Lecture Eight

So it seems like we're back to talking about sex. In particular, sex for sale in the form of porn and even prostitution. But it's hard (no pun intended) to know what exactly we are referring to when we talk about pornography. Today's porn seems to run the gamut from the ‘lad magazines' of Playboy and Hustler to the down and dirty dvds and videos to virtually everything on the web. Some have suggested that porn is much more pervasive and is part of our mainstream culture —from the “Porn-Star” baby-Ts for adolescent girls to the glossy pages of slinky-clad fashion mags. So really, that makes all of us consumers in some way—and who hasn't gotten turned on by a sexy ad or a steamy sex scene? The question isn't really about porn being either morally reprehensible or politically correct. Instead, we need to ask, as we always do, what does porn do? What does it teach men and women about sex, pleasure and desire? What role does prostitution serve in our society? And, as always, what do these particular issues have to do with the relationship between gender and power?

As with a number of issues we've touched on this semester, pornography and prostitution are topics that have many feminists divided. There are those who say that the vast majority of porn degrades women. After all, pornography teaches men how to objectify and dominate women and can encourage violence against women by making this subjugation and domination sexual and erotic . Living in a society where pornography is part of the daily landscape, can we really be surprised that we have such a high incidence of rape and other violence against women? These claims are well supported, particularly within the production of porn, where the abuse and exploitation of women is extensive—women (particularly those in poverty) are often forced into porn because they have few other options and as a result are at the mercy of their (often male) employer.

But what about the women who enjoy both making and consuming pornography? A number of women working in porn really get off (literally!) on their job, and are excited that their work may inspire other women to enjoy sex in new and interesting ways. Sex-positive feminists see porn as liberating for women and admit that some of it really turns them on. They admit that a fair bit of porn is total rubbish and is just demeaning dribble, but they are not quite ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, they want to use feminist critiques of pornography to make better, more feminist porn—porn that empowers women and educates us all about fun and healthy sex.

A similar debate is raging around prostitution—there are those who assert that prostitution is rape, and those that see it as every woman's right, a right that we all need to protect. Women who select prostitution as employment often have a history of sexual violence (frequently beginning in childhood) and have little access to financial resources and social support . By bringing women out of poverty, society could address the double whammy of poverty and prostitution and help women rise above this dire situation. Others agree that turning tricks is always about survival, but they do not want to see this door get closed for women who need it. Instead, they'd like to see prostitutes get protection from exploitive and violent pimps, get access to free contraception and have a healthcare system that addresses the risks of their work. There are still others that want to talk about not the prostitutes themselves, but the men who are using them.

As you are probably seeing, both sides have an important contribution to the debate on pornography and prostitution. But, you may be asking, what debate? For being so pervasive in our daily lives, we never really talk about these issues in a critical and reflective way. And that is a matter that concerns all feminists—why this complete cultural silence around these issues? If we can give an Academy Award to a song that pines about the trials and tribulations of being a pimp , we can certainly begin a dialogue about pornography and prostitution in our society.