Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality

By Gail Dines, Bob Jensen, Ann Russo, et al.

Book Overview

First published in 1998. No other issue has divided the feminist movement in the past two decades quite like pornography. By providing the first book to engage in an empirical investigation of the pornography industry itself, the authors--each grounded in the radical feminist anti-pornography movement--move beyond the rhetorical bomb-tossing of an often polarized debate.

The authors engage in a systematic examination of the politics, production, content, and consumption of contemporary mass-market heterosexual pornography, thereby contributing to a fuller understanding of pornography's role in the cultural construction of gender, racial and sexual identities, and relations. They begin with an overview of the social and political history of the feminist anti-pornography movement and the debate over pornography within feminism. Then they address the various rhetorical dodges--definitional, legal, and causal--used to distort the fact that institutionalized pornography helps maintain the sexual and social oppression of women within a patriarchal system.

Exploring the beginnings of the commercial pornography industry, the book focuses in part on the history of Playboy magazine. It also analyzes the content of contemporary mass-market videos. Dines, Jensen, and Russo argue that the sexual ideology of patriarchy eroticizes domination and submission, with pornography playing a significant role in how these values are mediated and normalized in American society. They discuss the effects of pornography on the lives of those who use it and those against whom it is used. In so doing, the authors hope to contribute to creating a world in which sex is not a site of oppression but of liberation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B007CHS786
• ISBN13: 9780415918138
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Interesting Reading

This was a short, easy to read book on the truth of pornography and its harmful effects. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in getting a bit more credible info on the subject. A very good read and certainly very relevant to anyone interested in the effects pornography is having on the world around them.

A must read for EVERYONE

I say this is a must for everyone because pornography effects everyone (whether you use it or not). This is an honest look into the world of pornography including the producers, consumers, and victims. Since it was written by 3 outspoken liberal feminists (e.g., one author claims to be anti-capitalist, and they all dismiss religious conservatives such as fundamentalists as often hypocritical; not to mention, they make a point of naming the Catholic religion of many of the users and abusers of porn). Even with those quibbles (since I'm a conservative/fundamentalist Baptist, pro-capitalist, and for the most part, anti-feminist), I still highly recommend this book. Beware, however: the illustrations of mainstream porn and the accounts of the victims are very graphic. For those of us who never "got into" the world of hardcore or semi-hardcore pornography, this will be an eye-opener that will make you both sad and disgusted. If you don't have the money to buy this book, please go see if your library has it (like mine). A must read no matter where you are on the left-right social/political spectrum.

An authoritative and ethical discussion--must read!

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding a feminist anti-pornography perspective. It is careful, responsible, and evenhanded while also engaging moral and political passion about this very important subject. The authors effectively describe pro-pornography positions that some feminists have supported, and respond to these views with careful arguments that, to my mind, settle the issue firmly for the anti-pornography side. [...] Gail Dines' chapter on the growth of the porn business, beginning with Playboy, is alone worth the price of admission. Even (or especially) if you don't agree with feminist anti-porn politics, you should read this book.

Honesty About Pornography

As a student of Gail Dines, this book was part of the required reading. What an eye opener! The book gives an honest account and analyzation of the pornography industry, how it keeps the status of women below men, and the effects of it on the women who are in the industry. It gives valid responses for the arguments that pornograpy is part of free speech and is a great opportunity for women to earn a lot of money and boost their career. The information is brutally honest and will never leave you. I highly recommend it.

Hold your nose and dive right in!

The thing about this book is that it's pure honesty from start to finish. These authors do not shade the truth at all. One can tell, just from reading one line of Gail Dines' essays (or anyone else's for that matter) that she has been there, done that, seen it all, and ready to share it with the reader. It's the point of no return and only intended for the strong-stomached, but a quality piece of work. Definitely recommended.