The Porn Report [Paperback]

Catharine Lumby (Author), Kath Albury (Author), Alan McKee (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0522853404 | ISBN-13: 978-0522853407 | Publication Date: March 1, 2008

In this resource, three well-known Australian commentators and authors on contemporary issues present a radical new way of thinking about the place of pornography in society. Drawing on wide-ranging empirical research, this guide shows how the production, distribution, and consumption of pornography—as well as its content, its consumers, and the public debates surrounding it—fit into the cultural context of modern society.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Catharine Lumby is the editor of Remote Control and the head of the media studies program at the University of Sydney, Australia. She is the coauthor of Why TV is Good for Kids and is the author of Bad Girls: The Media, Sex and Feminism in the 1990s and Gotcha: Life in a Tabloid World. Katherine Albury is the author of Yes Means Yes: Getting Explicit about Heterosex. She teaches media studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. Alan McKee is the author of Australian Television, The Public Sphere, and Textual Analysis. He teaches in television at Queensland University of Technology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0522853404
• ISBN-13: 978-0522853407
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dispassionate, Well-Argued and Refreshing, June 7, 2008

By 

Ploughstar* (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Porn Report (Paperback)

A subject as important as the pervasive influence of pornography in our culture deserves serious consideration. This book takes a rational and empirical approach to many rarely-questioned assumptions about pornography, often with surprising and challenging conclusions. Sober and thoughtful. A brave and important contribution.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but necessary, August 6, 2011

By 

Timothy S. Reader (Sydney) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Porn Report (Kindle Edition)

Possibly the most rigourous study on the uses of porn ever conducted, presented with plenty of interest, humour, and common sense. If there's one book the anti-porn branch of feminism never wants you to read it's this one - because it's right and they can't successfully argue against it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Humans have Hormones. The OFLC would have you believe Otherwise, July 22, 2011

By 

Winston D. Jen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Porn Report (Paperback)

Anyone familiar with Australia's ass-backwards and Puritanical system of censorship (especially the gulf between sex and violence on the RC list) will find this book quite enlightening. Especially since the sample size was large enough to be statistically significant. It also revealed that most stereotypes among religious and social conservatives were patently false. Not only did a great deal of women admit to viewing pornography, but many of them also engaged in "obscene" fetishes (which could include anything from sex in gumboots to golden showers).

Obviously, the first thing they had to define was the definition of 'obscene' and 'violence' for their study. Spanking went out immediately - that was consensual. And for that matter, why are fetishes allowed in any movie without sex? I Spit on Your Grave was given an 'R' rating, most likely because the rape and subsequent sexual violence was staged. Misandry perhaps helped influence the OFLC's decision. Rugby and violence would have to be considered violence, too, if the OFLC's criteria were too be applied consistently. And not only is this prima facie ludicrous, but tells everyone with the slightest fetish that they are evil and perverse for having said fetishes. Unsurprisingly, this (through two decades of enforcement) has led to Australia having the 3rd most rape in the world (and the 1st most rape in the developed world), per capita. All pornographic video must be downloaded or imported via the Northern Territory. And if you can't get a fetish satisfied, well, most men just rape the nearest available adult. Just Google the international UN statistics if you wish to know more.

And yes, there are unethical porn companies that treat their staff like garbage. There are also many more who treat their workers well, especially in the United States where Puritanical watchdogs prowl the industry (I do not include Shelley Lubben in this list). They are not helping anyone. Moreso, the latest brain scan research has shown that violent video games only lead to violent acts for a small percentage of children (who are already naturally aggressive). When children discover porn on their own, it doesn't harm their brain strucute (Google "Politicians are being deceived" +Australia).

The book ends with an excellent look at how to purchase porn ethically (and raises some objections the fascists on the OFLC are likely to raise). Buy this book to show Gail Dines that you do not think all sex is rape and all mutually consensual porn should be illegal.