Shallow Throats
Every now and again, I'll hear a libertarian or conservative rail against the views of someone like Catherine MacKinnon or Andrea Dworkin. And every time, I think: "That's great, but when was the last time either of those people mattered? Who gives a shit what MacKinnon or Dworkin think anymore?" Pretty much nobody, as The Boston Globe observes: feminists dropped out of the old Baptist-bootlegger anti-porn coalition a while ago. The article suggests that the key may well have been technology: Since it's no longer relegated to seedy urban theaters, many of the educated women who might previously have joined an anti-objectification chorus will actually have, like, seen some porn, maybe even liked it. Anyway, an utterly wholesome (if you'll forgive the term) development worth noting.
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A very cool thing if true (which it probably is).
But then, I get the feeling you could probably apply the “Who gives a shit?” response to conservatives (and once in a blue moon, liberals) ranting and raving about libertarianism. Not as cool.
Nice if true, but I’d hold off on showing your Buttman collection to your girfriend.
Since it’s no longer relegated to seedy urban theaters, many of the educated women who might previously have joined an anti-objectification chorus will actually have, like, seen some porn, maybe even liked it.
I stand as evidence to the truth of this statement. And yes, I did like it (well, some of it….some of it’s just really cheesy and funny in it’s awesomely badness).
They argued that its aestheticized visions of female degradation actually incited men to violence.
Ted Bundy cited porn as his reason for committing all of his awful crimes against women. But it must also be considered that a psycho will look for any excuse for his wrong actions.
correction: in its awesomely badness
I showed my wife some ‘good’ movies. She complained that it was gross and bad. Then she made fun of the acting and asked if ‘BUTTMAN 8’ is out yet. Oh yeah, she’s changed!
–I showed my wife some ‘good’ movies. She complained that it was gross and bad. Then she made fun of the acting and asked if ‘BUTTMAN 8’ is out yet. Oh yeah, she’s changed!
I stand corrected. I’m very happy for you Bobster.
I’ll hear a libertarian or conservative rail against the views of someone like Catherine MacKinnon or Andrea Dworkin. And every time, I think: “That’s great, but when was the last time either of those people mattered? Who gives a shit what MacKinnon or Dworkin think anymore?”
I think that about sums it up.
MacKinnon may not matter any longer but the stench of her ‘ideas’ permeates the culture, particularly academia, in a thousand altogether different and ever-so-subtle ways.
Hasn’t the internet made opposition to pornography somewhat…quaint?
Who’s Catherine Mackinnon?
“…but in recent years she and Dworkin seem to have lost not just the legal battle but the cultural war. These days, ”sex-positive” feminists like Laura Kipnis or Camille Paglia tend to get the airtime.”
And more importantly, they seem to have lost the intellectual war. You could see this coming years ago when some feminists would refuse to debate Camille Paglia. When one side refuses to debate, it’s a good sign that their ideas may well be weak.
And don’t forget the role of “Girls Gone Wild” and home-made porn collections such as “Homegrown Video.” The moment the average everyday college chick or stay-at-home mom would be able to participate in porn was the moment porn actresses stopped being “ew, those kind of people” and more like normal human beings. It’s tough to hate those whom you also are.
I thought this aside was kind of amusing:
“As for MacKinnon, since the early 1990s she has focused on international issues like prostitution, human trafficking, and war crimes. (In 2000, she won a war crimes conviction against the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for the rape of Muslim and Croat women during the Bosnian War.)”
Those Serb war criminals must have watched a lot of porn!
seriously, nothing is more annoying for real-life feminists than having to hear about Mackinnon and Dworkin, you’re all a bunch of humorless anti-sex blah blah blah. no one cares about them; everybody thinks they are nuts. we’re all into better working conditions for prostitutes now. and porn! look at porn, who cares! basically no feminists under the age of 35 give a shit.
fyodor–
nice word play.
MacKinnon may not matter any longer but the stench of her ‘ideas’ permeates the culture, particularly academia, in a thousand altogether different and ever-so-subtle ways.
I’m sure. I often go looking for that taint, but never seem to find it. *sigh*. Those damn liberals and feminists — corrupting our college youth in a nasty, yet always anecdotal, way. They’re just too damn clever for us.