Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality

Rating:
Summary: An authoritative and ethical discussion--must read!
Review: I can't figure out why this book got published. There is almost nothing in it beyond what one might have read years ago in books by Diana Russell, Catherine Itzin, Susan Cole, and others.

The authors give a little ground in admitting that some women enjoy and create pornography, and that no conclusive causal link between pornography and violence has been shown (and possibly ever will be). They admit to reading Linda Williams, Wendy McElroy, Nadine Strossen, Laura Kipnis, and some of the other pro-porn feminist commentators -- which is more than one may say for Dworkin and MacKinnon, who resolutely pretend that valid feminist opposition to their position doesn't exist.

But one reads the same old assumptions: the culture "is saturated with pornography"; one out of three American women is said to report some form of sexual abuse; "violence of various types is present in almost all pornography"; "The simple truth is that in this culture, men have to make a conscious decision not to rape" (I don't remember that one ever being an issue for me), and so on.

Jensen has a quaint chapter in which he interviews porn users, though more than 50 percent of them are convicted sex criminals (how's that for a representative sample?). While he acknowledges that "most of the pornography users who reported heavy consumption also reported no abusive sexual behavior" and "some of the sex offenders reported relatively light consumption," he also races past the significance of remarks such as the one by a violent and abusive ex-Marine and lumber worker who prefers "fast-forwarding past scenes of women in control" (which simply don't exist in pornography, if one ascribes to the authors' orthodoxy).

It's interesting to see how often and repeatedly Americans from across the political spectrum -- religious fundamentalists to radical feminists -- need to keep scratching this issue without ever quite getting to the source of the itch ... when it just isn't an issue for the rest of us.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Reading
Review: I say this is a must for everyone because pornography effects everyone (whether you use it or not). This is an honest look into the world of pornography including the producers, consumers, and victims. Since it was written by 3 outspoken liberal feminists (e.g., one author claims to be anti-capitalist, and they all dismiss religious conservatives such as fundamentalists as often hypocritical; not to mention, they make a point of naming the Catholic religion of many of the users and abusers of porn). Even with those quibbles (since I'm a conservative/fundamentalist Baptist, pro-capitalist, and for the most part, anti-feminist), I still highly recommend this book. Beware, however: the illustrations of mainstream porn and the accounts of the victims are very graphic. For those of us who never "got into" the world of hardcore or semi-hardcore pornography, this will be an eye-opener that will make you both sad and disgusted. If you don't have the money to buy this book, please go see if your library has it (like mine). A must read no matter where you are on the left-right social/political spectrum.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for EVERYONE
Review: I say this is a must for everyone because pornography effects everyone (whether you use it or not). This is an honest look into the world of pornography including the producers, consumers, and victims. Since it was written by 3 outspoken liberal feminists (e.g., one author claims to be anti-capitalist, and they all dismiss religious conservatives such as fundamentalists as often hypocritical; not to mention, they make a point of naming the Catholic religion of many of the users and abusers of porn). Even with those quibbles (since I'm a conservative/fundamentalist Baptist, pro-capitalist, and for the most part, anti-feminist), I still highly recommend this book. Beware, however: the illustrations of mainstream porn and the accounts of the victims are very graphic. For those of us who never "got into" the world of hardcore or semi-hardcore pornography, this will be an eye-opener that will make you both sad and disgusted. If you don't have the money to buy this book, please go see if your library has it (like mine). A must read no matter where you are on the left-right social/political spectrum.

Rating:
Summary: An authoritative and ethical discussion--must read!
Review: This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding a feminist anti-pornography perspective. It is careful, responsible, and evenhanded while also engaging moral and political passion about this very important subject. The authors effectively describe pro-pornography positions that some feminists have supported, and respond to these views with careful arguments that, to my mind, settle the issue firmly for the anti-pornography side. [...] Gail Dines' chapter on the growth of the porn business, beginning with Playboy, is alone worth the price of admission. Even (or especially) if you don't agree with feminist anti-porn politics, you should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Reading
Review: This was a short, easy to read book on the truth of pornography and its harmful effects. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in getting a bit more credible info on the subject. A very good read and certainly very relevant to anyone interested in the effects pornography is having on the world around them.