X-Envelope-to: politics@ohstvma.bitnet
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 09:04:00 EST
From:         JCOCURUL@DREW.BITNET
Subject:      Re: skin in america
Comments: To: politics@ohstvma.bitnet

In article <tfilt394728@drew.edu>, ST201568@BROWNVM.BITNET writes:
> Fred,
>
> I may have some stats about the connection between pornography and sexual
> violence...I'll check into it.  I'm very curious about the CBS special.

The connection isn't as clearcut as some would like, but there is some
connection depending on the variables.  Studies show that if a viewer
is predisposed to agression or low respect of women, pornography is
apt to highten this predisposition.  For those who aren't predisposed
(and those who are), if there is consent, it is much more likely that
feelings against sexual violence will decrease.  However, sex plus
violence generally lead both those predisposed plus some of those not
to have less respect/more anger vs. women.  Slasher films generally
lower respect for women, and women have less respect for themselves --
the phenomen of men going to see them with women with added enjoyment
when the women are scared.  Plain sex on film or is Playboy etc. has
little effect, in some cases in studies actually lessened agression,
but apparently there is a greater feeling of women as sex objects.

Denmark has very liberal pornography laws and very little sex crime,
so some sense of release/cultural ideals are involved. Japanese sex
implicit comics is also an example.  R-rated films often have the
above effects esp. with the double standard that violence is ok, but
not normal eroticism ("Henry and June" [writers], NC-17, "I Spit on Your Grave"
(gang rape is half of film), R)

Source: _Feminism and Pornography_ by Ronald Berger, Patricia Searles,
and Charles Cottle.  There are various studies and books on this
stuff, but I just happen to have this on me for a paper.


> Feminists of the Dworkin/MacKinnon school get much more press generally than
> those who argue that a woman's body is her own to do with as she pleases and
> reject the false-consciousness ideas.

Yes. I wonder if their anti-pornography statues would get as much
support if the list of people including Betty Friedan who are against
them would get more press.  Or if people will get so antangonistic
against feminists if they know how diverse their views are.  Friedan
for instance recently had an interview with Playboy.  Rather
interesting.

> Both the pro- and anti-censorship
> arguments are aimed at freeing women from traditions of patriarchy, but
> the anti-censorship feminists are concerned with the idea that women will have
> morality legislated for them and have men (majority of judges) "protecting"
> them from making "bad" choices with their bodies.

yup.  Many feminist and women books including Dworkin's "Intercourse"
has language which would break the barriers put up by such laws.  I
believe they had that problem in Canada, must have conservatives
laughing.
>                                               -Rachel


               -Joe

P.S. if there is any response to this, I'll note that I won't be here
to respond to it until 11/28. So, have a good Thanksgiving all.