Apple. Coca-Cola. Google. Louis Vuitton. BMW.
The power of these brands is not just in the number of people who consume them. It's also a matter of excellent image management and careful attention to semiotics--the study of meaning-making.
This blog provides a public place to write about how mass culture and branding can be explained by examining what it is that they signify. Texts deal with dinosaurs, Cosmopolitan magazine, zombies, pornography and Nazis--among other things.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Carmine Sarracino & Kevin M. Scott: Introduction from The Porning of America
From the intro itself it looks like an interesting read I wanted to keep going. I agree with the author on a lot of the arguments he presents about the way our culture, I would say “revolves” around sexuality and in someway shape or form can be affiliated with porn and it has gone so far as even connecting a simple comment to sex. Porn is no longer something portrayed in images, movies, commercials, magazines, etc. but it has become somewhat of its own language in our culture. It has become very common to make a non-sexual comment, turn it on its head, and make it sexual. As funny as it is it can be extremely obnoxious. The way in which our culture has developed what was once seen as private is now openly spoken about amongst friend’s even strangers! People are comfortable with openly discussing their intimate life and porn interest from what I have observed amongst my age group. What is most shocking about this is that they do it on social networks!!! How have we become so comfortable with our sexuality and private interest? Even in age groups younger than mine thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old are speaking of sex. I don’t know about any of you but at that age I still considered sex a bad word, I wouldn’t even say it I would spell it out, and I thought of it as dirty.
This is diagnosing a major aspect of lives as humans, which I find to be very intriguing. I find it to be insightful into discovering America as a nation. These two authors who collaborated on this book direct this attention at the difference of pornography and porn. They differentiate the differences between these two similar words as being a grandfather and grandson connection. I found this point to be extremely interesting because I have never looked or thought about it that way. Before reading this I believed porn and pornography meant the same thing but they display a way that it means two completely different things. Porn was seen as a bad thing to many and was never expressed before. Nowadays people talk about sex, porn, sex shops, and all those sorts of things everywhere. They will talk about it with their friends, partners, coworkers, sometimes siblings, and in some cases whoever wants to listen on their twitter or facebook page. Porn and sex has come from an uncharted land that no one used to mention, to suddenly what little to no one is embarrassed to share information about. It’s no secret that many people have watched porn and I assume everybody over the age of 10 years old knows what porn is. It’s an interesting intake that maybe porn isn’t completely a bad thing and instead just a natural interest. I believe as generations go on and on not only will porn become a lot easier to run into and a lot harder to avoid but also not as big of a deal as it used to be say 50-70 years ago.
Man, where to begin? Well I guess I’ll start off by talking about the cover of this book. I would think that the cover of a book going into detail about porn would be a bit more sensual and arousing. I’m not saying that the woman with the strawberry locked around her mouth isn’t arousing. On the contrary, it is, at least in my personal opinion, and the strawberry serves as a pretty good aphrodisiac as well. But after reading the introduction, I don’t think I would’ve made this picture the picture for the book’s cover. It would be inappropriate, believe it or not, but not for being too erotic, but in fact, not being erotic enough. The authors mentioned in the introduction that there are Bratz dolls, dolls that single-digit-aged kids play with, that are pretty damn suggestive, hence the photo they reveal, which exhibits the “thigh-high fishnets and stiletto heels” worn by the doll. Again, kids that aren’t even 10-years-old play with these dolls. In my eyes, it’s like giving an 8-year-old the keys to a Maybach and telling him to take it for a spin…Ok maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But, they both revolve around the point I’m trying to make: they aren’t ready for it. When you’re mature enough and know your rights from wrongs, porn can be a wonderful thing to experience. However, if you are not, it could have a negative impact on you. You may mistake the wrong things to be right, you may be mentally scarred, and so on. Parents should play a part in restricting the image that things like Bratz dolls convey to their children.
The intro to The Porning of America was different then I thought it would be. I found it extremely easy to just keep reading. The author had many interesting points about porn that I never really considered. Whenever I heard the word porn I just automatically thought of the internet and just porn sites. Now, I do see that it is far more than just videos. Porn is everywhere, not just in one place. People have to see it even if they don’t want to. That is why I thought the difference between porn and pornography was interesting. The differences in society’s views from different times true does show. Another part of the intro that was intriguing was the bit about Bratz dolls. To be honest, I grew up playing with these dolls and never really had the thought that they could be a sexual icon. But, after reading this I can see how people could think that. Like the author said, what female dresses in fishnets and heels to play sports? It makes me wonder what the companies that design the dolls are thinking while coming up with ideas for the next doll. Another point in the intro was “we no longer have to go to porn in order to get it.” Which, in today’s society is true. All we have to do is watch a normal tv show in order to see some form of porn.
I can appreciate this article not only from the perception of a women living in a world that has normalized porn or pornography but as a parent of two daughter, one whom is at an age that is currently seeking to understand sex and boundaries that are taken. I agree that pornography has developed from an expressed art to a shallow source of entertainment which includes child pornography and sadomasochism although I don’t believe even as a mother of two daughters that porn is wrong in the sense of assisted pleasure when it is used appropriately. I agree with the writer when he states, there’s a whole lot of stuff out there, dramatically varied but all called porn.” I believe that this genre of entertainment should be monitored as it is evident that it can be used to be a sense of harm to individuals that are vulnerable and be “cultural toxic waste.” I believe that porn is a form of harm reduction for our husbands, partners, children, grandfathers or whomever chooses to indulge. If there is a method that one can masturbate, or share the pleasure in a harmless why then why condone it. I wonder if we removed pornography off the shelves then what would evolve in its place? Or, would there be more accounts of infidelity or harm to others by using prostitutes?
I guess I am pro-porn. If it is used appropriately! As I am okay with my daughter playing with Barbie as long as I use it as a teachable moment around self-image.
I thought for an introduction to a book that this was the most interesting of any books introduction that I have read before. Perhaps because the topic is interesting but also because the author makes good points. American society has definitely become “porned”, from our movies to our advertisements to our children’s toys, it is clear that human sexuality is playing a larger role in all aspects of American life than it ever did before. I didn’t really think about the prevalence of “porn” in things until reading this introduction and the accompanying examples. I like the example of the Hardees/Carl’s Jr. example of just how porn has slipped into our advertisements, an ad like that wouldn’t have even been a thought had this been the nineties and earlier. Look at dolls from the eighties and, as the intro mentions, look at a doll like Bratz, the outfits for the dolls then and now are totally different, Bratz would have been thought of as a toy line of prostitutes then and somehow is now a children’s toy line, that’s pretty wild. As for why this happened or if the effects are negative or positive, I definitely don’t know but I am sure the author of this book has insight into that as he said he shares in the last chapter.
From just reading the introduction to this book you can see what point the authors are trying to say. That being porn is no longer a thing of the back rooms and it is now in our society and is acceptable. While I think that this is true because of the amount of sexual content in our media (TV, Movies, Magazines). I would also disagree with them saying that porn is mainstream especially in America. The reason I say this is because porn is always a topic that no matter how mature the people talking about it there is always some kind of elephant in the room. People aren't always comfortable talking about their bodies and especially about the acts involved in a porno. I think people get uncomfortable with their bodies because of the image our media portrays of the "perfect" body and not being able to attain that makes people think less of them selves. Overall I think that while the author does have a point porn is moving into mainstream, people still have a long way to accept it and not get red faced about the topic.
Right from the start, the cover of the article had caught my eye. The cover itself reiterated the central thesis of the text, which was that almost everything in America is being porned. This, meaning that many things in today’s culture is objecting sex. From advertisements, to signs, etc. one can notice somewhat of a Pornography aspect. Initially, I thought of Pornography to be just of websites in which displayed sexual activities, however this article has given more information on the topic. Inside of the article there were many interesting facts, including the origins of Pornography dating back to Puritanism, as well as the Civil War, which was quite interesting. Initially, I thought that the concept of Pornography was developed in the early 1960’s, in which Hugh Hefner dominated the marketing through Playboy magazine. Apart from the history, it was quite insightful to hear about Prostitution and the clarification between the differences of “Porning” and Pornography.
The author immediately addresses the point he is trying to make in the introduction. He explains that pornography has become increasingly popular in society. He also seems to be saying that it is everywhere now, even if you don't want it to be there. For example, he mentions how there can be subtle pornographic gestures in commercials and television shows. It was also interesting that he mentioned how dolls and toys are more revealing and hint towards pornography. Comparing dolls from the 1980's and now would probably be a huge difference. These bratz dolls, which can be targeting towards elementary school girls, seems to be a young age for girls to have a doll dress in such a revealing way. Maybe I was just naive when I was younger, but now I have noticed porn being hinted at everywhere. Pornography seems to have increased its use in society because of how easy access we have of it. Back before the internet, porn was less noticed and sometimes on television or in the back of video stores. You can even go back before that during ancient times where porn was only depicted as pictures and sculptures. Now we have the real deal of humans participating in this what used to be counter culture activity.
This passage was a very interesting read. It brings attention to a topic that many may not have realized is extremely prevalent in today’s society. I completely agree with the author’s stance on this topic. It seems as if today’s society is built upon the notion that “sex sells.” This marketing notion is in fact very accurate and relevant. How often do we see a product being marketed with half naked women and/or men on television or in a magazine of sorts? The fact of the matter is the technique that now has become widespread is essentially what makes our society “function.” Our last assignment that involved us analyzing magazines pays tribute to this technique. Most magazines feature a celebrity that can be considered to be attractive to the majority of people on the cover. This in turn leads to more consumer sales of said magazine. This “blind psychological attack” takes place more often than we know it in our lives. As said in the passage, it has even made its way into children’s toys. Not only do the Bratz dolls feature figures of female children dressed in what can be considered inappropriate and erotic attire, but the premise of the widely popular Barbie Doll is based upon what this author is talking about. While less apparent than that of the Bratz doll, the Barbie Doll is a model of the ideal form of a women. The irony of course is that the form may never be achieved. All this is to support the claim that “sex” or “porn” is more common today that it ever was before in society.
This book definitely looks like an interesting read, as it is very apparent what Sarracino and Scott are describing in the intro. Sex has become a huge part of our popular culture. It has transformed from taboo to a main staple in our everyday lives. Celebrities plan “wardrobe malfunctions” to increase their media presence and normal people of no individual merit create sex tapes that can eventually create a career as a real life Truman Burbank. No one can deny that the stigma around sex was at one time damaging society. Misconceptions about masturbation, sexual pleasure, and the ever-present double standard applied to men and women have only recently been alleviated. In this age of sexual freedom, we perhaps may have gone too far. I completely agree with the authors opinion that there is not just one classification, porn today exists outside of the boundaries of black and white. Advertisers not only use sex to sell products, they use the idea that you could be sexually desirable to sell products. In our hyper sexualized culture of today, the idea of porn star has gone from prostitute to a second-class movie star. Society loves the idea of “celebrity”, and porn allows for any person to pay the price for a taste of what it is like to be desired.
“Porning of America’s” intro alone has enlightened me a whole lot to both the subliminal and explicit “porn culture” we are currently living in. Though it is nice to know our society is embracing freedom in regards to sexuality, as they mentioned, I get worried. Where can we draw the line between sexual liberty and just plain inappropriateness? Reading this excerpt reminded me of the time when my 5 year old sister thought she was playing a preschool game involving “popping breasts”. Sex, or its symbols are everywhere. As the authors mentioned, we are enjoying freedom more than ever before. And although it seems exhilarating, it can yield more cons than pros. My main concern is just the kids who are being exposed to such content prematurely. Innocence is robbed. Aside from that, another point was brought up in the reading that women/girls will be looked upon as nothing more than sexual objects. In my opinion porn may contribute to this, but there is definitely more to it. What about all the males who participate in porn? Are they seen as objects, or idols who probably get praised? All in all, it is interesting to find that overtime, porn is coming out of the screen and playing itself in everyday lives. P.S. How much porn did Sarracino and Scott have to watch to create such a novel?
I find that this book is written by college professors really shows that porn is a giant part of American culture whether people want to admit it or not. First of all, I find it interesting that porn really has impacted our society, but I guess I never really thought of that. This book really analyzes and brings to people's attention the affect porn is having on our society. I do agree that it has helped "de-stigmatize" anything sexual and help humans realize we're sexual beings by nature, but like the author said there's not all benefits. Personally I think that while there are those good aspects of it, it makes sex seem too casual. The fact that porn is so accessible to children, even at 8 years old, is somewhat scary. Sex isn't something that kids should concern themselves with, and because sex/porn practically used in everyday advertisements is not something that I or I think many people support. I also though find it interesting that pornography has so much historical background. Am I the least bit surprised, not at all, but like I said it's never really been something I would have thought about. I think this is a good example of a phenomenon, because it is something that's counter-culture, and mainstream culture at the same time, as in something that can't be explained. Definitely an interesting read.
It’s obvious to everyone that America has been, is, and will continue changing. How much is allowed to be seen in the general public as still appropriate is what America keeps becoming more lenient with. I can say that I agree that the amount of skin allowed to be shown, or how sexual a gesture can be made on television has been getting closer and closer to porn just like Carmine Sarracino and Kevin M. Scott suggest in The Porning of America. Everything keeps changing with what is allowed compared to decades ago. Take for instance back in the early 1900’s when a woman exposing her knees was considered going too far. Then you look in the mid 1900’s when Elvis came out parents hated him because swinging his hips was thought to be considered too in this case “pornographic.” Then look at the birth of rock and roll; its suggestive themes drove parents mad too. In modern days even dancing has become more suggestive including high school dances where everyone just grinds instead of formal dancing which is what the dances are supposed to be. I can even thing of my own high school where they banned grinding the year after I graduated because it was seen as too suggestive. I could go on and on about the history of America getting more and more pornographic and suggestive. The only thing that I can think of is when will it stop or how far is it going to be allowed to go. You look at adds nowadays how Sarracino and Scott talk about Paris Hilton being sexual to a cheeseburger; those are so common now because sex sells and people keep wanting to push the limits on what they can get away with. I just believe that it is not a good thing that society is getting this close to porn with the television ads and toys for instance the Bratz dolls because it shapes a norm that young kids look at. They think that’s just how things are and when they grow up boundaries of what’s too suggestive and what’s acceptable will keep being pushed. Time will really only tell though.
From the intro itself it looks like an interesting read I wanted to keep going. I agree with the author on a lot of the arguments he presents about the way our culture, I would say “revolves” around sexuality and in someway shape or form can be affiliated with porn and it has gone so far as even connecting a simple comment to sex. Porn is no longer something portrayed in images, movies, commercials, magazines, etc. but it has become somewhat of its own language in our culture. It has become very common to make a non-sexual comment, turn it on its head, and make it sexual. As funny as it is it can be extremely obnoxious. The way in which our culture has developed what was once seen as private is now openly spoken about amongst friend’s even strangers! People are comfortable with openly discussing their intimate life and porn interest from what I have observed amongst my age group. What is most shocking about this is that they do it on social networks!!! How have we become so comfortable with our sexuality and private interest? Even in age groups younger than mine thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old are speaking of sex. I don’t know about any of you but at that age I still considered sex a bad word, I wouldn’t even say it I would spell it out, and I thought of it as dirty.
ReplyDeleteThis is diagnosing a major aspect of lives as humans, which I find to be very intriguing. I find it to be insightful into discovering America as a nation. These two authors who collaborated on this book direct this attention at the difference of pornography and porn. They differentiate the differences between these two similar words as being a grandfather and grandson connection. I found this point to be extremely interesting because I have never looked or thought about it that way. Before reading this I believed porn and pornography meant the same thing but they display a way that it means two completely different things. Porn was seen as a bad thing to many and was never expressed before. Nowadays people talk about sex, porn, sex shops, and all those sorts of things everywhere. They will talk about it with their friends, partners, coworkers, sometimes siblings, and in some cases whoever wants to listen on their twitter or facebook page. Porn and sex has come from an uncharted land that no one used to mention, to suddenly what little to no one is embarrassed to share information about. It’s no secret that many people have watched porn and I assume everybody over the age of 10 years old knows what porn is. It’s an interesting intake that maybe porn isn’t completely a bad thing and instead just a natural interest. I believe as generations go on and on not only will porn become a lot easier to run into and a lot harder to avoid but also not as big of a deal as it used to be say 50-70 years ago.
ReplyDeleteMan, where to begin? Well I guess I’ll start off by talking about the cover of this book. I would think that the cover of a book going into detail about porn would be a bit more sensual and arousing. I’m not saying that the woman with the strawberry locked around her mouth isn’t arousing. On the contrary, it is, at least in my personal opinion, and the strawberry serves as a pretty good aphrodisiac as well. But after reading the introduction, I don’t think I would’ve made this picture the picture for the book’s cover. It would be inappropriate, believe it or not, but not for being too erotic, but in fact, not being erotic enough. The authors mentioned in the introduction that there are Bratz dolls, dolls that single-digit-aged kids play with, that are pretty damn suggestive, hence the photo they reveal, which exhibits the “thigh-high fishnets and stiletto heels” worn by the doll. Again, kids that aren’t even 10-years-old play with these dolls. In my eyes, it’s like giving an 8-year-old the keys to a Maybach and telling him to take it for a spin…Ok maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But, they both revolve around the point I’m trying to make: they aren’t ready for it. When you’re mature enough and know your rights from wrongs, porn can be a wonderful thing to experience. However, if you are not, it could have a negative impact on you. You may mistake the wrong things to be right, you may be mentally scarred, and so on. Parents should play a part in restricting the image that things like Bratz dolls convey to their children.
ReplyDeleteThe intro to The Porning of America was different then I thought it would be. I found it extremely easy to just keep reading. The author had many interesting points about porn that I never really considered. Whenever I heard the word porn I just automatically thought of the internet and just porn sites. Now, I do see that it is far more than just videos. Porn is everywhere, not just in one place. People have to see it even if they don’t want to. That is why I thought the difference between porn and pornography was interesting. The differences in society’s views from different times true does show. Another part of the intro that was intriguing was the bit about Bratz dolls. To be honest, I grew up playing with these dolls and never really had the thought that they could be a sexual icon. But, after reading this I can see how people could think that. Like the author said, what female dresses in fishnets and heels to play sports? It makes me wonder what the companies that design the dolls are thinking while coming up with ideas for the next doll. Another point in the intro was “we no longer have to go to porn in order to get it.” Which, in today’s society is true. All we have to do is watch a normal tv show in order to see some form of porn.
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate this article not only from the perception of a women living in a world that has normalized porn or pornography but as a parent of two daughter, one whom is at an age that is currently seeking to understand sex and boundaries that are taken.
ReplyDeleteI agree that pornography has developed from an expressed art to a shallow source of entertainment which includes child pornography and sadomasochism although I don’t believe even as a mother of two daughters that porn is wrong in the sense of assisted pleasure when it is used appropriately.
I agree with the writer when he states, there’s a whole lot of stuff out there, dramatically varied but all called porn.” I believe that this genre of entertainment should be monitored as it is evident that it can be used to be a sense of harm to individuals that are vulnerable and be “cultural toxic waste.”
I believe that porn is a form of harm reduction for our husbands, partners, children, grandfathers or whomever chooses to indulge. If there is a method that one can masturbate, or share the pleasure in a harmless why then why condone it. I wonder if we removed pornography off the shelves then what would evolve in its place? Or, would there be more accounts of infidelity or harm to others by using prostitutes?
I guess I am pro-porn. If it is used appropriately! As I am okay with my daughter playing with Barbie as long as I use it as a teachable moment around self-image.
I thought for an introduction to a book that this was the most interesting of any books introduction that I have read before. Perhaps because the topic is interesting but also because the author makes good points. American society has definitely become “porned”, from our movies to our advertisements to our children’s toys, it is clear that human sexuality is playing a larger role in all aspects of American life than it ever did before. I didn’t really think about the prevalence of “porn” in things until reading this introduction and the accompanying examples. I like the example of the Hardees/Carl’s Jr. example of just how porn has slipped into our advertisements, an ad like that wouldn’t have even been a thought had this been the nineties and earlier. Look at dolls from the eighties and, as the intro mentions, look at a doll like Bratz, the outfits for the dolls then and now are totally different, Bratz would have been thought of as a toy line of prostitutes then and somehow is now a children’s toy line, that’s pretty wild. As for why this happened or if the effects are negative or positive, I definitely don’t know but I am sure the author of this book has insight into that as he said he shares in the last chapter.
ReplyDeleteFrom just reading the introduction to this book you can see what point the authors are trying to say. That being porn is no longer a thing of the back rooms and it is now in our society and is acceptable. While I think that this is true because of the amount of sexual content in our media (TV, Movies, Magazines). I would also disagree with them saying that porn is mainstream especially in America. The reason I say this is because porn is always a topic that no matter how mature the people talking about it there is always some kind of elephant in the room. People aren't always comfortable talking about their bodies and especially about the acts involved in a porno. I think people get uncomfortable with their bodies because of the image our media portrays of the "perfect" body and not being able to attain that makes people think less of them selves. Overall I think that while the author does have a point porn is moving into mainstream, people still have a long way to accept it and not get red faced about the topic.
ReplyDeleteRight from the start, the cover of the article had caught my eye. The cover itself reiterated the central thesis of the text, which was that almost everything in America is being porned. This, meaning that many things in today’s culture is objecting sex. From advertisements, to signs, etc. one can notice somewhat of a Pornography aspect. Initially, I thought of Pornography to be just of websites in which displayed sexual activities, however this article has given more information on the topic. Inside of the article there were many interesting facts, including the origins of Pornography dating back to Puritanism, as well as the Civil War, which was quite interesting. Initially, I thought that the concept of Pornography was developed in the early 1960’s, in which Hugh Hefner dominated the marketing through Playboy magazine. Apart from the history, it was quite insightful to hear about Prostitution and the clarification between the differences of “Porning” and Pornography.
ReplyDeleteThe author immediately addresses the point he is trying to make in the introduction. He explains that pornography has become increasingly popular in society. He also seems to be saying that it is everywhere now, even if you don't want it to be there. For example, he mentions how there can be subtle pornographic gestures in commercials and television shows. It was also interesting that he mentioned how dolls and toys are more revealing and hint towards pornography. Comparing dolls from the 1980's and now would probably be a huge difference. These bratz dolls, which can be targeting towards elementary school girls, seems to be a young age for girls to have a doll dress in such a revealing way. Maybe I was just naive when I was younger, but now I have noticed porn being hinted at everywhere. Pornography seems to have increased its use in society because of how easy access we have of it. Back before the internet, porn was less noticed and sometimes on television or in the back of video stores. You can even go back before that during ancient times where porn was only depicted as pictures and sculptures. Now we have the real deal of humans participating in this what used to be counter culture activity.
ReplyDeleteThis passage was a very interesting read. It brings attention to a topic that many may not have realized is extremely prevalent in today’s society. I completely agree with the author’s stance on this topic. It seems as if today’s society is built upon the notion that “sex sells.” This marketing notion is in fact very accurate and relevant. How often do we see a product being marketed with half naked women and/or men on television or in a magazine of sorts? The fact of the matter is the technique that now has become widespread is essentially what makes our society “function.” Our last assignment that involved us analyzing magazines pays tribute to this technique. Most magazines feature a celebrity that can be considered to be attractive to the majority of people on the cover. This in turn leads to more consumer sales of said magazine. This “blind psychological attack” takes place more often than we know it in our lives. As said in the passage, it has even made its way into children’s toys. Not only do the Bratz dolls feature figures of female children dressed in what can be considered inappropriate and erotic attire, but the premise of the widely popular Barbie Doll is based upon what this author is talking about. While less apparent than that of the Bratz doll, the Barbie Doll is a model of the ideal form of a women. The irony of course is that the form may never be achieved. All this is to support the claim that “sex” or “porn” is more common today that it ever was before in society.
ReplyDeleteThis book definitely looks like an interesting read, as it is very apparent what Sarracino and Scott are describing in the intro. Sex has become a huge part of our popular culture. It has transformed from taboo to a main staple in our everyday lives. Celebrities plan “wardrobe malfunctions” to increase their media presence and normal people of no individual merit create sex tapes that can eventually create a career as a real life Truman Burbank.
ReplyDeleteNo one can deny that the stigma around sex was at one time damaging society. Misconceptions about masturbation, sexual pleasure, and the ever-present double standard applied to men and women have only recently been alleviated. In this age of sexual freedom, we perhaps may have gone too far. I completely agree with the authors opinion that there is not just one classification, porn today exists outside of the boundaries of black and white.
Advertisers not only use sex to sell products, they use the idea that you could be sexually desirable to sell products. In our hyper sexualized culture of today, the idea of porn star has gone from prostitute to a second-class movie star. Society loves the idea of “celebrity”, and porn allows for any person to pay the price for a taste of what it is like to be desired.
“Porning of America’s” intro alone has enlightened me a whole lot to both the subliminal and explicit “porn culture” we are currently living in. Though it is nice to know our society is embracing freedom in regards to sexuality, as they mentioned, I get worried. Where can we draw the line between sexual liberty and just plain inappropriateness? Reading this excerpt reminded me of the time when my 5 year old sister thought she was playing a preschool game involving “popping breasts”. Sex, or its symbols are everywhere. As the authors mentioned, we are enjoying freedom more than ever before. And although it seems exhilarating, it can yield more cons than pros. My main concern is just the kids who are being exposed to such content prematurely. Innocence is robbed. Aside from that, another point was brought up in the reading that women/girls will be looked upon as nothing more than sexual objects. In my opinion porn may contribute to this, but there is definitely more to it. What about all the males who participate in porn? Are they seen as objects, or idols who probably get praised? All in all, it is interesting to find that overtime, porn is coming out of the screen and playing itself in everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteP.S. How much porn did Sarracino and Scott have to watch to create such a novel?
I find that this book is written by college professors really shows that porn is a giant part of American culture whether people want to admit it or not. First of all, I find it interesting that porn really has impacted our society, but I guess I never really thought of that. This book really analyzes and brings to people's attention the affect porn is having on our society. I do agree that it has helped "de-stigmatize" anything sexual and help humans realize we're sexual beings by nature, but like the author said there's not all benefits. Personally I think that while there are those good aspects of it, it makes sex seem too casual. The fact that porn is so accessible to children, even at 8 years old, is somewhat scary. Sex isn't something that kids should concern themselves with, and because sex/porn practically used in everyday advertisements is not something that I or I think many people support.
ReplyDeleteI also though find it interesting that pornography has so much historical background. Am I the least bit surprised, not at all, but like I said it's never really been something I would have thought about. I think this is a good example of a phenomenon, because it is something that's counter-culture, and mainstream culture at the same time, as in something that can't be explained. Definitely an interesting read.
It’s obvious to everyone that America has been, is, and will continue changing. How much is allowed to be seen in the general public as still appropriate is what America keeps becoming more lenient with. I can say that I agree that the amount of skin allowed to be shown, or how sexual a gesture can be made on television has been getting closer and closer to porn just like Carmine Sarracino and Kevin M. Scott suggest in The Porning of America. Everything keeps changing with what is allowed compared to decades ago. Take for instance back in the early 1900’s when a woman exposing her knees was considered going too far. Then you look in the mid 1900’s when Elvis came out parents hated him because swinging his hips was thought to be considered too in this case “pornographic.” Then look at the birth of rock and roll; its suggestive themes drove parents mad too. In modern days even dancing has become more suggestive including high school dances where everyone just grinds instead of formal dancing which is what the dances are supposed to be. I can even thing of my own high school where they banned grinding the year after I graduated because it was seen as too suggestive. I could go on and on about the history of America getting more and more pornographic and suggestive. The only thing that I can think of is when will it stop or how far is it going to be allowed to go. You look at adds nowadays how Sarracino and Scott talk about Paris Hilton being sexual to a cheeseburger; those are so common now because sex sells and people keep wanting to push the limits on what they can get away with. I just believe that it is not a good thing that society is getting this close to porn with the television ads and toys for instance the Bratz dolls because it shapes a norm that young kids look at. They think that’s just how things are and when they grow up boundaries of what’s too suggestive and what’s acceptable will keep being pushed. Time will really only tell though.
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