Netflix 'Stranger Things' all-child cast is sexualised in a raft of new media  

"TV is sexier than ever" with 13-year-old child actor Milly Bobby Brown, who has "turned it up" in the words of recent media reports.

The fine line between sophistication and sexy. The Feed's Andy Park takes a look at how children and sexuality are portrayed in the images we consume and finds that standards are fluid. And they are changing fast.

Every day, everywhere, we are saturated with images of sexuality. Buy this. Click here. Like us.
 
But where these images become taboo is at the fringes of what we find acceptable. Especially when they involve children.

Julie Willis is a Gold Coast based photographer who specialises in photographing children from newborns right up to teenagers.

Many of the children Julie photographs are destined to be featured in magazines and advertising.

She says working with mothers who allow their children to model at an early age can sometimes have its challenges.

But it's the reaction to images of children that are viewed by some as sexual, that she can't understand.

"For me, I don't live in world where I look at children in that way or that kind of thing," says Julie. "I think it's people's interpretation of their own childhood, their own life, and whether they've got that disposition within their own upbringing that triggered something."

So is it all about our subjective view or can you draw some more objective standards on what is, and what is not, appropriate for children in media and advertising?

First let's look at how things have changed.

In the 1960s products still very much reflected social attitudes of the day. Barbie was in the kitchen, Ken was looking sporty.

But then suddenly something happened. We changed and Mattel released a new doll.

Collective Shout's co founder Melinda Tankard Reist joins a panel of experts and two young people to discuss the harms of pornography

It is hard enough for women to love the skin we're in when we are bombarded daily with advertisements sending us the message we have to be hot, thin and sexy. Pornified images have become the wallpaper of society and too often the media pushes one single narrow stereotype of how women should look. 

Celebrities face an even greater amount of scrutiny, being followed by the paparazzi at every turn, constantly feeling on show and being devoured for simply doing the grocery shopping.

But in a brilliant take down Jennifer Aniston has hit back - penning her own reply to the media on The Huffington Post. 

Last night I attended a special preview screening of Taryn Brumfitt's new film Embrace. Throughout the film Taryn travels the world to interview an impressive range of women about their attitudes to their bodies including Adelaide researcher Professor Marika Tiggemann; UK talk show host/photographer Amanda de Cadenet; body confidence activist Harnaam Kaur; motivational speaker Turia Pitt and Collective Shout co-founder Melinda Tankard Reist. 

What would you do if you found this flyer on your car?

Adelaide resident Rebekah Reilly had heard about Adelaide's "Bikini Massage" parlour and like many residents, was concerned about the nature of the business and the explicit shop front advertising.

When visiting a local shopping centre, Rebekah found that the business had distributed hundreds of flyers to cars in the car park. The flyers featured explicit images and text advertising "bikini massage" services and recruiting "girls" for employment. The flyers were removed by Castle Plaza Shopping centre management following complaints from shoppers.

Lydia Jade Turner, a member of the Collective Shout team and Co-director of BodyMatters Australasia appeared on The Morning Show to discuss a proposed Photoshop 'ratings system.'

Melinda Tankard Reist appeared on web program the Gruen sessions. Melinda did a great job of challenging the sexist and objectifying portrayal of women in advertising. You can watch the video at the following link. It goes for about half an hour and is worth taking the time to watch.

Visit the link and select "portrayal of women in advertising" from the menu. Video no longer available.

The Gruen Sessions - portrayal of women in advertising.