A pin-up is a popular form of art/entertainment that became widely known in “European and North American regions” (Lev 2007, 1149). Pinup was described as a “negotiate[ing] space… between the fine and popular arts, defin[ing] itself through the representation of… contemporary female sexuality” (Lev 2007, 1149). But have you ever wondered where the concept of Pin-up was developed? Pin-up has founded on the idea of Erotica and Burlesque. In the early 1800’s, the invention of producing “sharper”, clearer “more permanent paintings” of nude models was used to attract wealthy collectors (Roof 2007, 476). Not long after this new imaging process, William Fox Talbot improved the ability of mass production by inventing the Calotype. The Calotype was …show more content…
Laurie Essig observed that the Burlesque industry was booming in the 1920’s to 1930’s when the striptease was developed (Essig 2007, 199). This added to the comic relief of critiquing pretentious bourgeois culture. But Burlesque didn’t last long within the United States, when the Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia of New York City, “managed to shut down the remaining Burlesque theaters by 1937.” Because nudity wasn’t considered an art form, Burlesque and pornography were yet to be seen as socially acceptable. During the midst of the theater shutdowns, Burlesque dancers started following another career path in the “film industry” (Essig 2007, 199). Though nudity banned in photography, “cinema began to display stage nudity,” and nudity slowly became “culturally accep[table]” (Roof 2007, 477). Throughout World War II, pornography was removed from bookstores and those containing erotica were shutting down. The prohibition of pornography didn’t last very long, pin-ups were beginning to transform erotica and Burlesque, by sexualizing the traditional domestic woman as the “girl next door” leading to sexual liberation. Once the war was over, new erotica places opened for business (Roof,
At the beginning of the 1900s, there was a “sexual revolution” in New York City. During this time, sexual acts and desires were not hidden, but instead they were openl...
A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.
...is considered as an art now. I felt that these pornographic images are serves as a medium for spreading a new culture as well, even though some of them are restricted severely.
As the stock market booms and society prospers, women’s fashion undergoes drastic change during the 1920’s. The hems of skirts and dresses rise to newer, more promiscuous level. The traditional long hair, supposedly the crowning glory of a women, is cut shoulder-length or shorter. Defined waistlines are lost, giving way to a shapeless and loose fitting style of clothing. Manufacturing of cosmetics emerges during this decade, and a variety of products become popular among women. The famous Gabrielle Chanel, more commonly known as “Coco Chanel,” introduces her renowned perform in the late 1920s (Yarwood 139). Peggy Whitley, dean at Lone Star College, sums up the newfound cosmetic craze in her American Cultural article: “Powder, lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, colored nails. They had it all!” Associated with the distinct new styles of the era, the iconic “flapper girl” is born. This term is often used for women who donned the edgy style of the time, particularly with a defiant and independent outlook on life. Outside the exciting and rebellious life of the flapper girl, everyday clothing also experiences significant change. Relaxed sport’s attire bec...
1.Chenier,Elise. “Sex,Sexuality and the Third Reich.” History 115: Introduction to the History of Sexuality. Class lecture at Simon Fraser Univerity, Burnaby,BC, October 9,2013
Many banned books from the 19th century discussed sexuality or contained sexual content. Kimberly M. Radek, an English instructor at Illinois Valley Community College, has written articles on sexuality, specifically that of women’s, in the 1800s. “Marriage was seen as the only proper locale for moderate sex” (Radek). During this era, sexuality was generally viewed as scandalous. People did not commonly speak about sexual activities outside of their home. “… public discussion of sexual matters was characterised by absence of plain speaking, with consequent ignorance, embarrassment and fear” (Marsh). Those who spoke about sexual topics publicly were looked down upon. To have such things printed in literature was considered profane and indecent. The French novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, released in 1856, is an example of a commonly banned novel from the 19th century. The book was consi...
Slade, Joseph W. Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.
That attitude Americans used to embrace was one that promoted strong morals. Racy material was a rarity, but more importantly an attitude of acceptance of this material was even more scarce. Comedians on television did not rely on obscene language and movies did not rely on graphic sexual content for an audience. The media has...
The existence of pornography is not a new invention. For years, humans have found certain depictions to be sexually arousing. Holmes and Holmes (2009), for example discuss how in ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia, for example, there were depictions of men and women in sexually explicit scenes on various household goods, such as plates and washbasi...
Burlesque Goes Delightfully Mainstream”, burlesque is the “rising tide of sexy, saucy stripping as retro art follows a trend of burlesque going mainstream.” and based on the pictures she decided to attach to her article, associations of burlesque with White, heterosexual, slim yet voluptuous in “all the right places” female sensuality is telling of what society feels comfortable mainstreaming, consuming, digesting, and shows a lack diversity. In Sydney F. Lewis 's article “Women of Color in Burlesque: The Not-So-Hidden-History”, she gives a thoughtful understanding and reason for why women of color who did burlesque had limited documentation. She states that after browsing online for eight hours and flipping through documents containing Black strippers from the 1940s-70s "I have come to the conclusion that, just as I suspected, the omission of Black Women and other Women of Color from the realm of burlesque...is willed ignorance-ignorance, lazy scholarship, and yup, I 'll say it, racist brands of white feminism." (Lewis, 2011) I 'm going to first discuss how the neo-burlesque/queer burlesque movement uses the performance of gender to depart from and reinforce heterosexual cultural
Despite initial criticism at the time of release, Paul Verhoeven’s erotic drama, Showgirls (1995), has become a camp classic that challenges notions of identity and sexuality. The film traces Nomi Malone’s challenging journey from a stripper to a showgirl where she experiences the brutal and sexist economy of Las Vegas. Verhoeven (1995) uses the relationship between Nomi, Cristal and Zack to explore Sedgwick’s (1985, pp.23) concept of the erotic triangle. This is where the bond between two men seeking the attention of a women are usually more potent than “the bond that links either of the rivals to the beloved” (Sedgwick, 1985 pp.21). However, this traditional representation of erotic triangle can be altered by the friendship between women.
"Sex & Sexuality in the 19th Century." Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum, Web Team. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.
Laura Kipnis has described pornography as “an archive of data about...our history as a culture”. Therefore if, she described it as such, what can it tell us about the sexual history of the 20th century? Examining the history of the forms of archive from pornographic playing cards to blu-ray discs and the internet, this shows the ever changing form of how as a society we view pornography. From the forms of archive come the social implications of pornography. This will be examined through the 1986 Meese Commission in the United States of America into the pornographic industry. Finally, this exposition will also examine the differing views of Gay and Straight pornography and the changes that have taken over the 20th century. Overall, the 20th century was a fundamental shift in sexual attitudes towards pornography.
In the beginning, Madonna ultimately sacrificed sexual purity. Her daring exploitation of sex from a feminine point of view was definitely a breakthrough in 1980’s American society. Often, she dressed like a man and grabbed herself in “sacred” and “unseen” places. Actions like these, as Fiske points out, presented a threat but “not the traditional and easily contained one of woman as a whore but the more radical one of woman as independent of masculinity (Fiske 284).” Young girls regarded her actions not as “tarty” or “seductive” but as completely “acceptable.” Eventually, they embraced her image and strived to follow her example of the independent and sexually licentious woman (Fiske 283).
During the 70’s and 80’s, the primary topics in feminist discussion on women’s sexuality were that of pornography, sex work, and human trafficking. This led to the need of the enlistment for sex worker rights in America. Around the 80’s, pornography was a prominent argument among feminists campaigning for women’s rights. The feminists involved held contrasting views on how to eliminate sexual violence against women, and the feminists involved were either classified as liberal or radical. The final group of feminists described as “pro-sex”, views are considered the true feminist defense of