Earlier this week I reviewed Wicked’s new film Mesmerized, a feature length film about a guy (Danny Wylde, who is great) so blinded by love for his best friend (Alektra Blue) that he can’t realize she’s kind of a heartless bitch. There are problems aplenty with the plot, but you can read about those over at WHACK! What I want to talk about here is the fact that, while writing the review, I had to stop myself from making food references because I realized that I use them way too often in my reviews.
My recent writing for WHACK! and other publications includes references to beef fillets, steak sauce, smorgasbords, feasts, buffets, brandy, pancakes, pancake batter, chocolate cake… The list goes on and on. Over the course of my three-ish years writing for and about porn, I’d wager I’ve covered every major food group and regional cuisine in my reviews, set copy, columns, and musings.
I guess this isn’t so very surprising: sex and food go well together, as anyone who’s ever wanted a sandwich immediately after finishing up can tell you. They’re both things we all crave and need to be happy. And they’re so much fun! But I’ve started wondering why I particularly talk about food in a sexual context so much.
Is it because it’s just an easy reference to grab onto when thinking about something else that’s satisfying and visceral? Or is it because I have the munchies when I watch porn? Or is it because porn is so much a part of my life that it’s almost like sustenance to me? Hm. Not sure if any of these are good answers. Certainly worth asking, though.
Then again... maybe I should just look into splooshing.
Hi Miss L,
ReplyDeleteAs a writer, I wonder if you've read any literature on the long-term effects of 'porn seepage' into mainstream culture? The following link is to a MacLean's magazine article (a few years old, but very relevant, IMO):
http://www.newsweek.com/2008/10/07/the-pornification-of-a-generation.html
Are you familiar with the work of journalist Robert Jensen and feminist scholar Gail Dines?
http://www.amazon.com/Pornography-Production-Consumption-Gail-Dines/dp/0415918138
I'm not a prude - far from it. I'm just a concerned citizen that sees most porn as a sad failure of the imagination, driven by profit, fuelled by misogyny. Is there no realm in our lives where we're not being intruded upon by canned experiences? Do you have any thoughts about living in a society where there is profit in making thong underwear available to elementary school-aged girls and do you think tweens having 'rainbow' parties is just kids experimenting with sex? Do you think the ubiquity of sexualized imagery everywhere has NO affect on our culture?
Porn is about lies (especially about female sexuality) and profit; the industry doesn't care about its overall affect on our culture. I don't see anything progressive, sex-positive, or empowering about it at all. It has no soul, as you yourself have stated. It commodifies the most basic of human experiences.
I'm just wondering what your thoughts are since you already state you're conflicted about this industry? Agree/disagree?
Best,
Jania Ketterling