The Observer, November 30, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 12
Porn Nation studies issue in stark terms
If you saw the bulletins around campus several weeks ago, it was obvious that somebody thinks that college students are obsessed with sex. The luminaries behind Porn Nation seem to want to share their horror at the ubiquity of porn in life both on and off campus. Stating that porn has created unrealistic sexual expectations, addictions, and disruptions to mental health, Porn Nation, a documentary about the pitfalls of pornography, takes a stark stance against it.
This approach seems to hearken towards a very old condemnatory morality that sees porn as a terrible impasse on culture, sexuality, and relationships. However tempting it may be to believe these ideas at face value, their own figures betray them. Seeing that porn has become increasingly reified in our society and that it is a $60 billion industry seem to suggest that the ideologies of those behind Porn Nation may be further from the mainstream values than they like to admit.
Whether we like it or not, pornography has been expanded to mainstream culture. From the voyeuristic pleasures of To Catch A Predator to a rather disturbing Hardee's burger advertisement (showing a woman shoving a fist down her throat), it is clear that pornographic desires or even elements seem to manifest themselves in other cathartic ways. Much like the Victorian horror at uncovered chair legs and the various sexual connotations they held, it would appear that our level of misdirected sexuality has become more graphic but not conceptually or emotively different. Thus, one wonders at the meaning and significance of sex, pornography, and even love in student life. Does it mean exactly the same thing no matter who is commenting? While the well-meaning functionaries behind Porn Nation may feel that mainstream perversity is dysfunctional and responsible for many social ills, it would seem as if students have already been approaching the issue of sex for quite some time already in a fashion that doesn't include the blatant fear mongering that Porn Nation's approach seems to advocate.
The amusing titles of undergraduate porn magazines seem to suggest both a blithe and circumspect approach toward their content. From playful titles such as Swarthmore and Vassar's Untouchables and Squirm to Chicago's intellectualized Vita Excolatur, one would be remiss not to think that sex plays a large part in student life. While Porn Nation tries to revitalize the debate from a relatively one-sided angle, it is important to note that many students have the ability to address these issues in an honest manner instead of sublimating them into other issues. While those behind Porn Nation seem convinced that the elimination of porn would result in the liberation of sexuality, it seems rather naive and foolish to think that by simply eliminating porn, these problems would go away. As such, while the commercialization and mainstreaming of porn suggests a society that is conflicted about sex, it would seem rather foolish to turn a blind eye toward the significance of pornography. Whatever porn is approaching, it has definitely cemented itself within the sphere of our society, and perhaps the alleged perversity of those who do indulge in porn should be investigated beyond conventional notions of what is 'good' or 'normal.'
