Throughout the semester, prompts based on class readings, screenings, lectures, and discussions will be posted on this blog. Responses will be graded on their level of critical thinking, pertinence, engagement with class texts, and grammar/spelling/proofing/
length. Be sure to read the prompt carefully and fully engage with the content of the class materials. At the bottom of your response, type your FIRST NAME and the FIRST INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME (e.g. Claudia Z.).
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Week Nine: Response 9.1
Summarize the different points of view between antipornography
feminists and sex-positive feminists in Bronstein’s brief history of the ‘sex
wars’.
Anti-pornography feminists believed that mainstream pornography was degrading to women. It’s glorification of male sexual violence actively created a culture where women were seen as no more than vessels for male pleasure. It taught boys and men that “sexual access to women’s bodies was always available, and was a male right” (61). The attention on sexual violence against women did bring some good things like rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelters. They appealed to censorship laws in objections of obscenity in porn. On the outside it might have looked like anti-porn feminists and conservatives were fighting for the same thing. However anti-porn feminists fought because of the promotion of violence against women that was produced in porn. Conservatives fought porn because of “family values” that demonized premarital and recreational sex. Anti-porn feminists were also very against S&M practices even if there was informed and enthusiastic consent because they couldn’t separate that space from societal/institutional oppression of women.
Sex positive feminist were women who believed in the sexual agency and expression of women. They gave a sense of agency and choice to sex workers that the anti-porn feminists often didn’t do. Women of color were especially on the sex positive side because of “the number of poor, young women of color had to cycle in and out of sex work to earn money” (69). Women of color were also hesitant to be anti-porn because anti-porn feminists seemed very anti-male. Sex positive feminists hoped pornography would open women up to exploring their sexual and erotic desires on their own terms. That isn’t to say, however, that they agreed with mass-marketed pornography. Despite thinking that mass-marketed porn was “heterosexist and far less concerned with women’s sexual desire and pleasure than with male ejaculation,” they still were hesitant to criminalize all pornography as it offered an opportunity for sexual experimentation.
Antipornography feminists looked for answers to how men were learning to be violent and how women were learning to be victims. They found that there was a connection between the media’s depiction of men and women had been teaching its viewers false portrayals of each gender. Often the media portrays men to be naturally aggressive, brutal, etc. while women are painted to be naturally passive, vulnerable, etc. They saw pornography to be a driver of uncontrollable male lust that encouraged men to control women through sexual violence. Specifically, women in these films were depicted as helpless victims of male lust and violence, feeding the stereotype that women were in fact helpless and men lacked control of their desires because it was considered natural and not a taught behavior. They found the porn industry to be sexist and male-oriented and had little to no support from men who enjoyed the content the industry had been producing because men had a right to like what they pleased no matter how women were being shown. Any media images portraying violence against women also became an issue for the antipornography feminists and a new group of women, Women Against Violence Against Women formed. Another group emerged as well, Women Against Violence in Pornography and Media. It lead them to attempt to eradicate the portrayal of women being raped, tortured, killed, and bound for sexual stimulation or pleasure in porn. Their next goal was to overturn pornography’s right of the First Amendment because porn was seen a form of gender discrimination. This attempt caused changes in rape trials, marked sexual harassment as a crime and defined domestic violence. They wished to restrict the production and distribution of porn and be free of sexual violence. Andrea Dworkin shared insight what she believed pornography to be, “Pornography functions to perpetuate male supremacy and crimes of violence against women because it conditions, trains, educates and inspires men to despise women, to use women, to hurt women.” (67)
Sex-positive feminists believed WAP to possess qualities of sexual conservatism, gender essentialism, racism, and classism. Sex-positive feminists felt that issues of young women of color were facing poverty and having to cycle in and out of sex work to survive was a greater issue and did not like the idea that women were falling into “victimhood” category. They also saw WAP as being very antimale and even men of color were seen as oppressors even though they are a group that is oppressed. They want to to explore erotic diversity and enjoy sex which was not a focus in WAP group. They looked at pornography with greater openness, saw potential to thrill, excite and encourage sexual experimentation such as sadomasochism. Women deserve to explore their sexuality without having to be a part of a movement that may hinder that opportunity. They too found mass-market pornography to be heterosexist and deemed porn to have little concern with women’s sexual desires and focused more on the male’s pleasure. Regardless they did not want to stop pornography completely and argued that male-oriented pornography can be used to challenge the dominant constructions of female and male sexuality.
Anti-pornography feminists believed that mainstream pornography was degrading to women. It’s glorification of male sexual violence actively created a culture where women were seen as no more than vessels for male pleasure. It taught boys and men that “sexual access to women’s bodies was always available, and was a male right” (61). The attention on sexual violence against women did bring some good things like rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelters. They appealed to censorship laws in objections of obscenity in porn. On the outside it might have looked like anti-porn feminists and conservatives were fighting for the same thing. However anti-porn feminists fought because of the promotion of violence against women that was produced in porn. Conservatives fought porn because of “family values” that demonized premarital and recreational sex. Anti-porn feminists were also very against S&M practices even if there was informed and enthusiastic consent because they couldn’t separate that space from societal/institutional oppression of women.
ReplyDeleteSex positive feminist were women who believed in the sexual agency and expression of women. They gave a sense of agency and choice to sex workers that the anti-porn feminists often didn’t do. Women of color were especially on the sex positive side because of “the number of poor, young women of color had to cycle in and out of sex work to earn money” (69). Women of color were also hesitant to be anti-porn because anti-porn feminists seemed very anti-male. Sex positive feminists hoped pornography would open women up to exploring their sexual and erotic desires on their own terms. That isn’t to say, however, that they agreed with mass-marketed pornography. Despite thinking that mass-marketed porn was “heterosexist and far less concerned with women’s sexual desire and pleasure than with male ejaculation,” they still were hesitant to criminalize all pornography as it offered an opportunity for sexual experimentation.
Rachael M
Antipornography feminists looked for answers to how men were learning to be violent and how women were learning to be victims. They found that there was a connection between the media’s depiction of men and women had been teaching its viewers false portrayals of each gender. Often the media portrays men to be naturally aggressive, brutal, etc. while women are painted to be naturally passive, vulnerable, etc. They saw pornography to be a driver of uncontrollable male lust that encouraged men to control women through sexual violence. Specifically, women in these films were depicted as helpless victims of male lust and violence, feeding the stereotype that women were in fact helpless and men lacked control of their desires because it was considered natural and not a taught behavior. They found the porn industry to be sexist and male-oriented and had little to no support from men who enjoyed the content the industry had been producing because men had a right to like what they pleased no matter how women were being shown. Any media images portraying violence against women also became an issue for the antipornography feminists and a new group of women, Women Against Violence Against Women formed. Another group emerged as well, Women Against Violence in Pornography and Media. It lead them to attempt to eradicate the portrayal of women being raped, tortured, killed, and bound for sexual stimulation or pleasure in porn. Their next goal was to overturn pornography’s right of the First Amendment because porn was seen a form of gender discrimination. This attempt caused changes in rape trials, marked sexual harassment as a crime and defined domestic violence. They wished to restrict the production and distribution of porn and be free of sexual violence. Andrea Dworkin shared insight what she believed pornography to be, “Pornography functions to perpetuate male supremacy and crimes of violence against women because it conditions, trains, educates and inspires men to despise women, to use women, to hurt women.” (67)
ReplyDeleteSex-positive feminists believed WAP to possess qualities of sexual conservatism, gender essentialism, racism, and classism. Sex-positive feminists felt that issues of young women of color were facing poverty and having to cycle in and out of sex work to survive was a greater issue and did not like the idea that women were falling into “victimhood” category. They also saw WAP as being very antimale and even men of color were seen as oppressors even though they are a group that is oppressed. They want to to explore erotic diversity and enjoy sex which was not a focus in WAP group. They looked at pornography with greater openness, saw potential to thrill, excite and encourage sexual experimentation such as sadomasochism. Women deserve to explore their sexuality without having to be a part of a movement that may hinder that opportunity. They too found mass-market pornography to be heterosexist and deemed porn to have little concern with women’s sexual desires and focused more on the male’s pleasure. Regardless they did not want to stop pornography completely and argued that male-oriented pornography can be used to challenge the dominant constructions of female and male sexuality.
-Claudia S.