Pornography has such a bad name, which, I realize now, isn’t that surprising in a country founded by Puritans. I’m not talking about the objectification of women or fantasized rape scenes or even eroticized “trannies.” I mean all things sexually arousing, anything that’ll fit under the dictionary definition.
Of course, because pornography depends on its engagement with its viewer, its definition is not entirely objective. However, “pornography” can function as a blanket term as that thing that puts a sch-wing in your step. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, pornography includes “sexually explicit pictures, writing or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.” Or, as Justice Potter Stewart said of obscene material: “I know it when I see it.”
The problem is, who’s to know? Who can decide the “primary” purpose of any material? That’s a subjective decision, even if you ask the producers of the material. They may not see the arousal factor or even intend to create it, but it can be there for many other people. This primary purpose clause is a sticky situation.
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