It was all a joke. Only nobody’s laughing. An Australian woman is in deep trouble after putting her kids up for auction on eBay. The ad featured photos and a description of her son and daughter, both under 10.
After a few people placed bids, concerned eBay users contacted police. The woman took the ad down and explained to investigators it was only a joke that her kids were totally in on.
Now she needs to answer to the Department of Human Services, who are conducting an investigation, as well as thousands of outraged parents who consider the ad unfunny.
“People…do try to get information on kids and one of the concerns of doing something like this is it will attract pedophiles,” Kevin Zibell, a child and family welfare director said. “I think the disturbing thing is that it devalues our children and it’s not the right message to send to anyone, whether it’s a joke or not.”
But was it really a joke? If it was, it wouldn’t be the first on eBay, a hotbed for irony and performance art. Remember when someone sold their soul? Then there was the mom who auctioned off the right to name her unborn child, and the guy who tried to sell a ghost. The internet still possesses a second life quality: things that happen online don’t always feel like they’re happening in real life, even if your reach is exponential. And with that in mind, there’s little control over your audience, especially when you’re broadcasting photos of your underage kids to the world.
Even if it was all attempt at humor, it’s that rare kind of joke that’s not funny because it’s true. People do sell kids all the time, even their own. Earlier this month, a homeless woman in Washington state was arrested at a Taco Bell after she was caught trying to sell her 3 day-old-son for $500. In this case, child protective services took over custody of the baby and the woman is now behind bars.
