Is there a place in an institution as old and venerable as Dartmouth for the academic discussion of pornography?
Tuesday evening, the first of a series of such talks sponsored by the Men's Project addressed this issue.
About 20 students met in Silsby Hall to vigorously discuss the ills and delights of nature's forbidden fruit. Male-identified and female-identified groups separated, and heated debates ensued in both rooms.
The men's discussion covered a variety of topics, but hovered for some time around the area of objectification and the relationship between what is seen on television and what takes place within our culture.
Some men adopted a "monkey-see, monkey-do," attitude, arguing that what people watch or read about in pornography, they are likely to do.
The men's discussion also addressed the question of whether pornography is responsible for violence against women.
Steve Zyck '04 said, "Rape porn isn't making people commit rape. The problem is more that if watching rape gets you off, you're already screwed up."
Others disagreed.
One student, who preferred not to be identified, talked about the "fantasy of being raped." He cited past girlfriends who had expressed this to him, adding, "I think [the fantasy] is innate in women."
Tim Andreadis '07 talked about differentiating between fantasy and reality.
"People may have fantasies about being dominated within a scenario of respect, with a partner whom they trust, where they can feel good about expressing their desires without shame," Andreadis said. "But there's a big difference between respectful expression between partners and real-life discrimination against women."
In the women's discussion, Sheila Hicks '04 distinguished between types of erotic materials.
"Labeling something 'porn' has to do with how much and what form the sex is, like, do they show nipples or not?" said Hicks.
The group went on to discuss the relative acceptability of pornographic materials for women and for men.
The women discussed the tendency of mainstream porn to be directed at men, and the homophobic nature of the representation of men that results.
