[sudo-discuss] Erotica and women's bodies

Mon May 6 01:29:10 PDT 2013

That's a sweet email.
On May 6, 2013 12:02 AM, "revphil" <revphil at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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