Ok, let’s face it, people: John Corabi is cool AF! The man is a stellar musician, past long-haul trucker (so cool!), and a total saint for enduring the Motley years due to the fans’ fickle behavior towards him. And, at 64 years of age, the man looks good…damn good! Check him out here. And to top all of this, he has a new book called Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Pre-order it now.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the Motley song “Uncle Jack” is about Corabi’s uncle, who died in prison as a pedophile. Uncle Jack molested not only Corabi’s siblings, but some other (non-family) children, which is what landed him a free pass to the state penitentiary.
Uncle Jack’s behavior disgusted Corabi, as well as Sixx, Lee, and Mars, which was the catalyst for the Crue song. And unfortunately, the Motley fans of the mid-90s didn’t really get it, or support the song. We were too busy focusing on Vince Neil’s absence and the need to hear the Motley party songs for us to be remotely interested in any sort of social consciousness that brought awareness to the more important issues like child molestation, sexual trafficking, and the like. Our loss. Totally.
But today, we live in a society where, according to the FBI, we have reached an almost “epidemic level” of twisted-as-fuck sexual fascination with children (these are my expert descriptors, not the FBI’s…in case there was any confusion). According to reports, hundreds of children are sold for sex every night, and people from all walks of life are engaged in child pornography and exploitation. And according to the FBI, the vast majority of children trafficked in the United States today are not Mexican or Central American, but plain old American.
What is pedophilia? It is a consistent attraction (six months or longer) to pre-pubertal (13 years and younger) children. It is termed “paraphilia”…a condition where a person’s sexual arousal and gratification depends on activities, objects, and situations that are considered atypical.
And here is what I found out about the psychology surrounding pedophilia in today’s society: Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
There is not a lot of info out there because the stigma does not permit people to self-identify. According to Psychology Today, the prevalence of pedophilia ranges from one percent to five percent of the male population, and the percentage of involved women is significantly less.
Here is what we do know: Children who feel neglected or lonely are at higher risk for sexual abuse.
If you are the legal guardian of a child, you need to take the responsibility seriously. Very seriously. The most valuable emotional aspect you can contribute to a child’s life is spending quality time with him or her. And to avoid any confusion, quality time does not entail everyone being under the same roof, but in separate rooms doing their own thing, like watching YouTube videos or sexting with a love interest.
Quality time means listening more and talking less, way less. This is not the time for lectures or life lessons, but rather getting to know your kid. Kicking around the soccer ball or playing with make-up and asking questions about school, friends, extracurriculars, etc. is an example of quality time. Going for a hike, doing yardwork, washing dishes, or walking the dog with your kid is a perfect time to connect.
Adolescents are more comfortable sharing with adults when engaged in an activity where the sole focus is not on the teenager. Therefore, it’s best to connect with a teen while doing chores or engaging in outdoor activities, as opposed to talking with the kid in the car, or in his or her room where there isn’t much physical distraction.
Standing ovation to Corabi for trying to enlighten us about a social situation that has just gotten much worse with time. It's unfortunate that we didn't understand what we were hearing, but now is the time to start listening.
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