Presentation Outline:
Pornography
Abstract:
Beginning with a general definition of
pornography, we will present and analyze several important factors associated
with the formal definition/understanding.
It is not our goal to convince anyone to subscribe to any one point of
view, but to present the various sides of the pornography issue, clarify
misconceptions, and help guide persons towards some kind of moral resolution. The topics we will be covering include, but
are not limited to, pornography as a business, freedom of speech,
self-ownership, dehumanization, harm, censorship, and morality.
[Introduction
– 15 mins]
1. What is Pornography?
[Encarta Dictionary]. Films, magazines, writings, photographs,
and/or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual
arousal
A matter of freedom of speech
A form of self-ownership
Obscene and harmful
2.
Our view on Pornography:
Pornography should be morally permissible so long as it does not a) mentally
and/or physically harm the audience; and b) dehumanize the actors involved in
the “porn”.
3.
Peripheral Introduction to Definitions:
Obscene:
A) Offensive to accepted standards of decency or modesty.
b) Designed to incite to indecency or lust.
c) Suggestive of or tending to moral looseness.
Sexually Explicit:
A)
Material
(video, photography, creative writing) presentation of sexual
content without deliberately obscuring or censoring it.
Harmful:
a)
Causing
or capable of causing harm; injurious.
b)
Injurious
to physical or mental health.
c)
Constituting
a disadvantage.
Self-Ownership:
A) the condition where a society recognizes individuals'
right to control their "selves" without interference by
others.
Self-Protection:
A)
Serving
or designed to protect oneself.
B)
The
act of defending yourself, self-defence.
Freedom of Speech:
A)
The
right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government
restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations.
B)
A
civil right.
Physical Capital (Defined):
A) Refers to any asset of a human
made by themselves and then used in production for
financial gain. Refers to the actual
capital or finance that can be made from one’s body, if viewing the body as a
production-in-the-works or as a metaphorical machine. Therefore, due to aging, as we get older our
physical capital decreases. Example: How
attractive and sexually appealing do we feel when we are 18, 20, 25, 35, 50, or
60+? Can we market ourselves at these
ages? The typical desire of viewing
physicality within pornography is based on ideations of youth, purity, and virility
– only to become objectified. The
younger the actor/worker is, the more appealing they are; equating to high
physical capital. Physical capital
transitions to self-marketing, “the selling of oneself” – to the screen,
another person (as prostitution), etc.
Finally, physical capital allows for the accumulation of wealth as
economic capital.
Economic Capital (Defined):
A)
Refers
to financial wealth especially that which is used to maintain a system of
income. In the culture of pornography,
one’s physical capital accumulates economic capital and financial wealth. Like a mathematical formula, Youth + Beauty =
Fame and Money. By being a young and
beautiful “porn star”, you are more likely to make the most amount of money
when compared to aging/diverse interest group actors/workers. This business is not only highly profitable
for the actors in pornography, but extremely profitable for the production
companies which produce pornography products (Film, VHS, DVD, magazines,
Pictures, Art, Internet websites, etc.)
[Body
– 40 mins]
Male on Male vs. Male on Female Pornography
Target and marketing
audiences.
Gay for Pay – the M&M/F&F debate for $
“Made for TV lesbians” in pornography (the F&F
debate revisited and challenged)
“Appropriate”
behaviour.
Individual freedom
vs. Social control.
Liberal Feminist
arguments.
Freedom of
Expression and Choice.
Health at risk? – Immediate & Long-Term.
(Very important)
Societal Morals.
Violence, a
justification for prohibition.
Defending
intellectual pursuits.
[Conclusion
– 15 mins]
Brief Summary:
Pornography is popularized through
its appeal to the majority of people. As
a matter of freedom of expression it is debatable when one thinks of “snuff”
films and “kiddie” porn that we are reminded of art, but it is nonetheless
expression. Whether or not it should be
censored depends on whether you believe it’s hurting anyone, and whether or not
the harm generated is reason enough to justify the limiting of basic freedoms. We have chosen to treat harm as a subjective
matter, and are leaving the topic open to individual reflection.
We want to ask you at this time, that you
keep an open mind, answer honestly to the questions in our activity, and try to
remember the presentation as best you can!
Activity: “They said what?” – An on
street survey…. The activity works like this;
we’ll either show a picture or ask you a question and have you choose the most
popular answer from a list we have provided.
We’ll have you split into groups of 4 or 5 and collaborate…Remember,
your answer must reflect the opinion of the general public!!!
Example
Questions:
What was the average amount of time people said they spend
watching porn in a week (including internet porn)?
A)
0
– 4 hours.
B) 5 – 9 hours.
C) 10 – 14 hours.
D) 15 – 19 hours.
What was the average amount of money people said they
spend on porn in a week?
A)
$5
- $15
B)
$16
- $ 25
C)
$26
- $40
D)
$40
- $100
When shown these two pictures which did people say was
obscene?