While it was hard to imagine that this was the case when we had a more innocent view of the world, one thing that’s become sadly clear in recent years is that the entertainment industry is often not a safe one for children.
Indeed, there’s a reason why so many former child stars look back on their fame with some degree of dread . If it’s not the work schedule that would seem tough even for an adult, there’s also the chance that the child will either be financially exploited or taken advantage of in other ways.
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And at least as far as one man who achieved notoriety as a baby is claiming, that apparently isn’t any less true even after only a brief brush with the industry.
Throughout his life, 30-year-old Spencer Elden has had a complicated relationship with the cover of Nirvana’s 1991 album *Nevermind*.
According to the BBC , he had previously indicated that his place in music history granted him some opportunities as an artist.
But at the same time, he found himself becoming increasingly upset over how his fame came to him.
As he put it, “I go to a baseball game and think about it: ‘Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,’ I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked.”
And now, that seems to describe his feelings on the album cover more than ever as he is now suing the band.
As the BBC reported , he said that his parents never signed a release authorizing the use of his image for the album and further argues that it constitutes sexual exploitation.
In court papers filed in California, he alleged that the cover is responsible for “lifelong damages” he has suffered.
These apparently include “extreme and permanent emotional distress” that has required medical and psychological treatment, as well as “interference with his normal development and educational progress.”
As such, he is now seeking at least $150,000 in damages from each of the 15 defendents named.
These include surviving band members Dave Grohl (right) and Krist Novoselic (not pictured), as well as the managers of Kurt Cobain’s (left) estate and his widow Courtney Love.
Also named in the lawsuit is photographer Kirk Weddle, who was a friend of Elden’s family. According to Elden’s father Rick, Weddle offered $200 to take the famous photo during a pool party for a purpose that wouldn’t become clear until months later.
In the United States, a non-sexualized photo of an infant is generally not considered an illicit image of child sexual exploitation.
Yet it seems that Elden’s attorney Robert Y. Lewis is arguing that the Nevermind cover differs from this convention because the addition of the dollar bill on the fishing line apparently makes the baby seem “like a sex worker.”
His filing also alleges that Nirvana had promised to cover Elden’s genitalia with a sticker and failed to do so.
As Lewis stated, “The images exposed Spencer’s intimate body part and lasciviously displayed Spencer’s genitals from the time he was an infant to the present day.”
h/t: BBC
