Re: deep subject, one of my favoritesfranmyrJuly 8 2006, 22:38:34 UTC
First of all, I love the Cake women website. This is just absolutely awesome. Sexuality AND self respect?? Who would have thought?
Here's the thing. I don't think you and I are as far apart as you might think, on this subject. I tend to support any woman that makes well-informed choices and follows her heart AND intellect. If that means writing a novel, becoming an attorney, or taking up erotic dance, I'm all for it. (Personally, I prefer belly dancing. It's a great workout.) I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not anti-sexuality, here. Additionally, I would never be pro-censorship, because I value freedom of expression too damned much.
You make some great points about pornography being economically driven. Porn is a reflection of what will sell, and in this business, fantasy is what sells. What if the fantasy IS exploitation, though? (Such as depictions of 'those dirty, stupid whores getting what they deserve...' and the like.) Where does the depiction become a harmful reinforcement of female subjugation? Porn is a reflection of what is already present, but isn't it also a driving force?
It IS unfair to assume that all women and men acting in porn movies are doing so because they do not have better opportunities. It undermines the view that people are responsible for their choices and thier actions, and I'm really not a fan of the entire victim mentality that seems prevalent in our society. However, there is a subset of the porn business that does capitalize on women who ARE in dire circumstances, where freely informed choice does not really, truly exist. Can we sit back and allow that to happen? I know I seem awfully maternalistic here, but isn't there a point when we have a duty to protect those who are obviously being exploited? Where does that kick in? I really have no idea what the answer to this question is, but it seems like an important question to mull over.
"And why is it that the depiction of women in porn is considered what men want and the male characterization of female sexuality? Why is that always the assumption?"
I'll admit that I probably should not have characterized this debate as strictly male vs. female. However, I think that pornography especially is a male dominated business, and that a majority of pornography, self admittedly, caters to heterosexual male desire. This may be a point where I'm ignorant, however in my experiences with porn, it is rare to find a friendly female perspective.
On a lighter note, I never thought that the man-boob thing of yours was a fetish. I always thought it was a mixture of horror and fascination. :)
Here's the thing. I don't think you and I are as far apart as you might think, on this subject. I tend to support any woman that makes well-informed choices and follows her heart AND intellect. If that means writing a novel, becoming an attorney, or taking up erotic dance, I'm all for it. (Personally, I prefer belly dancing. It's a great workout.) I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not anti-sexuality, here. Additionally, I would never be pro-censorship, because I value freedom of expression too damned much.
You make some great points about pornography being economically driven. Porn is a reflection of what will sell, and in this business, fantasy is what sells. What if the fantasy IS exploitation, though? (Such as depictions of 'those dirty, stupid whores getting what they deserve...' and the like.) Where does the depiction become a harmful reinforcement of female subjugation? Porn is a reflection of what is already present, but isn't it also a driving force?
It IS unfair to assume that all women and men acting in porn movies are doing so because they do not have better opportunities. It undermines the view that people are responsible for their choices and thier actions, and I'm really not a fan of the entire victim mentality that seems prevalent in our society. However, there is a subset of the porn business that does capitalize on women who ARE in dire circumstances, where freely informed choice does not really, truly exist. Can we sit back and allow that to happen? I know I seem awfully maternalistic here, but isn't there a point when we have a duty to protect those who are obviously being exploited? Where does that kick in? I really have no idea what the answer to this question is, but it seems like an important question to mull over.
"And why is it that the depiction of women in porn is considered what men want and the male characterization of female sexuality? Why is that always the assumption?"
I'll admit that I probably should not have characterized this debate as strictly male vs. female. However, I think that pornography especially is a male dominated business, and that a majority of pornography, self admittedly, caters to heterosexual male desire. This may be a point where I'm ignorant, however in my experiences with porn, it is rare to find a friendly female perspective.
On a lighter note, I never thought that the man-boob thing of yours was a fetish. I always thought it was a mixture of horror and fascination. :)
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