What Do Pornography and Feminism Have in Common?
Andrea Dworkin
Morning coffee. Google alerts. Technoroti pings. Who’s saying what where about Comstock Films? I hope it’s good.
Well this morning Ms. Naughty is writing about the Feminist Porn Awards that Peggy will be going to next weekend. This catches my eye:
“…an x-rated celebration of the next generation of feminista porn.”
Sandinista, fashionista, feminista; there’s an evolution for you. Let’s put it into google, which a few clicks later gets you to Lucky Nickel’s essay “On Sex Positiveness”:
“Sex-Positive? A new buzz word to start off the millenium? Hardly. It’s nothing more than the same old, same old. Patriarchally constructed gender roles and sexual exploitation of women wrapped up in cleverly disguised new packaging (which isn’t even new), in order to maintain the status quo of male dominance which is designed to further enhance their sexual freedoms and obfuscate their violence towards women.”
I don’t have that much to say about Ms. Nickel’s essay. Whereever one might stand on women’s rights and gender equality, her arguments will be familiar, and whereever one might stand, she’s offered plenty to get your hackles up.
Which brings me back to the title of this post, “What do Pornography and Feminism Have in Common?” Sort of a post-modern zen kōan, isn’t it? Zen kōan. Let’s put “Zen kōan” in google:
“Zen teachers and practitioners insist that the meaning of a kōan can only be demonstrated in a live experience. Texts (including kōan collections and encyclopedia articles) cannot convey that meaning. Yet the Zen tradition has produced a great deal of literature, including thousands of kōans and at least dozens of volumes of commentary. Nevertheless, teachers have long alerted students to the danger of confusing the interpretation of a kōan with the realization of a kōan. When teachers say “do not confuse the pointing finger with the moon”, they indicate that awakening is the standard — not ability to interpret.”
“Do not confuse the pointing finger with the moon.” Hmmm. Sounds like kōan for pornographers and feminists both.
May 27th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
What would be Ms Nickel’s opinion on gay & lesbian porn? Who gets exploited there and what about when it’s written/directed by someone who is gay? What would her position be on porn shot by committed couples who then enter amateur festivals in Boston or Seattle? It’s all consensual adults and all for fun and play. And what is so wrong with putting some fantasies on film/video?
May 28th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I would guess that Ms. Nickel’s opinion would be something along the line that there is an intrinsic and unwholesome power dynamic at work between the watcher and the watched when that exchange is intermediated by a camera.
May 28th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Interesting. Well then she must have issues with any and all documentaries and maybe mainstream film as well, if we include fictional stories/characters. It seems like so much effort to attack the entire concept of porn, instead of just zeroing on where it can be improved and where it might actually be a healthy part of someone’s sex life.