MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Action Against Violence and Exploitation (ACTVE), the Center for Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA), Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Kindernothilfe, Mission Alliance, Bagong Kamalayan Survivors Collective, Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality (YSAGE) and Buklod strongly denounce the deeply disturbing recent depiction in the series Euphoria (HBO Max) involving an adult actress utilizing infant accessories, specifically “binkies” or pacifiers, in a sexualized and “creepy” context. We firmly denounce the normalization of infant-related motifs within sexualized and dehumanizing narratives.

The use of objects intrinsically tied to infancy and early childhood in sexually provocative settings is not merely a “stylistic choice” or “edgy” character development. It is a dangerous blurring of boundaries that contributes to he fetishization of childhood. By associating the vulnerability and innocence of a baby with sexualization and pornification, the entertainment industry risks desensitizing the public to the gravity of child exploitation which was the intent of Jeffrey Epstein’s machinery.

Our concerns are centered on three primary issues:

1. The Erosion of Childhood Boundaries: Pacifiers, bottles, and other infant items are symbols of dependency and protection. Utilizing them in a sexual context strips these items of their protective meaning and replaces it with a harmful and eroticized subtext.
2. Harmful Cultural Influence: Visual media has a profound impact on cultural norms. When high-profile people, series and actors, such as the cabal of Epstein, engage in these tropes, it validates “age-play” and infantilization aesthetics which can provide a cultural cover for more predatory behaviors.
3. The Responsibility and Accountability of Content Creators: Producers and actors have a moral obligation to consider the psychological and societal implications of the imagery they propagate. Shock value should never take precedence over the protection of, and safety of both children and women, especially young women.

We call upon creators, studios, and social media platforms to recognize the harmful implications of this trend. We must uphold a clear and unyielding call for accountability in such cases. The sexualization of childhood, in any form, including through the use of infant props by adults, is unacceptable and must be challenged by a society committed to the safety and dignity of its children.

Signed:

Action Against Violence and Exploitation (ACTVE)

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATW-AP)

Center for Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA)

Kindernothilfe

Mission Alliance

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