Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality [Paperback]

Gail Dines (Author), Bob Jensen (Author), Ann Russo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415918138 | ISBN-13: 978-0415918138 | Publication Date: November 20, 1997 | Edition: 1st Ed.

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finally a sophisticated analysis that sorts out the sclerotic from the erotic, the selling from the telling, and pseudo-liberal from the liberating. Recommended for scholars, students, and advocates of gender equity.
–George Gerbner, University of Pennsylvania

Crisply written yet authoritative, Pornography opens a window onto a seamy world. The chapters on the pornography industry are worth the price of admission alone. Essential reading for everyone interested in how our society commodifies sex.
–Richard Delgado, University of Colorado, Boulder

Read this book for its incisive analysis of the pornography industry and its honest examination of the male users.
–Janice G. Raymond, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1st Ed. edition (November 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415918138
• ISBN-13: 978-0415918138
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read for EVERYONE, June 9, 2003

By 

Kevin Davis (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (Paperback)

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.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An authoritative and ethical discussion--must read!, June 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (Paperback)

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.

18 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honesty About Pornography, November 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (Library Binding)

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.