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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Just a couple of thoughts on Pornography
Message-ID: <745@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Oct-85 13:28:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.745
Posted: Tue Oct  1 13:28:31 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Oct-85 07:43:58 EDT
References: <732@utai.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 50

In article <732@utai.UUCP> gkloker@utai.UUCP (Geoff Loker) writes:
>Just a couple of thoughts:
>
>Thought 1:
>=========
>     What might be a good idea is setting up some central locations where
>"dirty" magazines, movies, etc, are available.  These locations would be the
>*only* places where they would be sold, and they would sell *only* such
>items.  This plan has the virtue that people who are offended by pornography
>would never have to go near these places, and people who like it would not
>have their supply cut off.  Comments?

I think adult bookstores already fulfill this  function.  The  problem,  as
usual,  comes  down to drawing a line in the gray area of what is and isn't
pornography.  I don't think anyone would disagree that the contents  of  an
adult  bookstore  is  pornography.  That's the business they're in.  On the
other hand, is Playboy pornographic?  How about a coffee table type book of
nude  photography?  How  about  Degas' "Naked Maja" painting?  Who decides?
By what right or authority?

A friend of mine once went into an adult bookstore and asked for a copy  of
Playboy.   The   proprietor  was  actually  insulted!   He  replied  rather
haughtily to the effect that "... we don't carry that sort of stuff here.".
In  fact,  I've  never seen a Playboy, or any other "news stand" type nudie
magazine, in an adult bookstore.  One person's  porn  is  another  person's
art.

>Thought 2:
>=========
>     It has been suggested about that pornographic pictures of adults are
>fine because they are obviously consenting adults.
>     [ Examples of pictures of non-consenting adults finding their way
>       into publication.]
>     Now, I am not saying that this sort of thing is the case for all nude
>pictures.  It's just instructive to note that in some cases (with regard
>to adults), it is *not* a case of consenting adults.

This sort of thing is grounds for _major_ legal action.  Awards  have  been
known  to run into the $millions.  Even a model release isn't good for much
if the person who signs it claims they were coerced. (Needless to say,  one
should  _never_  voluntarily sign such a release, or anything else, without
first reading, understanding, and agreeing to _all_ of what it says).

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI                    Common Sense is what tells you that a ten
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.             pound weight falls ten times as fast as a
Santa Monica, CA  90405           one pound weight.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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