Erotic Innocence: The Culture of Child Molesting

by James R. Kincaid

In Erotic Innocence James R. Kincaid explores contemporary America’s preoccupation with stories about the sexual abuse of children. Claiming that our culture has yet to come to terms with the bungled legacy of Victorian sexuality, Kincaid examines how children and images of youth are idealized, fetishized, and eroticized in everyday culture. Evoking the cyclic elements of Gothic narrative, he thoughtfully and convincingly concludes that the only way to break this cycle is to acknowledge—and confront—not only the sensuality of children but the eroticism loaded onto them.
Drawing on a number of wide-ranging and well-publicized cases as well as scandals involving such celebrities as Michael Jackson and Woody Allen, Kincaid looks at issues surrounding children’s testimonies, accusations against priests and day-care centers, and the horrifying yet persistently intriguing rumors of satanic cults and “kiddie porn” rings. In analyzing the particular form of popularity shared by such child stars such Shirley Temple and Macaulay Culkin, he exposes the strategies we have devised to deny our own role in the sexualization of children. Finally, Kincaid reminds us how other forms of abuse inflicted on children—neglect, abandonment, inadequate nutrition, poor education—are often overlooked in favor of the sensationalized sexual abuse coverage in the news, on daytime TV talk shows, and in the elevators and cafeterias of America each day.
This bold and critically enlightened book will interest readers across a wide range of disciplines as well as a larger general audience interested in American culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Sexuality, Psychology, Theory

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1998

About the author

James R. Kincaid is an English Professor masquerading as an author (or the other way around). He’s published two novels (Lost and A History of the African-American People by Strom Thurmond — with Percival Everett). He is also the author of a couple dozen short stories, and ever so many nonfiction articles, reviews, and books, including long studies of Dickens, Trollope, and Tennyson, along with two books on Victorian and modern eroticizing of children: Child-Loving and Erotic Innocence. Kincaid has taught at Ohio State, Colorado, Berkeley, USC, and is now at Pitt.

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and convincing examination of what exactly is going on in terms of our culture and its relationship to children and child molestation.

[Karl Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most brilliant books I've read. The argument that our culture is obsessed with, well, erotic innocence, is convincing and well backed up. And how all the engagement in this question only is about oneself and one's self image, at the expense of, well, you know who. I was almost in tears when Kincaid tells us about the real misery in the US today.

Erotic Innocence is a page-turner. I found it much more exciting (yes!) than his previous book Child-loving, which is more focused on the Victorian roots to our obsession.

Oh, and I love the way he writes. Adding wit where wit does not belong, I assume many think. Which seems to go well with his project. Such a contrast to contemporary academics who think their worth is in their academic prose and not in what they have to say.

Some of the negative reviews of this book well support his thesis, such as "I think he's a pedophile." It's sad that people are so unable to understand an intelligent argument that they resort to the very gut reaction that the whole book is about. Well done, Jimmy K!

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave book and super tough topic to write about without constantly having to self-censure.

[Susanne Clower]

mentioned in nyt mag article "rags to riches stories are actually kind of disturbing"
horatio alger was a pastor, kicked out of his church after accusations of molesting 13 & 15 yr old boys

[Alba M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read years ago, never rated

[Emily]

I realize that my Kincaid to-reads may at first appear to be of a questionable nature. May I point out then, that any night of the week you can turn on the television and watch some form of "catch a predator" show where they set up someone in a chat room to come meet a 13-year-old girl and then arrest them on the scene. Why is this broadcast so often? Because people find it fascinating. I find it intriguing to look into matters (such as the aforementioned) through an intelligent perspective and critical lens absent of moral opinion, allowing the possibilities and exploration of uncomfortable material to flower... Kincaid is a brilliant writer.

[Erendira]

Main HV6570 .K545 1998