Porn Culture

(USA) STOP PORN CULTURE! conference and training next month

Next month the 4th Stop Porn Culture Conference will be held in San Diego, California. The four day event running from the 16th to the 19th of June will be split into two blocks of two days with the first two providing training to those who are interested in using Stop Porn Culture’s slideshow training, followed by a two day conference entitled “Contemporary Radical Feminism in the Age of Porn”. The Stop Porn Culture Slideshow training will provide attendees with the experience, knowledge, and confidence to speak publicly against pornography in their community and will include in-depth presentations on topics such as: -the links between pornography and violence against women -First Amendment and other free speech issues -women in the industry -how to organize...

Porn is an issue for the left but practical approaches from across the political spectrum shouldn’t be rejected out of hand

Porn is an issue for the left but practical approaches from across the political spectrum shouldn’t be rejected out of hand

Last week saw the publication of the ‘Findings and Recommendations’ of the UK Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection. The inquiry was headed up by the Conservative MP Claire Perry, and while some may argue (or presume) that the report is couched in a “save the children” small ‘c’ conservative-style rhetoric, the cross-party inquiry’s findings and recommendations are actually far more balanced in their ideological approach than one might expect. Crucially, in the report the inquiry shows special concern regarding the “violent, degrading and coercive” pornographic material that teenagers are said to be accessing (p.13), and noted from evidence given by the NSPCC, that “overuse of pornographic material has been shown to desensitise children and young people to violent or sexually aggressive acts ...

Diversion tactics of the tabloids

Diversion tactics of the tabloids

The tactics of both German and UK tabloids to quiet those protesting against the objectification of women in the press has really got to me of late. Bild, Germany’s biggest tabloid decided on International Women’s Day this year to get rid of the topless photographs on their front page, which they have been running every day for over 25 years. This move by Bild has been heralded as a step forward, a success even. But is it one? The women working at Bild had got the day off, so that this landmark decision was made entirely by the men at Bild. To me, the way this decision was made is more like a step backward than one in the right direction. I imagine the male...

Supply and Demand: Our insatiable appetite for porn is fuelling the exploitation of women

Supply and Demand: Our insatiable appetite for porn is fuelling the exploitation of women

With 13,000 new films per year, 28,000 online viewers every second and 793 million Google hits for the word itself, our demand for porn seems almost insatiable. Statistics indicate that 43% of all internet users view pornography and when in 2009, scientists at the University of Montreal attempted to carry out a study involving men in their 20s who had never watched porn, they couldn’t find any. In an age of increased consumer awareness, where big name shops like Primark, Topman and Marks and Spencer cede to customer pressure, and where persistent lobbying is increasing the range of fair-trade products available, does the average pornography consumer question the willingness of those from whom he is getting pleasure? The problem of sex trafficking is largely...

Male participants needed for research project

Male participants needed for research project

Participants are needed for a London Metropolitan University research project exploring men’s experiences of, and perspectives on sexualised media and the sex industry. I’m currently recruiting for men to help with the research by completing an anonymous and confidential online questionnaire, and/or by taking part in face to face interviews. The online questionnaire will ask very general questions about your perspectives on sexualised medias, such as advertising, magazines and music videos. It will also ask about your experiences (or not) of strip/lap dancing clubs; paying for sex and your use (or not) of pornography. It will not go into great detail and you can skip anything you don’t want to answer. So, if you’re a man aged 18+ and if you have something to say about ‘sexed up’...

Man-centric media impairs our ability to see the sexism in porn

Man-centric media impairs our ability to see the sexism in porn

Nearly all mainstream pornography is depicted from a man’s perspective. This may be obvious; such as in Point of View (POV) type scenes, or made evident through the fact that the woman (or women) take up most of the picture or screen (they are the ones to be looked at), or even apparent through the kind of sex and sex acts being depicted; Ass To Mouth, for example. These are just a few ways in which porn can reveal the fact that it is almost exclusively a particular kind of man-orientated vision of sex and sexuality. Perhaps, like many men, this is not something that immediately struck me about porn when I first started to use it. This may be explained by the fact...

STOP PORN CULTURE! conference and slideshow training

From June 16-19th San Diego will be the host city of the 4th Stop Porn Culture Conference. The four day event will be split into two blocks of two days with the first two providing training to those who are interested in using Stop Porn Culture’s slideshow training, followed by a two day conference entitled “Contemporary Radical Feminism in the Age of Porn”. The Stop Porn Culture Slideshow training will provide attendees with the experience, knowledge, and confidence to speak publicly against pornography in their community and will include in-depth presentations on topics such as: -the links between pornography and violence against women -First Amendment and other free speech issues -women in the industry -how to organize in your community Speakers include Gail Dines,...

Women’s Support Project booklets on sexual exploitation

Women’s Support Project booklets on sexual exploitation

Recently the Women’s Support Project launched a new series of five short information booklets on different aspects of sexual exploitation. The booklets each focus on a different concern within sexual exploitation and provide key information, background reading and also ideas on how to discuss these sometimes sensitive and controversial issues with young people. The booklets cover the following five aspects of sexual exploitation: PORNIFICATION GROOMING SEXTING SEXUAL EXPLOITATION SEXUALISATION The leaflets also contain some valuable tips on how you can help tackle problems created through sexual exploitation, including taking actions on a local / social level. The pornification leaflet for instance points out how you can target TV stations, local supermarkets and DVD shops with regards to their display and sale of pornographic items. The...

Blame the industries, not the people who follow them

Blame the industries, not the people who follow them

No matter how many news articles one reads, there will always be one that takes one by surprise – not necessarily in a good way. I know I shouldn’t give the Daily Mail any attention, but I read their featured article “Since when did women’s lib mean dressing like a porn star?” with a mixture of feelings I am not sure how to place; it was probably a mix of understanding some of the issues raised as well as baffled annoyance. Somewhere halfway through the piece the author appropriately pointed out that the fashion choices of today’s women and girls are informed by a hypersexualised mainstream porn and pop culture noting that “it is becoming increasingly clear that the harsh and brutal aesthetics of...

Page 1 of 5

1 2 3 … 5 »