Jensen's subsequent lecture focused on the underlying themes of domination and subordination present in most mainstream pornography. Jenson also voiced his belief that these themes reflect the "predatory, capitalistic patriarchy" of the United States.
"How can a product such as pornography become more normalized in a civil society when it has become more degrading to women and more overtly racist over time?" Jensen asked the audience. He answered his own "paradoxical" question by contending that male domination and white supremacy currently exist at the center of our society.
"You can see the worst of this culture and the worst of human beings in one place on one screen," he said.
Jensen, who authored the book Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity, described heterosexual pornography in the contemporary United States as a "mass market industrial product." He said the pornography industry generates an annual revenue of $10-15 billion, while Hollywood box offices net slightly less than $10 billion a year.
Jensen distinguished between "feature pornography," which mimics Hollywood feature length films and "gonzo pornography," which he classifies as pornography that makes no pretense of plot or character. Common sexual practices in gonzo pornography include "double penetration" and "ass-to-mouth."
"I'm not going to ask how many of you routinely participate in double anal," Jensen said. "My guess is the answer would be pretty close to zero."
Jensen added that pornography is not just about sex, but sex as a dominant-subordinate relationship. It mirrors the structure of a white, male-dominated society, Jensen said.
"If the sexual attraction of pornography is the degradation of women in a thoroughly white supremacist culture, what could be more sexually charged than forcing white women to have sex with the demonized black male?" Jensen asked.
Asked whether he thought any form of pornography was "good" or "acceptable," Jensen said he thinks men should stop using pornography.
"Why do we need pictures?," he responded. "We live in a society saturated with images."
The lecture was sponsored by the Rockefeller Center, East Wheelock Faculty Associates and the Men's Project of the Center for Women and Gender.
"One thing I like about Robert Jensen's work is that he gets people to step back and think about what porn says about us as a culture and what effects it is having on us and our relationships," said Susan Brison, the associate professor of women and gender studies who initially suggested that Jensen speak at the College.
