My Answer is: Anti-porn feminism is to social conservatism as the US was to the USSR in World War II. They were technically allies but had a very different way of doing things (and then there was the whole Cold War thing). Anti-porn feminists opposition to porn comes from concerns about the industry, objectification of women and fundamentally, women’s rights. Conservatives opposition to porn comes their religious morals, concerns about corruption of youth and fundamentally, a desire to control women’s bodies. Not the same. At all.
How do y’all see it?
Mmm, really interesting and tough… partly becasue I’m still wading through a lot of the discussions myself for a post.
I tend to agree that the connection between the two positions is complicated, but I think it’s more important to focus on the relationship between pro- and anti-port feminisms and determine where the difference of opinion comes from. Labels mean we talk past each other without hearing the arguments.
eg, I think that capitalism & the rape-trade industry is where i become very anti-porn even though i’m generally of the opinion something positive could come of porn. Taking photos of myself naked (i do it a lot in my art practice) isn’t what’s degrading. it’s the dissemination of those images in a market place I don’t control.
By: mary, mary on June 18, 2009
at 12:12 am
“I think that capitalism & the rape-trade industry is where i become very anti-porn even though i’m generally of the opinion something positive could come of porn.” I agree with that. I’m not philosophically opposed to the idea of porn. I tend to think sexual expression and sexual diversity are good things and porn is one possible ‘good’ contributor to those. And social conservatism is the stuff of nightmares. But the p0rn industry is…*shudder*, the pornification of our culture is depressing, the fact that teens and younger are now confronted by a porn deluge every day… those things are worrying. Not only for feminists obviously, but especially for feminists.
By: Spilt Milk on June 18, 2009
at 10:48 pm