[lbo-talk] RE: Theory of porn

[joanna bujes]

Jon writes:
"Were the inquisitors' manuals "intended" to cause sexual excitement? On 
one level, I suppose not. Those guys sincerely believed that they were 
engaged in the holy work of saving souls from Satan. "

I myself was introduced to real sex through careful closeted reading of 
"The Sexual Behavior of the Lesbian" -- basically, a pron work thinly 
disguised as a scientific manual. Paperback with steamy pictures.

Now Carrol and Ken may have a point in talking about the newness of porn 
as a stand-alone "genre" (why does genre seem misapplied to porn)...but 
I just don't see how that makes porn which predates Sade not porn. Now, 
having read Sade, cover to cover, I also need to say that he himself did 
not think he was writing porn, but philosophy. And, put in the context 
of 18th century Rousseauian nature worship, it is philosophical in some 
very interesting ways. For those of you who don't believe me. Try 
reading "Justine."

Joanna