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Original poster

Eastenders Whitney and Tony

70 replies

LaylaandSethsmum · 15/09/2008 20:25

OK they are having it off from what I can gather but what is their relationship? She isn't Bianca's daughter is she?

OP posts:

meemar · 16/09/2008 12:59

I agree with that MrsMattie. Soaps aren't great at doing these things subtley.

I think though, there will be people watching who believe that, as Whitney is 15, what is happening to her doesnt really count as child abuse.

I think the reason they are hammering points like that home in an obvious and crass way, is to say to people "Look this man is a paedophile", rather than letting people think that he's just a man having an affair with a sexually confident teenager.

Aitch · 16/09/2008 13:17

i'm sure all this will come out in the wash. if i was writing the script in the longer term i might have him begin abandon whitney and fix his attentions on tiffany... cue big reveal when whitney fights for his affection/realises what he's done.

meemar · 16/09/2008 13:32

I think the problem is Aitch, with it being a soap, viewers would find him going for Tiffany too unpalatable. Although I did think last night that they may go down that route.

The last time eastenders tackled child sex abuse it was with the Kat and Zoe story, and again we heard that Kat was raped as a teenager. I think it's just too taboo for them to go any younger.

The sad thing is that somehow it seems more bearable to hear about older girls/teenagers being abused.

Aitch · 16/09/2008 13:36

all we can do is wait and see, meemar. this is only the second episode where he's been back, the little mo storyline developed over 18 months. perhaps the palatable 15 year-old is a gateway into the less palatable, who knows?

Monkeytrousers · 16/09/2008 16:24

lol Bundle, I have a job and a child, I'm not avdoid ing answering.

And I'm not saying it isn't abuse, just that he isn't a paedophile - are 15 year old boys paedophiiles for finding 15 year old girls sexually attarctive? No. They are if they find 9 year old girls sexually attractive.

Medical definition of pedophilia

or even more bluntly;Sex or sexual activity with children who have not reached puberty." medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/paedophile

bananaknickers · 16/09/2008 16:30

Didn't Bianca have a thing with her mum's boyfriend, years ago. It was before her mum met the boyfriend, but I thought she was under age too.

bananaknickers · 16/09/2008 16:37

sorry this has already been mentioned .

I wonder when it all comes out if Bianca will handle it well. I hope she dosen't turn on Whitney and is supportive.

Aitch · 16/09/2008 16:51

'kay, mt, just you wait. they'll clear this up by having him being attracted to younger kids, mark my words.

meemar · 16/09/2008 17:22

but monkeytrousers, they are alluding heavily to the idea that this started when she was 12. All of the (not so subtle) references to her hair ribbons, the fact he doesn't like her wearing make up, the fact he said 'i like you in your school uniform', and him looking at the picture of her as a child pretty much spells out that the writers want you to know he is a paedophile.

Just because whitney is 15 now it doesn't mean that he is not.

Of course a 15 year old boy having sex with a 15 year old girl is not the same thing. But this is clearly not that.

Monkeytrousers · 16/09/2008 17:25

Well if he is my pedantic slant will be salved

FioFio · 16/09/2008 17:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Aitch · 16/09/2008 17:36

i do know what you mean, btw, mt. i just have faith in EE, that's all. not corrie. someone i know advised them on ectopic pg and nevertheless when violet had hers it was all SHE'S INFERTILE!!! (which they then forgot all about when they got her pg in two weeks with Sean's baby. )

Aitch · 16/09/2008 17:37

do think that the ee storyline will stand or fall by the performances of the two actors. that girl has a lot on her shoulders. bet the character dials back the lippie etc.

Monkeytrousers · 16/09/2008 21:21

GG? He is. Whatever he says to journos and they decide to disseminate. He had a history long before he went abroad. Just becasue he has had sex with people post puberty doesn't mean that he hasn't abused those pre puberty.

Anyway, I don't make the rules. I am not exusing paedophilia - just expecting a bit of clairity from people who should know better. I'm just one of those idiots who thinks that the truth empowers you.

FioFio · 17/09/2008 08:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Monkeytrousers · 22/09/2008 01:55

Just got a chance to catch up Fio - will get back to this tomorrow

Monkeytrousers · 22/09/2008 17:30

I dunno what you mean by my 'opinion' Fio - my personal opinion would be pretty much the same ans anyones. The fact that he isn;t technically a paedophile isn't anything to do with my opinion, iyswim, which would be that he was a pretty dodgy person to do what he was doing - if he was real that is.

Interestingly there was a letter in the Guardian about last weeks piece on this by some one who was praising the story line and said that their stepfather had abused them between the ages of 5 and 13. The fact that he apparently stopped the abuse when she hit puberty would point to him being a bonefide paedophile.

I just don;t know what confusing messages caling a man (a slimeball by any description) a paedophile when he isn;t.

Some 15 year olds are fully developed physically and men of all ages will have their eye turned by that. Is Eastenders saying that that is paedphilia, becasue there will be a lot of very confused men out there watching if they are.

But I am only talking of having your head turned not acting on that.

wishes · 14/02/2009 00:47

Eastenders is saying that below the age of consent, it is rape. And regardless of puberty, Tony is a parent figure, and Whitney is a child, therefore it is paedophilia, breasts or no breasts. What is confusing about that?

If there are men out there whose heads are turned by fifteen-year-olds, they have a problem, and should seek help.

ThumbLoveWitch · 14/02/2009 00:55

there is apparently no legal definition of a paedophile. But sex with underage girls is illegal; and 12 seems a perfectly reasonable age to call it paedophilia, especially as Tony started to lose interest as soon as Whitney was reaching the legal age for sex, and turned to a younger girl (Lauren) who is considerably less well-developed/physically advanced than Whitney.

I'm sure men get their heads turned by 15yo girls - most of them never really grow out of being 15yo boys themselves - but it's what they DO about it that matters. Most men DON'T do anything - the ones who do are the ones who have the problem.

Melscorp · 14/02/2009 15:00

I couldn't agree more wished and ThumbLoveWitch.

Let us say for argument sake the fifteen year old looks older, as soon as the man finds out that she is below the age of consent he should walk away. There are many men out there who think that there is nothing wrong with having a sexual relationship with a young girl. As for the deviants that look at "children" and find them sexually attractive....I don't think I would be allowed to type what I wish would happen to them!!!

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