Making Violence Sexy: Feminist Views on Pornography

"Making Violence Sexy" chronicles women's resistance to pornography over the last twenty years. It does this in a collection of feminist articles, including testimonies by victims/survivors of pornography that together make a convincing case for the view that pornography (as distinct from erotica) causes harm to women, including acts of violence. The volume is organized into four parts, the first of which provides vivid and moving personal accounts of how women's lives have been damaged by pornography. Part two gives an overview of the present status of pornography in our society, as well as the raging debate over pornography and censorship. Part three details several interesting and significant studies on the effects of pornography, as well as critiques of some of the most influential non-feminist researchers. The concluding part then describes actions, both humorous and grave, that feminists have employed in their fight against pornography. Some of the contributors are: Andrea Dworkin, Patricia Hill Collins, Catharine MacKinnon, Gloria Steinem and John Stoltenberg. "Making Violence Sexy: Feminist Views on Pornography" will appeal to students and lecturers of women's studies and sociology, political activists, public officials, social scientists, legal and medical professionals - those who consider pornography free speech, and those who of it as obscene, and those who consider it a form of discrimination against women. Women's studies teachers should find it a welcome addition to their required reading lists, and those working against sexual violence may appreciate it as a primary, up-to-date, and comprehensive source and inspiration.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Survivors of pornography: the real Linda Lovelace; a portrait of an angel - the life of a porn star; surviving commercial sexual exploitation; testimony on pornography and incest; testimony on pornography and marital brutality; testimony from public hearings on the ordinance to add pornography as discrimination against women. Part 2 Overview: pornography and freedom; questions and answers; pornography and black women's bodies; pornography and pride; getting off on sexploitation. Part 3 Feminist research on pornography: pornography and sexual abuse of women; pornography and rape - a causal model; the experts cop out; racism in pornography; the research on women and pornography - the many faces of harm; evidence of harm. Part 4 Feminist strategies and actions against pornography: Wimmin's Fire Brigade Bombs Porn; unmasking male privilege; poking around under rocks and pornographers; from expert witness to jail inmate; torturing women as fine art - why some women and men are boycotting Knopf; there are better ways of taking care of Bret Easton Ellis than just censoring him; from witches to bitches - sexual terrorism begets Thelma and Louise.