Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!twltims From: twltims@watmath.UUCP (Tracy Tims) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: More Real Dirt on Porn Message-ID: <7183@watmath.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Mar-84 14:39:20 EST Article-I.D.: watmath.7183 Posted: Tue Mar 6 14:39:20 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 7-Mar-84 07:40:53 EST References: <2520@ncsu.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 50 Last night I watched a movie on network TV. It seemed to convey the message that "it's OK to hit your (pregnant) wife, if you are good in bed" and "it's OK to rape your sister-in-law (while your wife is in the maternity ward) if she is already unbalanced so that no one will believe her when she complains." I mean, the message is pretty clear; brutish Stanley goes back to life as usual with Stella and the new baby, while delicate, sensitive Blanche gets carted off to the looney bin. Although the movie is not "explicit", the rape and wife-beating are unmistakable. It would seem to be a definite affront to women and a threat to society. And yet... Did you really understand ``A Streetcar Named Desire'' to be advocating rape and wife beating or are you saying that you did as a debating technique? I found the movie to portray an extremely undesireable hellhole of violence and insanity. I would argue that "A Streetcar Named Desire" is a classic of the theater, and any censorship of it would be a great loss. Any similar artistic effort should also be taken seriously, even though it falls short of success. There is no workable method of distinguishing serious but flawed movies from successful exploitation movies. The nauseating Gor books might be a serious science fiction portrayal of the way human society could have gone, and "Debbie Does Dallas" is the fable of some enterprising young cheerleaders who are led astray by our corrupt capitalistic system. Who can tell? No set of rigid rules can tell porn from serious movies, and any system based on opinion is subject to abuse from all sides. -- _Doctor_ Jon Mauney, mcnc!ncsu!mauney \__Mu__/ North Carolina State University Remember, I don't like the word ``pornography'' on the basis that it obscures the real issues. If there are movies that have an undesireable effect on society (and I defined that to mean ``movies that would increase the accept- ability of violent actions in society, generally through advocating violent acts'') then I argue that these movies should be banned. Note that by definition we have a tool for distinguishing them from artistic movies. Yes, it is possible to create a seemingly desirable film that REALLY DOES increase the acceptance of violence in society. I would think that even though the film was ``artistic'' it would be undesirable because of it's effect. I am not suggesting rules to distinguish ``porn'' from serious movies. I am suggesting distinguishing between movies with negative social value from those that aren't terribly damaging. Tracy Tims {linus,allegra,decvax,utcsrgv}!watmath!twltims The University of Waterloo, 519-885-1211 x2730