Author Joel Williamson shared Elvis kept a group of three 14-year-old girls with him on the tour who were up "for pillow fights, tickling, kissing and cuddling when he was 22.

  • actionjbone@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    91
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    2 months ago

    As disgusting as we see it now, keep in mind that, back then, child marriage was not only condoned but sometimes encouraged in those parts of the Southern U.S.

    We’ll never know if he did it because he had a thing for young girls, or if he did it simply because it was an accepted practice.

    Regardless of why, it’s objectively terrible that he did that.

      • jol@discuss.tchncs.de
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        26
        arrow-down
        12
        ·
        2 months ago

        Age of consent is not the same as age an adult is allowed to be with a minor. Minors should be allowed to consent to have sex, just not with much older people. Laws that prosecute, say, a 19 year old from having sex with a 17 years old, or god forbid two 14 years olds to have sex together, are absolutely draconian.

        • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          51
          ·
          2 months ago

          Actually, that’s exactly what age of consent is. The age at which you’re allowed to do things with an adult of any age.

          Romeo and Juliet (or close in age) exceptions are for the situation you’re describing, and are usually tacked onto age of consent laws as an exception.

          In Canada, there’s a pair of these. At 14 and 15 it’s less than 5 years older, and at 12 and 13 it’s less than 2 years older.

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      Fun fact: there’s no such thing as objective morality. Back in the 1920s people thought it was objectively terrible for Black people to have equal rights.

      • actionjbone@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        I said it was objectively terrible, I didn’t mention morals. :)

        Harming people is terrible, whether or not social morality supports it.

          • actionjbone@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            2 months ago

            No, but it was harmful.

            I’m talking about the objective harm of encouraging underage girls to avoid study and live their lives in the service of older men. There is nothing good that can be said about such a thing. It’s basically indentured servitude.

            • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              2 months ago

              Ok, it wasn’t seen as relatively more harmful than anything else that would cause strain in a young person’s social, educational, and professional growth. Like an overinterest in sports or gambling or books.

              • actionjbone@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                arrow-down
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                2 months ago

                I’m not talking about how it was seen. I’m talking about how it is. There’s a difference.

                Cutting off hands was seen as socially acceptable at certain times in history, if someone was merely accused of theft. But it is horrific and terrible. How it was seen as irrelevant to it being terrible objectively terrible.

                Are you just trolling, or are you actually trying to defend some of that behavior?

                • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  4
                  arrow-down
                  4
                  ·
                  2 months ago

                  I’m not talking about how it was seen. I’m talking about how it is.

                  Ok, have fun with that, because that’s not what I was talking about at all.

                  are you actually trying to defend some of that behavior?

                  Fuck you for trying to win internet points by trying to paint someone as agreeing with pedophilia. It’s fucking disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself.