Episode 47 – What is Pornography?

1 Comment

1. 

   Paul R

   January 30, 2019 at 1:07 pm — Reply

   Excellent!
   In addition, might it be the case that pornography is primarily a symptom of disorder, and it’s use is always a symptom of something else, like jaundice is a symptom of liver failure? If it wasn’t pornography, might it be drugs, alcohol, social media, or some other way of denial, self-deception, escape, or avoidance tactic (defence mechanism)?

   Is there a risk we are “downstreaming” as the Psychologist, Gerard Egan, puts it: seeing people coming down a canal, pulling them out when they get to us (getting them to stop using pornography), but never investigating upstream as to the reason why they’re in the canal in the first place?

   Might it be that these are merely red flags, yet we are trying to tear down the flags because they disgust us (another post-enlightenment concept in relation to ethics), rather than find out why they’re being waved in the first place…?

   As to the art, I also agree.
   As an amateur photographer, most so-called “nudes” are not neutral, but in some way suggestive or salacious and, of course, the genre of “boudoir” the genitalia and breasts are covered, and so the sexualisation is predominantly in the pose and gesture.

   To see this, not even in a boudoir sense, there’s a bizarre YouTube Channel called “Weekly Imogen” which is interesting in this regard. It’s like a sort of burlesque or parody, yet it’s supposed to be about serious portrait photography.

   “Imogen” who runs it, talks about photography in a dead-pan manner whilst sitting in very low-cut tops/skirts, etc., and many of the videos contain implied nudity where, again, the other models talk as if sitting there, starkers or semi-nude, whilst talking about camera settings or lighting, is perfectly normal.

   It shows how, even if women are fully-clothed, the way they sit, and the way they wear their clothes, etc., can still have a huge impact on the way they are sexualised/sexualise themselves.