[sudo-discuss] Erotica and women's bodies

[revphil]

Thanks for having this discussion; a lot of interesting points have been
raised and Im stoked yalls are not shying from this topic. I got a lot to
say on these topics, and I hope it will move this conversation forward.

On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 1:02 AM, Sonja Trauss <sonja.trauss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Then what is porn for?
>

I think this is a great question and one I ask myself frequently.
Pornography, like many other tools (eg Critical Mass*) can serve a variety
of functions, some beneficial some harmful. It is largely up to the
person(s) using the tool to define its function.

I am concerned that pornography is standardizing sex. Many grow up with
porn being their only source of sexual information. Cindy Gallop gave a
humorous and terrifying TED talk about being a cougar and dealing with
young men who assumed sex should always end with a facial. She spoke at
length about how when we watch porn alone we are not given an opportunity
to have any discourse. If we watch it with others we can have a dialogue
and learn how these movies affected others. Even a simple "I liked this, I
didn't like that" can be incredibly useful. But its not really an option
unless we demand better sex culture. One where people can feel more
comfortable talking about their sexuality with others.

We could demonize all pornography for being desensitizing and it might very
well be, although excessive behavior of any kind is, of course, by
definition, excessive. But I can't think of a time when prohibition ever
worked for a society.  Telling other autonomous beings what not do to has
never been popular. Tragically much of the work of environmental and social
rights movements is trying to stop behavior (eg: don't drive, don't shame).
Thankfully one of the joys of both sex-positive culture AND human-powered
transportation is that we can encourage behavior. Both activities create
virtuous cycles; the more bikes there on the streets the safer the streets
are. Similarly the more exposure we have to sex-positive culture the easier
it becomes to model those behaviors.**

Moreover there are additional benefits from watching porn as a community.
Obscenity is a community standard and if a community does not define it for
itself another entity (usually one that controls the means of distribution,
eg Wallmart, Clear Chanel, Playboy, etc) will define it for you.

[begin shameless chest thumping]

For the past seven years we have shared films on the subject of bikes and
sex, calling for new submissions annually. The content is completely
audience generated. *No reproductions or DVD's are available, so you must
go to a screening to see them*.  Films include of variety of
representations of human sexuality, entirely created by amateur bike
pornographers from all over the world!

Bike Smut asks for sex without shame and transportation without homogeny.
It explores radical politics while remaining approachable and fun. Bike
Smut believes in the importance of bringing communities together to
redefine obscenity by creating a consensual space where
different interpretations of obscenity can be watched and discussed. It is
a *joyous exploration* into two integral parts of a quality human life.

Why Distribution Matters

Bike Smut only plays in front of a live audience. There are no DVDs for
sale and no screeners for the media. This method of distribution is a
challenging but vital aspect of the project. Our lives are spent in
isolation when our interactions are mostly through text and technology. Our
true sentiments are masked by media incapable of expressing our full range
of emotions.

This issue is trebled in the realm of pornography:
- We are constantly bombarded with sexual images, but terrified to discuss
sex itself.
- We tolerate lame porn because of the stigma associated with engaging the
genre.
- We shy away from expression and leave our usual consumer-savvy habits
behind.

This shameful silence only encourages censorship and a bland homogenization
of pornography. Only when we use our voices can we challenge what we do not
like. As I said, obscenity is merely a community standard, It is defined by
the society we live in . If we come together as a community to view a
variety of interpretations of obscenity, we can help to redefine our
boundaries and inspire better communication better art and better sex.

Secondly, the avenues for distribution for the short filmmaker are limited.
Once again, the mere volume of content on the internet allows the consumer
a very 'throwaway' attitude to art and information once is constantly
browsing. Film festivals are often expensive to enter and offer little in
return.

The purpose of these films are to share ideas. They were created out of a
desire to help people have a better quality of life, not just as a quick
and exploitative way to earn some cash. By limiting the way in which they
are seen, we can hope to create an effective forum for emerging artists to
screen their work, where their ideas can be expressed, absorbed, considered
and discussed.

'Turning Trixxx'  is Bike Smut's *sixth program *of erotic bicycle movies*.
*This year's program includes films  ./;''' from *seven different European
cities* and films by *two Feminist Porn Award-winning pornographers.* Bike
Smut offers a unique art experience that combines the spectrum of human
sexuality with love for the most eco-friendly mode of transportation
available.

I hope this has offered some insight to my opinions. I rarely get around to
talking about distribution (because phrases like "marketplace of ideas" can
cause eyes to gloss over) but I think yalls get it. It is an ambitious
undertaking to challenge the dominant forms of sex AND transportation but
powerful opponents make for spirited fights, and it feels great helping
others appreciate a cause that is so worthy, fun and emancipating!

So for me the big question is, how are YOU gonna share it? Because while it
is easy to just sit back and reap the benefits, actually putting effort
into helping make the show better will make you feel more a part of it and
thus be more meaningful. I encourage you all to find a way to get involved.
If nothing else be sure to bring some friends who might otherwise never get
to experience this because we wont be sharing it ever again. This is the
FINAL SCREENING of Turning Trixxx.

There are a lot of ways to connect with us, Twitter, FaceBook, Tumblr...
pick your fav social media disease or if you wanna do it old school style
and take it to the streets!

in bikes we thrust,
revphil
Bike Smut curator


* Did ya know that for the past 5 years I have been working on a
documentary about the world's most popular bike ride which began in SF 20
years ago last September? Now ya do:
http://microcosmpublishing.com/aftermass

** some excellent words on what Sex-Positive means -
http://bikesmut.tumblr.com/post/48677058885/pervocracys-personal-tumblr-what-i-mean-when-i-say



-- 
7 years of sex-positive, human-powered porno
________Hop on The Porny Express________
----------------------- Bike Smut ------------------------
Submit YOUR erotic bicycle films by May 25th!
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