Klara and Edda Belly-Dancing deemed child pornography

I think it's rediculous that Elton John get's away with this. He is an inteligent man, who know's right from wrong - he know's this is not Art. Along with the artits.... should be thrown in Jail. DP - Edinburgh

why is this woman not being prosecuted? could it be because of her fame or connections? these people always push it. she knew this was unexceptable and so did john.

I don't get it. There is no point whatsoever in showing anyone this picture. I agree it's pornographic and should be removed completely. How can anyone possibly consider this are???

I can hopefully say that I am open minded and go through life teaching my childcren the same values but in this instant this picture is too revealing. If the child had some clothing on (even just panties) then I would see it as childhood fun. I have children and let me tell you wrangling them to get dressed is a challenge but I wouldn't want my child to be seen like this.

When I heard about all of the commotion caused by this picture I wondered what the problem could possibly be. Now I see the problem. This is obscene and there is no reason for any child to be photographed in this manner. Shame on Nan Goldin and Elton John. This is wonderful material for all of the perverts and pedophiles lurking about. Disgusting. If the naked child had panties or clothing on I wouldn't feel this way, but she is laying prone and displaying everything private. Not in good taste at all.

I consider a lot of things to be art that many people would'nt, so when I read this story I wanted to see what the picture looked like to figure out what the big deal was... well let me tell you, that is not art and it is a big deal. I have pictures of my kids running around in diapers or in their underwear with blankets on like capes but who in their right mind would take a picture like this in the first place and then call it art and display it places... THEN SELL IT!!! This picture is perverted and way to revealing.

Yes, oh yes! Look at the responses to realize the true judgment. People who treasure and protect children are appalled and the pedophiles are trying to find the video! This is a woman photographer! Is she a mother? And if she is-what kind of mother is she to think that this photograph is art. Where does she draw the moral, safe line with her own children! If she wanted to publicly display a vagina, why didn't she display her own and not a child! She is also a pervert! She's proven it by profiting from lude and sexually explicit photographs of innocent children. God forbid there is a public video! Even Hugh Heffner uses only consenting adults! Is she so different from Chet Stiles? They both sexually used innocent children for their own personal pleasure and gains!

P.S. It is not just the splayed open view of the naked little girls' intimate-private (Yes! key words "Intimate and Private") parts but that she is underneath and between the legs of an of another little girl imitating a very erotic adult dance. This may be cute to a loving parent but should never have been made "Public"! That is what made it "Imorale"! Though I taught my children how to dance but I left the belly dancing till their Teens and they were dressed! And their cutsie childhood pictures are for mine and their embarassing memories only!

P.S.S. Would you want own your children "Publicly Displayed Like This?"

OMG I WOULDNT EVEN TAK A PICTURE OF MY CHILD LIKE THAT JUST PLAYING WHY DID SHE NOT HAVE ANY PANTIES ON , BECAUSE THEY WERE CLEARLY STAGED THIS WAY , SHAME ON ALL OF YOU INVOLVED GOD HELP US ALL

SICK PORN...exploiting a child. this is NOT ART. the woman is seeking attention & nothing more. it's not even a good photo....SHE SUCKS. that poor little girl, innocent & just having fun. THIS IS SICK, and NOTHING at all related to ART. shame on humans.

I believe that something can be seen as pornographic based on the viewer's perception of the image. What, exactly, makes this photo erotic? Personally, there is nothing about a naked child that is sexual to me. If you think it is, maybe you're the one with the issue.

Yes, oh yes. That is the issue!  The view of some-one else outside of our own small selves! In this day and age of our innocent children being the prey and sacrifice of the wicked and depraved, shouldn't we do everything we can to protect them from "Their" wicked, perverted view??? Not Allow or Promote that Perverted View!!! There is also an-other point that should be noticed... Due to the uncaring acts of "Nan Goldin and Elton John"... These little innocent girls are now and forever "Branded" in public view. These little girls' innocence swept away for adult gain! Their names, their faces, their posturing, their bodies now known to the world to be forever associated with this view of them for the rest of their lives! Just like that of that poor little girl "Darren Tuck"! Why do you think most children, who are victims of Crime, names and faces are not made public??? To PROTECT The INNOCENT!   "Darren Tuck" needed to be done to receive public help, (but even the police did not post the actual video film itself- only enough to identify her face and age) but these 2 little girls' results were the choice of "Nan Goldin and Elton John".     Where is the  "Protection" for these little girls? Look outside of yourself a moment. Into the real world view. What does this photograph say? It says look! It says this must be okay because "We are calling it ART"! We as a caring public need to say NO, Stop! Even Hugh Heffner uses only consenting adults in  his "ART" ! Even to post his pictures publicly - he is required to have public approval and then only with strict rules that must be adhered to by LAW, by all involved! Where is the childrens' approval? -They are not old enough to consent! They are not able to know the effect of this public view of themselves!!! Especially of the long term effect on themselves!!!  As I said before... Yes, oh yes! Look at the responses to realize the true judgment. People who treasure and protect children are appalled and the pedophiles are trying to find the video! "Nan Goldin and Elton John" did not care about the results of their actions, on These and All Children!  Especially the results on these 2 little girls, and they need to answer for them!    "Nan Goldin and Elton John" put these childrens' Innocence in Harms Way! And the Officials that now sit in Judgment of imoral/indecient view! Would they want their own children seen by the general public, Like This???? This photograph depicts these children in an adult view and that is WRONG and Harmful to These and All Children! What wicked adult that views this photo - won't have this image in their minds' eye when they view other children in public??? Maybe your own child...Maybe your own neighbor...       Would you want own your children "Publicly Viewed Like This?" The matter of this photograph goes -in reality goes Way Beyond One Individuals' View!!! That very protection is what we as a Caring, Responsible Adults are trying to do, by Protesting this and all Subject Matter like this!!!! Not to allow any child be viewed, even possibly, as a sexual view!!!! Step outside yourself and look at the public harm this does!! WHERE would it STOP??? "Live and Let Live" does not work here because it is really a matter of "Live and Let Die"! Do we as a society turn our heads and just let a Childs‘innocence die? Maybe just certain children? Our Duty is to protect the children - who are (as a race of human beings) our only true gift of ourselves - the children who are our next generation of adults!!!! Do we let them be damaged and sacrificed??? Yes, Damaged and Sacrificed!!! I Know. I was a child victim. Everyway imaginable. My siblings at that time were not touched with the same harm but they still suffered, and even tried to protect me (imagine children protecting another child because the adults wouldn't) because I suffered and they even begged me to take them with me when I fled.  I thought they would be safer when I would no longer be there. But I was wrong, for when I left, the adults turned on them!  I had escaped but they were still trapped!  So I stopped the adults by reporting them! I (still a child) had to protect the children because the adults wouldn't!  But to any one who knew - I and my siblings were damaged goods! But WE were really Outraged that no adult stepped up to protect and save us! So I know that this doesn't stop till some-one stops it! That very protection is what we as a Caring, Responsible Adults are Supposed to do! Not just for ourselves, but for all!!! Here is a Question for you to ponder... We have Crossing Guards responsible for getting our children safely across the street, not because we as parents haven't taught them the rules of the child's own crossing safety but to stop other drivers who may be careless and uncaring of any childs' safety crossing those streets! Do we as a parent's say that I cross my own children, so the Crossing Guards for all children, are not necessary???

P.S. Who in their Right mind, who may have any caring at all for children, have children do a adult erotic, sexual dance, and that is what "Belly Dancing" is(go ahead and look it up), especially Naked! Take a photograph of it and then to make it worse, sell it to some-one else and that person publicly display it for their own personal gratification??? Don’t the bare facts sound a lot like child pornography??? Even pedophiles say that "they - themselves", "Love" children and they don't stop till some-one else stops them!!!

goodness, perhaps instead of using INFLAMMATORY SPEECH IN ALL CAPITALS and a lot of exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!! or question marks???? we could all avoid being foolish and perhaps recognize that nudity is not the same as pornography, and that as this was made in the USA, it is perfectly legal for a photographer to create non-sexual (although nude) art. if you see this as somehow sexually exciting...perhaps you are the one with the problem. i would recommend therapy

Nothing wrong with this picure!

I think you people have some weird notions. After all, we're all born naked. I'm sure we've all seen ourselves naked. And honestly theres nothing harmful in it. You're equating nudity with child abuse for some reason.

tantan,  Oh so sorry that the INFLAMMATORY SPEECH IN ALL CAPITALS and a lot of exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!! or question marks????  were just too much for you, after all we did not realize that we were writing our opinions and knowledge just for your comfort alone.

And about your comment that as this was made in the USA, it is perfectly legal for a photographer to create non-sexual (although nude) art, Ah yes, sex sells is the advertising religion.  There are child protection laws of child pornography that this photo really fits and is probably why it was not displayed in the United States.

So sorry that you or the following posters' have so narrow a view that you can not differentiate the difference between natural, lovely, sweet nudity and blatant sexuality.

But I thought that we did mention That is the issue is the view of some-one else outside of our own small selves!

And as for the stupid comment of seeking therapy, what makes you think that we didn't already go through therapy for survivors?

And that is how we can know that this photo is wrong!

Attention lawd : equating nudity with child abuse, is not the issue I was speaking of. Pornography and the implications of what should our children be protected from and why, is what I was speaking of.  I apologize for confusing you.

But honestly I can tell that you did not get a chance to read all the other prior posts that are not longer here, as I did.  But I did notice that while many, many other posts have by now, have been deleted, some others and mine are still there. Hmm, imagine that.

The issue was is this art or pornography?

I was simply pointing out all the reasons I saw that this is not Art but is in fact Pornography.

Is this simple enough for you now?

PS : Children are hurt everyday by people who do not think that there is anything wrong with how they are dealing with the children. I suppose you agree with those people as well. Do remember that these are children that can not stand up for themselves and have no rights for what they think is right and wrong.

No, is not porn. If you see a picture of a male kid naked, you will always see his penis and testicles, this is the same, is a vagina (actually, just the vulva). This is how the human body looks like, with legs wide open or with mouth wide open or whatever, is just the human body, and its beautiful. If you believe this is porn is because you are trying to see something else where there is nothing but a child playing.

No, is not porn. If you see a picture of a male kid naked, you will always see his penis and testicles, this is the same, is a vagina (actually, just the vulva). This is how the human body looks like, with legs wide open or with mouth wide open or whatever, is just the human body, and its beautiful. If you believe this is porn is because you are trying to see something else where there is nothing but a child playing.

Hey...You cannot publicly show such pictures.

Yeah ; ) this is an awsome picture of 2 beautiful semi naked childeren playing with each other. I love masterbating to this kind of thing all the time. : )

What an irony! If it were not for the sick-minded perverts that thought that this photograph was somehow unnatural and pornographic, the world would not have known about it; I would not have had to look it up to see what all the fuss was about; paedophiles would not know of its existence (I don’t think they go to art galleries on the off chance that there will; be a photograph of a naked child); and I wouldn’t be so pissed off with your sad, narrow-minded attitudes to nudity. Yes, you are the perverts. Not the people who find nude photography aesthetically pleasing. Go to museums and art galleries around the world and you will see plenty of images of naked children – paintings and sculpture. This is not porn! This does not involve a child engaging in sexual activity. The child has not been made to pose for sexual gratification. It is about children at play. And, BTW, I know a number of belly-dances that will definitely argue with you about it being a erotic and sexual dance form. Belly dancing is about empowering women. It is a form of keep fit for women. So put your filthy little minds away.