Pornography

Pornography and Freedom of Expression Pornography remains a divisive issue . This is reflected in the recent debate arising from the proposal of a new anti-pornography legislation which has polarized even the country 's feminist movement (Thomson Chafee , and Oshagan 1990 Green 2000 Nussbaum 1999 . The bill , drafted and penned by feminists Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin , has not only been cause for the resurgence of debate on whether pornography should be outlawed in the United States , but also resurrects the long-time dilemma of providing a concrete and plausible definition of what

pornography is (Rea 2001

Green (2000 ) notes that the controversy generated by the anti-pornography bill has drastically changed the concepts of `radicalism ' among feminists groups , with those supporting it now seen as `radicals ' by their erstwhile colleagues (Green 27 ) This only showed , however , the extent of division created by MacKinnon and Dworkin 's bold stance against pornography . Indeed the two authors of the now infamous bill have been both assailed by their compatriots as apostles of censorship ' and by others as champions of the women 's cause (Nussbaum 246

In the anti-pornography bill , pornography is defined as the graphic sexually explicit subordination of women in picture and /or in words that is argued to be harmful to women which merits the characterization as a violation of women 's rights (Green 27-28 ) The anti-pornography bill therefore seeks to protect women against violence by instituting public policy that would give women the right to sue the producers or distributors of pornographic material for damages if these were used in inflicting violence on them or on children . The plaintiffs were to include stars of pornographic movies who were harmed while shooting or making the movie , and women who were forced by men to submit to acts of violence who could show that these were copied or based from pornography or that the material had significant influence on the perpetrator 's behavior and commission of the act (Nussbaum 247 MacKinnon 379

Being the feminists that they are , MacKinnon and Dworkin believe that the legislation they have themselves crafted will advance the social political , and cultural status of women (MacKinnon , 377 Green , 28 Nussbaum , 247 ) The framework of the bill itself is based on the fundamental issues raised by the feminist movement on the hegemony of the male and the inequality of the sexes as evidenced by continued sex discrimination and violence against women whose main perpetrators are men . The two contend that violence against women will be minimized - if not stopped altogether - if cultural representations and influences such as pornography , of the systematic abuse of women were made unavailable to the perpetrators of these acts

The argument , of course , is that pornography contributes to the unequal status of women by reinforcing dominant stereotypes and biases of the male viewpoint on women which often regard women as secondary citizens and as mere sex objects . MacKinnon (1985 , specifically , argues that pornography is responsible for the violence done to women because it sexualizes rape , battery , sexual...