Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Good Porn?

Hey, I know it's been a while since I've blogged, lots going on, plus I've been wanting to reorient my focus from promotion to a more content-rich blog which explores erotic themes.  For example, I've been reading an interesting book on the portrayal of sex in films from porn to mainstream to arty and wanted to discuss some interesting ideas presented in that book.  I'm still mulling over those ideas, and what should I come across in the blog-scape than a post by Erobintica which deals with many of the same issues that fascinate me--the portrayal of sex and eros in the media, female shame and empowerment, the importance of articulating our desire.  Erobintica presents an intriguing review of Good Porn: A Woman's Guide topped by a wonderful interview with the author of the book, Erika Lust.  In particular I agree with Erika's observation that we tend to lump all explicit sexual material into one big trash pile called "porn," which is not unlike using the male experience as the norm--it erases a great deal of nuance and variety in the human condition.  No doubt I'll have more to say after I read the book, but thanks to Robin for the pointer and the thought-provoking post!

2 comments:

Erobintica said...

What book are you reading, Donna? Now I'm very curious. Sounds like a book form of that exhibit we saw at the Museum of Sex in NYC. I look forward to your "more content-rich" blog posts. Sounds like we're sort of thinking along the same lines. It would be great to have a discussion going. Cool!

And thanks for the linkage.

Donna said...

We are definitely in a similar space, Robin! The book I'll be talking about eventually is called Screening Sex by U.C. Berkeley Film Studies Professor Linda Williams (she also wrote Hard Core, one of the first feminist scholarly studies of porn, which I really enjoyed). I've already watched one art/erotic film she recommended and am glad I did, "Intimacy," a sort of updated "Last Tango in Paris." More on this soon!