Exploring Taboos in Pornography and Juror Decision-Making

1. Extreme Porn Like Our Job Isnt Hard Enough Already Marty Klein, Ph.D FALA 2/7/09

2. Sex with a feather? Thats kinky. Sex with a chicken? Thats perverse.

3. My sex is kinky. Your sex is perverse.

4. Many jurors look at porn. We cant assume that any look at extreme porn.

5. Can jurors relate to extreme porn? Would they admit if they did?

6. Most jurors feel: hard to imagine doing what shes doing and NOT suffering; actresses rarely smile (or orgasm). hard to imagine enjoying what hes enjoying. what psychological or life hardship would drive an actress to agree to do these things? what psychological or life hardship would drive an actor to want to do these things? Actresses look as if theyre genuinely suffering; actors look as if theyre enjoying the suffering.

7. Sexual normality Do normal people watch this stuff? Do normal people get aroused by it? Do normal people watch and treat women gently? Couples and women generally dont watch this Watching this would be a shameful secret for most viewers Juror confusion: is this just a fantasy? Just a movie? It seems like actress is REALLY suffering. Is that the point to watch someone ACTUALLY get hurt?

8. This stuff is exotic Its harder for me to say people do those kinds of things all the time, as I do with other sexual portrayals. Its hard to say even people who dont do these things know people who do. Its hard to say most people wish they met someone whos into these things. Relationships DO end because 1 persons into these things and the other isnt.

9. DSM definition of paraphilias recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors i.e., DSM doesnt distinguish between fantasy and behavior. [altho see later, contrary slide] Since S/M, emitophilia, etc. are listed, its easy to claim theyre sicknesses

10. If gross-out is a goal, that SEEMS to contradict literary and artistic value. Is grossing-out an artistic goal? Isnt this just a documentation of hostility, sadism, or obsession? If so, that isnt art. Were witnessing actual perversion.

11. Dehumanization predominates in extreme porn Wheres the affection? Reciprocity? Emotional connection? They dont even pretend to connect personally. Even S/M often portrays emotional connection, rather than haughty dismissal or dehumanization. Story of O is a love story. Fanny Hill is a story of self- discovery. Extreme porn iswhat? Hard to relate to his desire except as sadistic; she seems to have no actual desires for herself (except to please, placate, or suffer).

12. Jurors dont appreciate that there might be artistic irony or social commentary here. E.g., they dont imagine this could be a political commentary on the hegemony of the love/desire paradigm.

13. Typical jurors assumptions Viewers want to act this out Viewers already act this out Viewing this motivates acting out Only sick people want to watch this Viewing this makes sick people believe theyre normal If I were like the actor, actress, or viewer, Id be a sick person (no polysemicity) Theres no loss from society prohibiting this

14. Juror: the difference between extreme and mainstream porn No pretense of love or affection No mutuality Beauty isnt a value Physical pleasure mixed with sadism (psychological pleasure), which is disequilibrating I dont recognize these people, except as dangerous sadists & exploited victims I can imagine an actress or actor choosing mainstream porn for the money I can imagine a (non-sick) viewer enjoying mainstream porn

15. Wanting distance from extreme porn I dont want to know there are people who like doing this or watching this I dont want to see myself on the same continuum as these people I fear my mate has these impulses, which I couldnt accept What if I find myself similarly exploited? What if I find myself wanting to exploit? If I admit this goes on, I feel obliged to do something about it Knowing this exists and has a following makes the world more complicated, which I dont want (and resent)

16. Looking at things from the other side

17. Jurors need to be educated about The actors The actresses The viewers The viewing experience

18. Jurors must be reminded that This film is a production, not real life Its viewed as a production, not real life Viewers can appreciate these films without translating them into real life

19. Adult viewers know films are pretend; theyre a fantasy of domination/submission, not a real desire to hurt or coerce someone.

20. Jurors need help decoding videos: tropes about power, desire, surrender, bodies They need help seeing theres something to decode in the first place

21. Extreme videos have value Political Artistic Personal exploration (who am I, NOT what should I do) Personal satisfaction (perhaps even the only way to get aroused) Documenting subcultures Who enjoys watching videos Who fantasizes or does these things, and why

22. Sex is about 1) breaching personal space 2) surrendering personal space These videos make this more explicit, even commenting on it. That makes these more exciting for some people.

23. DSM reminder: Behavior is a paraphilia (i.e., sickness) only if person suffers clinically significant distress or impairment. This shows that most viewers are NOT sick, as they arent distressed or impaired.

24. Humans have always had a wide range of sexual curiosity and interests De Sade, Boccaccio, Chaucer Romans, Greeks, Medieval, Renaissance Power is a driving force in sex Sex is a vehicle for discovering NON-sexual things about ourselves Internet makes us aware of this variety which has always been there People were outraged when Kinsey discovered alternative fantasies and behavior were common People were outraged about Freuds discoveries about adult sexual fantasy

25. Using sex to explore ourselves is ancient, modern, and noble.

26. Extreme Porn Like Our Job Isnt Hard Enough Already Marty Klein, Ph.D Sexual Intelligence blog: www.MartyKlein.com