Interpretation of A Feminist View on Pornography

As defined by MacKinnon, pornography does indeed cause harm to the women. In her argument, MacKinnon successfully demonstrates how pornography displays male supremacy over women, and how women are mere sex-objects. For the purpose of this paper I will further elaborate on MacKinnon’s argument of pornography depicting women as simply sexual objects and also displaying women as being sub-human to men, almost slave-like. Lastly, I will discuss how pornography lacks literary, artistic, political, and scientific value. First, it is obvious that pornography displays male supremacy.

In respect to the argument posed by Brownmiller, which is considered as a common understanding of pornography, Gary counters the opinion and goes on to pose three questions she wishes to address in the article, which are: Does pornography degrade human beings (as a whole)? Does it degrade in ways or to an extent that it does not degrade men? Does pornography have to degrade women or is there a genuinely harmless and non-sexist version of pornography (Gary 396)? Gary reasons that despite the presence of the degradation of women in modern pornography, an alternate perception of sex and sex roles would enable the conception of non-degrading and non-sexist pornography. Gary continues her discussion through the presentation of two moral arguments.

Two people who have “chosen” to be there and who get pleasure out of it. However, to me it seems that pornography itself is buying into censorship. BY not honestly showing the female side to sexual desires and pleasure, pornography is in itself being censored. It is not the act of sex and sexual p... ... middle of paper ... ... and say that the story of Adam and Eve is sexist as well. But blaming pictures, and other things is not the way to end the controversy.

I don’t see how displaying women as objects, and putting them in films portraying the abuse of them in a sexual manner is helping to protect their rights(Faigley & Selzer, 540). Minor Claims Strossen also st... ... middle of paper ... ...ealize that there are men out there who have sick minds and the use of pornography adds to the power of their horrifying acts. I think women should stand up and fight for the rights they know they deserve. Women should be able to see themselves in a sexual matter without having to feel submissive, used, and dehumanized at the same moment. We women are powerful and I hope more powerful women like MacKinnon and Dworkin stand up, for then men will have no choice but to face the fact that it’s wrong and it’s going to change forever.

In addition, she contradicts her own stance on the position when she mentions that previous literature containing sexually explicit content should not be censored (Brownmiller 59). Brownmiller paints a very strong, emotional, and offensive picture when she claims that women are, “being stripped, bound, raped, tortured, mutilated, and murdered in the name of commercial entertainment” (59). However, this statement is fallacious and does not provide any factual evidence. Furthermore, she makes the hasty generalization that pornography can make people think that certain things, such as rape, are acceptable (Brownmiller 59). Once again, her claim lacks support and relies solely on a faulty pathos appeal.

One persuasive argument or statement that I agree with completely that Susan Miller stated in her essay was that pornography is degradable to women. “…Pornography represents hatred of women that pornography's intent is to humiliate, degrade and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure. We are unalterably opposed to the presentation of the female body being stripped, bound, raped, tortured, mutilated and murdered in the name of commercial entertainment and free speech.”(Susan Brownmiller, Pg. 3 of art... ... middle of paper ... ...net. I liked the valid points and evidence that she gave to get pornography removed from the public because they had some sense to them.

With this much money being invested into an industry that operates in a capitalistic society, it would be ignorant to hope that it would cease to exist. The truth is that pornography is not going anywhere. The issue that feminists from many different strains are debating is if porn is detrimental to women. And if so, how truly immoral is it? In this paper there will be an examination of how the two different radical-feminist theories have dealt with pornography while also discussing why the issue of pornography can be seen as such a confusing topic for feminists as a whole.

Her idea that pornography acts as sex and can therefore be banned because it is no longer speech is ludicrous and rash. The repercussions of such an amendment would change our society to one of ultimate government control. The examples that she gives to relate pornography to racism are limited in scope. She suggests that because Henri Matisse’s “The Blue Nude”(Matisse) portrays an unclothed female that a man may, in her words, “get off on,”(MacKinnon 58) it should be banned. The line between art and explicit pornography is not one that the government should be able to draw.

The objectification in porn portray women are just a sex object, the sex crimes are increasing in great chances because of the use of pornography, the women’s rights, like the basic unharmed principle, are ignoring by the porn industry. The effects of the pornography can cause make me support reinforcing the monitor of pornography. Some people may say using pornography is a freedom of speech, but there are risks affect a lot of women psychically and physically. The society needs to face the consequences pornography made. Lastly, I knew that there are not only women influenced by porn, it also has children and men.

Because of this, there was an early emphasis in the inequality of the sexes and the subordination of women depicted in pornography. In short, according to Andrea Dworkin, “pornography is simply one of the grosser manifestations of the male will to power.” In the United States, there is a strong feminist objection to pornography. It is not based on purity, but rather the fact that it represents the hatred of women, and that its intent is to “humiliate, degrade, and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure.” (Brownmiller) In modern pornography, there are examples of over exaggerated forms of; the male and especially the female body and sexual scenarios. This issue brings up uneasiness among American women in regards to their sexuality, with nonconformity, with the existence of marginal groups and behaviors, and with “deviant” practices. (Heartney) Any type of pornography text, even the most “correct”, contains a distorted image of the social and sexual relations between men and women of the society in which it takes place.