sites..

[sk8er_boi6000]

For me, No they haven't gone too far. Although I am not a big fan of soaps, I believe they have dealt with the issue in a responsible manner

[Welshchris]

Weird this, i watched Hollyoaks today for first time in ages, and Tony in that is being done for sleeping with a underage Girl. Both Tony, Both Peados, is there some sort of copying thing going on here?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Welshchris

Weird this, i watched Hollyoaks today for first time in ages, and Tony in that is being done for sleeping with a underage Girl. Both Tony, Both Peados, is there some sort of copying thing going on here?

Err, the Tony in Hollyoaks has been accused of sleeping with an underage girl. He didn't.

The Tony in Eastenders did, repeatedly, from when Whitney was 12.

Anyway, in soaps, you do find that from time to time, they use similar storylines, although Hollyoaks has been known to sensationalise storylines (admittedly they handled an anorexia storyline quite well last year).

Tony in Hollyhoaks I think did sleep with the girl but she collared him in a club and he thought she was older.

Has it actually been made clear that Tony Eastenders actually had sex with Whitney? not totally followed it