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From: throopw@dg_rtp.UUCP (Wayne Throop)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,net.legal,soc.singles
Subject: Re: The Evidence on Pornography
Message-ID: <587@dg_rtp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Sep-86 16:34:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: dg_rtp.587
Posted: Fri Sep 19 16:34:04 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Sep-86 22:06:05 EDT
References: <777@mtund.UUCP> <1529@mtx5a.UUCP> <780@mtund.UUCP>
Lines: 50
Summary: Meeseoids declare Steve McQueen a porno actor.
Xref: mnetor talk.politics.misc:209 net.legal:3633 soc.singles:19

> adam@mtund.UUCP (Adam V. Reed)
>> Meese commission

>> The films --*Swept Away* and
>> 	*The Getaway*-- represented sexually violent films wheras control
>> 	subjects viewed a non-violent feature film. [...]
>> Results showed that exposure to
>> 	sexual violence increased male subjects acceptance of interpersonal
>> 	violence against women. [as measured by psychological tests]

> The "pornographic" materials used by Malamuth (et al)
> were in fact *violent* as well as pornographic,

In fact, they were *primarily* violent.  Unless my memory is playing
tricks on me, these were both *R* rated pictures, with little or no
explicit sexual material.  *The* *Getaway* in particular starred Ali
McGraw and Steve McQueen, had no explicit sex or nudity to speak of, and
had *many* *many* violent scenes.

To use these movies as examples of "sexually violent" films is dishonest
and misleading in the extreme.  And if the study showed that these films
should be banned, then similar films which also are primarily violent
and have essentially no explicit sex (eg: the Dirty Harry films, the
Rambo and Rocky films, Death Wish N, and so on) should also be banned.

The key words are "dishonest" and "misleading".  If one wants to
recommend the banning of violent material, one should do so.  If one
wants to recommend the banning of sexually explicit material, one should
do so.  One should *NOT*, (as the Meeseoids are doing), purport to
recommend the banning of violent material while actually recommending
banning sexually explicit material, by using sleazy bait-and-switch
routines.  (Look, folks: nothing up my sleeves!  Now, *this* type of
movie made these men commit Thoughtcrime, so *presto!* let's ban *that*
type of movie, because *they* will surely cause other men to commit
Sexcrime!  At no time did my fingers leave my hands!)

--
The capacity of the human mind for swallowing nonsense
and spewing it forth in violent and repressive action
has never yet been plumbed.
                                        --- Robert A. Heinlein

   (From a non-fiction explanation of the fictional rise of a
    fundamentalist Christian dictatorship in his story, "If This Goes
    On...".  This is recommended reading if you *really* want to be
    terrified by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.  There are points of
    similarity between today's fact and RAH's fiction that are...
    well, frightening.)
-- 
Wayne Throop      <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti-sel!dg_rtp!throopw