Chris' Fish Place

This book is a collection of essays that discusses the harm that porn can do to relationships, women, and children as well as how porn is becoming more mainstream.  As a collection it works, though too many of the essays are center on Australia and the U.S. for it to be truly global.  While it contributes to the discussion it doesn’t quite answer a few questions.

                For instance, what is the difference, if there is one, between porn and erotica?   Is it simply that one is for more and the other for women?  Or does erotica have more a plot and is more about consent, a relationship instead of the sexual act?  While the book does mention in passing dirty books, it is unclear whether these include the romance novels that are marketed towards women, the Anita Blake series, or simply Marquis de Sade.

                Is all porn bad?  Is porn in moderation okay?  Or is porn bad and erotica good? 

                Considering the amount of free rated R and above material that is available on the kindle/ereaders and the internet these days, it is a valid question.  And let’s be honest, I have read some rather questionable kindle erotica freebies (I’m using the term erotica because it is artsy and ladies read erotic not porn.  We ladies also fart roses and our burps smell like lavender).  I’m not really sure what the dinosaur turn on thing is all about (outside of laughing at the stupid story) and personally the yeti one was a tad weird.  I have a feeling that some of these porn short stories are by men trying to write a fantasy, and that’s fine I suppose, but why are you marketing it to women? Did wonder why bestiality was all women and male beasts, but to be honest gay erotica is not my thing (but there is nothing wrong with it).  Yet, some of what I have read, say the Naughty Elf story, was about mutual consent and discovery so I have hard time equality that with the gonzo porn that is discussed in this book.  And is it totally wrong to write an R-rated fan fiction involving two characters from a cartoon that Lisa Mlisa loved as kid?

                In short, I guess what I am trying to figure out is where the middle ground is.  Rape culture and child porn aside the rest seems a bit murky and general here. 

                The essays in this book do not really address the above questions and simply deal with areas that many people would agree should be outlawed, such as child porn or the masquerading of legal adults as children in a porn movie.   Also too many of the early essays refer Gail Dines’ excellent work (so go read her book), to be anything more than a rehash.

                There are some good essays – the essays that illustrate how stripping/erotic dancing lead to porn and then prostitution are well done.   The connection between porn and drug corporations was fascinating.  I wasn’t aware of some of the strip games that are avail be to boys over the internet.  The inclusion of setting was interesting.  It was nice to see one article devoted to gay porn, but I have to wonder why all the articles dealing about the effects of porn on the actors only focused on the actresses and not the male actors in the porn movies.  Additionally, why there are two personal stories about the effect of porn and stripping on the lives of women, why is there no corresponding article about the effect on man?  Why not include a personal essay about from a male porn addict?  Perhaps the most disturbing essay is Robi Sanderegger’s simply because of the date presented on internet searches.  The weakest essay is “Pornography and Animals” which is less about the title and more about why the author is vegan.  And quite frankly I don’t care if he is or isn’t.

                The book is worth reading even if it doesn’t address certain key questions.  50 Shades of Grey  is not addresses as this book was published before it hit the height of its popularity, but I would have like a look at the effects in literature (Yes, I am thinking about the use of rape in books, in particular Anita Blake.  How is that erotica and not just toned down rape porn?).  Additionally, what about those who are not traditional in terms sexuality.  Yes, I’m thinking about everyone’s favorite techno- sexual.  If porn is anything graphically sexually than how do those who are non-traditional gain what they wish outside of their own imagination?  Surely reading mutual robot action (or mutual dinosaur, sand crab, yeti, lice, snowman, Loch Ness monsters, cough drop) is fine?  Even filming it in a special effects wonder.  Such an all encompassing definition doesn’t seem logical.

Actually, not always.