On Sept. 20, Rihanna tweeted to some 32 million followers about a female performer from an illegal sex show she attended in Phuket, Thailand. Thai officials say they used Rihanna’s tweets to help lead them to the arrest of the club’s owner.
Christian Film & Television Commission founder Ted Baehr says many times the female performers are abused and that Rihanna’s tweet should cause outrage.
“Most times these female performers are held in captivity against their will, and most are sold into slavery at young ages and don’t live past the age of 20 because of working conditions and highly-addictive drugs used to keep them in slavery,” he says.
This was the third time Rihanna’s tweets have resulted in an arrest by Thai police in just three weeks. Two other men were arrested last month after the singer posted a photo of herself and a slow loris, which is a protected primate, on Instagram and Twitter.
According to the FBI, child pornography is the fastest-growing segment of America’s $13 billion porn industry, generating more revenue than the NFL, according to Cedars Cultural and Education Foundation, an entity committed to protecting women and children from trafficking and abduction.
“The numbers show supply and demand. When there is a disregard for the value of human life as a cultural worldview, we will see a rise in crime as the result,” explains Baehr.
While many celebrities—including Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Salma Hayek—are advocates of protecting, empowering and educating women around the world, Baehr says it is discouraging that Rihanna is supporting the international sex trade.
The only outrage about Rihanna’s recent behavior is from animal activists around the world about the misuse of exotic animals.
“It’s not a victimless crime,” Baehr soberly states. “And in this case, Rihanna is the perpetrator.”
Movieguide has found from years of research and analysis in mass media that celebrities have a direct effect on the culture and behavior of American youth.
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