Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ora!daemon
From: mapjilg@gdr.bath.ac.uk (J I L Gold)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Pornography AGAIN
Message-ID: <1990Nov29.154227.24489@gdr.bath.ac.uk>
Date: 2 Jan 91 02:31:28 GMT
References: <1990Nov26.154324.14633@gdr.bath.ac.uk>@cri.fsu.UUCP> <1990Nov26.154324.14633@gdr.bath.ac.uk> <659646477@lear.cs.duke.edu>
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In article <659646477@lear.cs.duke.edu> gazit@cs.duke.edu (Hillel Gazit) writes:
>In article <1990Nov26.154324.14633@gdr.bath.ac.uk> (J I L Gold) writes:
>>I think it is this contradiction, the
>>loss of distinction between reality and fantasy that is the real
>>source of harm in pornography.

>Do you want to out-law other literature that mixes fantasy and reality?
>(The junk romances that so many women read, for example.)

Hmm...I didn't talk about outlawing, as such.  In an ideal world, such
"escapism" would perhaps be unnecessary.  However, as this world is
far from ideal, we have to work with what we've got.  I think it's sad
that these forms of escapism take the form they do - fantasy and
dreams are an important part of all our lives, they motivate and
refresh us.  However, fantasies are very dangerous animals when you
are in a position to make them real, (as I've found to my own great
cost) as they can never be fulfilled - there is always discrepancy
between your fantasy and reality.  This dichotomy is similar to the
one mentioned in my previous posting: pornography promotes myths and
stereotypes of human sexuality.  Cheap fiction does likewise.  You're
right to the extent that to single out pornography would be to miss
the point somewhat, however, it appeals on a much lower level (to
direct sexual stimuli) and as such is much more potent at influencing
people's thoughts.

Ban it/them? No...I wouldn't want to live in such a world.  I would be
in favour of marginalising it, making it less easy to obtain and less
socially acceptable, but global censorship is a revolting concept.

-- 
#  J.Gold                            |    mapjilg@uk.ac.bath.gdr              #
#  University of Bath , UK           |    jilg@uk.ac.bath.maths               #
#  The more improbable an event is, the more likely it is to happen :-)       #