Synopses & Reviews
The gulf between critics of pornography and those who use it seems unbridgeable. Not only do the two sides disagree about its effect on society and individual men and women, they cannot even agree on what it is. Where one finds objectification, subordination, degradation, and violence against women, the other sees beauty, fun, pleasure, female power and assertiveness, and fantasy. Freud never asked, "What do men want?" but Katherine MacKinnon asserts, "Pornography provides an answer. Pornography permits men to have whatever they want sexually. It is their truth about sex'." Is this true? Dozens of books have been published on pornography, yet almost none feature the voices of the men who use it. Indeed, most of our ideas about men and pornography are theoretical, and most are entirely derived from women. Watching Sex explores pornography through the eyes of men who use it. The interviews with nearly 150 menbetween the ages of 19 and 67, single, married, divorced and widowed, of straight, gay, and bisexualare telling and provocative accounts of what they think, feel, and do in response to pornography. Their answers confound the now conventional wisdom promulgated by anti-pornography feminists, who would have us believe, in the words of Robin Morgan, "Pornography is the theory; rape the practice." Watching Sex provides a window on the true nature of men's sexuality that will prove of enduring importance.
Review
"Pornography is a landmine issue most often debated with explosive heat and
very little light. Women argue that it debases them, uses them, and violently
threatens them. Often the assertions are not backed with statistical or other
evidence.
"What do men say? Researchers have rarely bothered to ask. David Loftus, in
his ground-breaking book, sought out some one hundred fifty men. On the promise
of absolute anonymity, they talked with a candor that can be sensed in their
replies. What they like about pornography is quite contrary to the charges leveled
against porn.
"What seems clear is that in the light of Loftus's book, easy presumptions about
men and pornography will hereafter need to be challenged and reexamined." Charles Champlin, film critic and author of Hollywood's Revolutionary Decade,
Back There Where the Past Was, and George Lucas: The Creative Impulse
Review
"As a longtime advocate of the right to read or see anything one chooses, I
found Loftus's study of men who look at pornography refreshing and reassuring.
Contrary to the anti-female, pro-violence messages that anti-porn crusaders
ascribe to it, many of its fans in fact see something totally different.
"It was long past time we heard from them, and Loftus is to be applauded for
his unique contribution to the public debate." Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, professor
of law at New York Law School, and author of Defending Pornography: free speech,
sex, and the fight for women's rights
Review
"A breath of fresh air in the pornography debates. David Loftus has had the
exceedingly original idea of asking men, lots of them, what they think about,
and how they use, pornography. Their answers are both surprising and diverse.
"Neither a sociological inquiry nor a critical analysis, neither a condemnation
nor a defense, Loftus's book nevertheless tells us much that we need to know
about the everyday uses of pornography." Linda Williams, director of the program in Film Studies, University of California
at Berkeley, and author of Hard Core: power, pleasure, and the "frenzy of the
visible"
Review
"In this 'politically correct' age when Orwell's repressive Anti-Sex League
has materialized insidiously on the left and the right, it's heartening to read
an honest, intelligent appraisal of the mercurial virtues of smut."
Tom Robbins, author of Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get the
Blues, Still Life with Woodpecker, Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All, and
Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates
Review
"When Loftus is at his most effective, he debunks issue by issue, line by line, the
words of legendary Women's Studies 101 theorists . . . such as Catharine MacKinnon
and Andrea Dworkin. His arguments are tight and fiery, such as his unpacking and
reanalysis of Dworkin's assertion that three out of four women working in the porn
industry have suffered sexual abuse."
Karen Solomon, The San Francisco Chronicle, February 2, 2003
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 313-336).
About the Author
David Loftus was born in Eugene, Oregon and came of age in Coos Bay, on the
Oregon coast. He received his bachelor's in English and American Literature
with high honors from Harvard. His other books include Boston College High
School 1863-1983 and The Unofficial Book of Harvard Trivia. A distance
runner, performing folk dancer (Scandinavian and English Morris), and free-lance
journalist, Loftus has also sung in chamber and symphonic choirs as well as
read literature aloud before live audiences, and for recordings and radio broadcasts
for the blind. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, a dog and cat.
Table of Contents
1 Unveilings: men's first exposures to pornography; age, content, how it happened,
initial reactions
2 Growing Up: the social context; parents' attitudes, social messages about
porn
3 I Know What Boys Like: men's tastes, what they want to see more of
4 The Appeal of "Lesbian" Pornography: why are "lesbian" scenarios so popular?
5 The Image of Men in Pornography: reactions to the men in porn; comparisons,
the issue of penis size
6 How Men Use Pornography: how often, correlation to mood and masturbation,
feelings after use, concerns about use
7 Sharing Porn With Others: use and discussion with other men; attitudes of,
use by, and discussion with significant others
8 Off the Beaten Track: men who like special kinds of pornography
9 The "Slippery Slope" and the Question of Addiction: periods of lesser or
greater use, the issue of porn addiction
10 Reality vs. Fantasy: whether porn fans confuse characters in porn with real
people, or import sex practices from porn
11 Pornography as Hell, Pornography as Therapy: stories of men who found either
a curse or a savior in porn
12 Public Policy: possible harms of pornography, the distinction between porn
and erotica, social and legal controls
13 Pornography & Violence: to what extent does porn depict, encourage,
or increase violence?
14 The 75% Problem: the possible link between child sex abuse and the porn
industry
15 The Public Debate: What Did Everyone Get Wrong About Men Who Use Pornography?
16 The Public Debate: What Did Everyone Get Wrong About Pornography? -- objectification,
subordination, degradation, and hatred of women
17 Toward a New Theory of Men and Pornography