Polski
From the frescoes in Pompeii to the Indian Kamasutra, the Japanese shunga, or the French 120 Days of Sodom, since the dawn of time, people of all social positions, economic status and backgrounds have enjoyed watching and reading about how others fuck. Our interest in sexuality should not surprise anyone. Outside of the narrow circle of people who identify as asexual, ALL of us, from the laid-back moms to the lady at the grocery store, the DPD dude and the hipsters who dye their hair blue, are sexual beings.
Collectively, our favorite type of erotica has remained adult films for years. Mainstream porn, however, is a world where mostly male fantasies are fulfilled on screen. The typical plot, if it can be so hyped, begins with a headless horseman who, as befits a true hero, chivalrously holds up the hair of a white-haired woman while she crouches to his sword. Although the man can’t be seen much, as he is mostly cut out of the frame, he occasionally makes his presence known by shooting the woman in the buttocks, presumably to encourage the mare to do her job. In the development we still have whining and three, maximum four positions of 2 minutes each, more whining, possible koko in choko, and if the male shows more tact, an optional tour de cipken. In the final scene, the dragon shoots the asani in the eye, after which the harlequin comes to an end.
On average: 9 minutes and 55 seconds.
For many, such a close-up image is the visual embodiment of patriarchy. Perhaps that is why the group among whom porn causes the most heated discussions remains the feminist community. Back in the 1970s, pornography divided them into two camps willing to scratch their eyes out and break their nails in the process. One group was convinced of the misogynistic overtones of the films, while the other believed in the freedom to make sexual choices. The women’s dispute resulted in the creation of a faction of erotic films, seen by many as an oxymoron – it was feminist porn. His main focus became creating films with elaborate storylines and romantic plots that prioritized female pleasure. The genre quickly moved beyond the screen and into a social movement with a mission to broaden views on human sexuality.
That’s all nice, but what does the representation of women’s desires look like in practice?
As part of my super professional research of an investigative nature(wink, wink), I watched the 1986 film Christine‘s Secret and compared it to what is found in mainstream pornography. The kitsch and trashiness of low-budget 1980s cinema, did not disappoint. Amidst inaudible dialogue and context-free panoramic shots of trees, there were stylish crocs and an exceptionally white ass of one of the actors. After the initial laughs, however, Christine’s Secret stopped amusing me and started touching me. Penises weren’t straining as if they were about to snap, instead of gynecological shots of female genitalia, the camera took sensual close-ups of the male body, and you could feel real chemistry between each of the couples, who were experiencing actual emotions on their faces. After the closing credits, a tear sprang to my eye(easy, I also howl at the commercials for dishwasher cleaning tablets). I was blushing because I finally saw sex on the screen that reminded me of the sex I was having myself.
Until recently, I thought that adult films were just nicely packaged simulated copulation, responsible for commodifying the human body. But crafted with taste and subtlety, the porn is much more than ejaculating members and members – it’s a place where we can expand our understanding of sexuality.
The utopian vision in which the adult film industry magically collapses underground is actually a very sad parable about how an artificially constructed set of constraints called morality becomes more important than human well-being. It is a world devoid of fantasy and desire, a world stripped of life’s energy, a world robbed of dreams. Perhaps if we just detach from our judgments for a moment, we will see the enormous potential of erotic films, because although pornography still leaves much to be desired, our attitudes towards it, says more about ourselves than it does about the market.
