[lbo-talk] Re: Chip Berlet on Hustler

[Gar Lipow]

On 12/20/05, Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Chip Berlet wrote:
> >
> > For the Record:
> >
> > I do not support censorship.
> > I do not support "protecting" women from pornography.
> > I do not think there is an established link between pornography and
> > crime.
> > I do not think viewing erotic images hurts people.
> > I do not think reading erotic text hurts people.
> >
> > I think Hustler reflects a male supremacist viewpoint.
> >
> >[clip]
> > think that writers who write for Hustler are making a mistake because
> > they are giving an imprimatur to a male suppremacist organ (you should
> > pardon the pun).
> >
> > I think this is bad politics. I think this is not a wise way to build a
> > progressive coalition. I will not write for Hustler. I urge other
> > writers to not write for Hustler. [clip]
>
> And immediately after
>
> Gar Lipow wrote:
> >
> > On 12/20/05, Chip Berlet <c.berlet at publiceye.org> wrote:
> > <snip>
> > > To clarify the Hustler issue, I seek gender equality and fairness and do
> > > not think Hustler reflects such a system. While I do not support
> > > shutting down Hustler, or even expending much energy protesting it, I
> > > think that writers who write for Hustler are making a mistake because
> > > they are giving an imprimatur to a male suppremacist organ (you should
> > > pardon the pun).
> > >
> > <snip>
> >
> > And that is what you have not supported.  In what sense is Hustler a
> > male supremacist  organ in a way that the NY Times is not?
>
> Gar could not conceivably write this (placing the burden of proof on
> Chip) except for the fact that pro-pornography has long been established
> as THE PARTY LINE, THE ACCEPTED DOGMA on the left, and anyone who even
> remotely questions that dogma is immeidately ganged up on.
>
> Carrol

So you are saying that  BY THE  FACT THAT IT IS PORNOGRAPHY there is
an argument for it being anti-woman. Are you sure you are not
misrepsenting Chip's  position? I assumed he meant that Hustler in
particular was particularly  misogynist, rather than making an
argument against all pornography.   Chip, was I reading you wrong? Is
Carrol right in attributing to  you the position that all pornography
is inherently anti-woman?