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Perspectives on Pornography and Erotica: Nudes, Prudes, and Attitudes

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Perspectives on Pornography and Erotica: Nudes, Prudes, and Attitudes Perspectives on Pornography and Erotica: Nudes, Prudes, and Attitudes Sarah-Margaret Campbell A Thesis In the Department of Sociology and Anthropology Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada March, 2012 © Margaret Campbell, 2012 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Margaret Campbell Entitled: Perspectives on Pornography and Erotica: Nudes, Prudes, and Attitudes and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Sociology) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Dr. Beverly Best Chair Dr. Peter Weeks Examiner Dr. Katja Neves Examiner Dr. Anthony Synnott Supervisor Approved by ________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director _________________________________________________ Dean of Faculty Date ________________________________________________ ! ii ! ! ABSTRACT Perspectives on Pornography and Erotica: Nudes, Prudes, and Attitudes Margaret Campbell The study of the multi-billion dollar industries of pornography and erotica, known in the academy as ‘Porn Studies’, has recently been revised with contributions from authors such as Linda Williams, Debbie Nathan, Gail Dines, Pamela Paul, Harry Brod, Bernard Arcand, and Joseph Slade. Previous to this paradigm shift in theorizing about pornography and erotica, arguments made by authors such as Andrea Dworkin, Catherine MacKinnon, Robin Morgan, Susan Brownmiller, and others traditionally discussed pornography in terms of a pro-censorship anti-pornography dualist framework. The last three decades have witnessed a paradigm shift as feminists and gender theorists have reexamined pornography and erotica and anti-porn proponents such as Susan Brownmiller began to question their earlier positions and even validated pornography with a cost-benefit equation on the individuals. This thesis reviews the more traditional perspectives as well as the influx of new perspectives on pornography and erotica. This research project is not solely about pornography and erotica. This project examines the history of sexual representation and the changing cultural and technological landscape of values, relationships, sex, our bodies, and the wider ‘pornification’ of society as proposed by author Pamela Paul. This work provides a detailed literature review of relevant sources and a historical examination of representations of sex in ‘restricted’ or taboo genres such as pornography and erotica, as well as mainstream media and classical art. The nature of this research is not evaluative and does not rely on participant interviews. However interviews with a convenient sample indicate a range of reactions to pornography. While most of this thesis explores the debates about pornography, and erotica, I did informal, interviews with seven individuals — whose take on Internet pornography added some value to the “expert” testimony and a range of values and perspectives. This research provides readers with comprehensive information on pornography and erotica, so that they may make a decision about how to deal with pornography and the so-called ‘pornification’ of society. iii ! ! ACKNOWLDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many persons who very generously contributed to this project. I would like to express my foremost appreciation to Dr. Anthony Synnott, whose encouragement, guidance, expertise, and continual support proved to be inspiring and invaluable. Special thanks to my readers and committee members for whose questions and comments I am very grateful. I am ever thankful to my parents, Vernon and Bertha of New London, Prince Edward Island. Many thanks to the friends and family who let me talk endlessly about this project and those who have supported me throughout this process. My sincere gratitude goes out to past professors who have inspired me, both at Saint Thomas University and here at Concordia University. This project is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. John McKendy who truly believed that “another world is not only possible, but she’s on the way”. iv ! ! TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………… 1 1. A SHORT HISTORY OF PORNOGRAPHY………………………………………. 10 2. PERSPECTIVES ON PORNOGRAPHY…………………………………………… 36 3. PORNOGRAPHY AND THE POWER OF LAW ………………………………… 68 4. THE FUTURE OF PORN…………………………………………………………… 74 5. PARAPHILLIAS AND FETISHES ………………………………………………… 89 5. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………129 v ! ! Introduction “The attempt to define pornography is a trick question, since essentially no thing exists. It is only naming the thing that creates it. The naming of pornography separated representations of sex from everyday life.” —Fenton Bailey “Art and pornography are caught in a cycle of reciprocal definition, in which each depends on the other for its meaning, significance and status.” — Lynda Nead This thesis is not solely about pornography and erotica. This thesis is about the history of sexual representation, technology, values, relationships, sex, our bodies, and how we become who we are sexually. My intention here is to provide a non-evaluative exploration of pornography from multiple perspectives. I will investigate assumptions regarding sexual representation and argue for a less dogmatic and more contextual approach to understanding pornography and erotica. As opposed to answering a single research question, my research seeks to provide an overview of the many facets of pornography and erotica. This research project relies upon the conflicting theories, thoughts, and opinions of other researchers and is not based on participant interviews. My research does not condemn or commend pornography but instead provides an introduction to the rapidly growing discipline of ‘Porn Studies’. Defining Pornography and Erotica How do we define what is pornographic and what is erotic? What is pornographic? What is erotic? Are the terms synonymous? Can’t the pornographic be 1 ! ! erotic and the erotic pornographic? What some may consider pornographic, others may consider erotic and vise versa; opinions vary and beliefs are different. The only consensus on the definition of pornography and erotica seems to be the lack of consensus. Etymology is a start to finding consensus and from the history of these words we can learn a great deal. Pornography is from the Greek word pornos (prostitute) and graphos (to write), meaning to write about prostitutes. Erotic is also from the Greek: Eros was the god of (sexual) love, and was later transformed by the Romans into Cupid, associated with desire and love, well known-for his arrows of love. The term “pornographie” was used in the French language during the early 1800’s but the word “pornography” did not enter the English language as the familiar conjunction that it is until 1857. An early British medical dictionary defined pornography as “a description of prostitutes or of prostitution, as a matter of public hygiene” (Kendrick, 1987:1). Etymologically the distinction between pornography and erotica is fairly clear: it is that between sex and love, the physical and the emotional. In real life however the distinction is not so clear. The distinctions between what is pornographic and what is erotic are similar to distinctions made between naked and nude, by distinguished art historian Kenneth Clark. Clark suggests a short answer to the question ‘what is nude’, writing “an art form invented by the Greeks in the fifth century, just as opera is an art form invented in seventeenth century Italy” (Clark, 1959:4). Throughout his book The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form (1959), Clark attempts to distinguish between the nude and the naked, arguing that the nude is not just a representation of a bare body but a quest for perfection. In the introduction to Clark writes: “The English language, with its elaborate generosity, distinguishes between the naked and the nude. To be naked is to be deprived 2 ! ! of our clothes, and the condition implies some of the embarrassment most of us feel in that condition. The word “nude”, on the other hand, carries, in educated circles, no uncomfortable overtone. (Clark, 1959:9). What are the differences between the naked and the nude? What is the difference between the pornographic and the erotic? Even though these words have identical meanings the emotional connotations are different. Nudes are not just art forms but they are people too, so why such different emotional connotations? Again, attitudes and circumstances are increasingly important. During the 1992 R. v. Butler case the Supreme Court of Canada divided pornography into three categories: "(1) explicit sex with violence, (2) explicit sex without violence but which subjects people to treatment that is degrading or dehumanizing, and (3) explicit sex without violence that is neither degrading nor dehumanizing” (R.v. Butler, Supreme Court of Canada). In his book Eros Revived: Erotica of the Enlightenment in England and America, Peter Wagner defines pornography and erotica as: “the written or visual presentation in realistic form of any genital or sexual behavior with a deliberate violation of existing or widely accepted moral and social taboos,” and the “explicit depiction of sexual organs and sexual practices with the aim of arousing sexual feelings” (Wagner, 1998: 7). For historian Walter Kendrick, the production of pornography
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