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Prurient Interests

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Dr. Friedman uncovers the early-twentieth century history of obscenity law in the United States by examining its formation as part of what she terms 'democratic moral authority': the imposition of cultural norms by the hegemonic white middle-class. She analyzes social purity campaigns and their demarcation of the term 'obscenity' in burlesque, cinema and theatre in New York City, arguing that New York's circumscription of commercial entertainment culture had ramifications far beyond the city's borders. Friedman is careful to attend to conflicting issues of gender within the middle-class as well as the gendering of discourse between classes, but also the ways gender informs questions of sexuality during these years. Readers will be particularly interested in her analysis of lesbian theatre in the 1940s and Fiorello La Guardia's campaign against it. A subtle analysis of particular moment to contemporary debates about obscenity in fine art, as well as recent governmental censorship against 'indecency' in media such as cinema, video games and the internet. A must for American Cultural Studies, gender studies and performance/media studies scholars.