LET ME JUST TACK THIS UP HERE SO I WON'T FORGET WHERE I SAID IT: My contribution to the great DVDVR porn debate:

"I really think there is at least a structural relationship between porn and wrestling. The sleaze content in both industries is displayed pretty openly. Wrestler and pornstars have similar weaknesses at traditional dramatic skills--i.e., expressing a character through the reading of lines--while both have evolved unique ways of establishing character: wrestling's oratory, porn's vocalizations (to put it neutrally). For every barbed-wire brass-tacks match there is a hour-long gangbang, where one marvels at the endurance of the participants but shudders at what they are putting themselves through. For every double anal there is a head-first bump to the floor; for every highspotty match there is two girls pleasuring themselves with glass dildos, shot through a gauzy filter. They are our two great physical spectacles, what opera was to the Renaissance and the saints on their poles were to the Levant.....

Remember that one famous definition of wrestling that Irving Muchnick had? Where homoeroticism meets homophobia? There has to be something similar for porn. Like, where misogyny meets feminism except only Pags thinks feminism explains porn's rise. Where hatred of women meets the sexual power of women. Something like that.

I'm just blue-skying here.I really think there is at least a structural relationship between porn and wrestling. The sleaze content in both industries is displayed pretty openly. Wrestler and pornstars have similar weaknesses at traditional dramatic skills--i.e., expressing a character through the reading of lines--while both have evolved unique ways of establishing character: wrestling's oratory, porn's vocalizations (to put it neutrally). For every barbed-wire brass-tacks match there is a hour-long gangbang, where one marvels at the endurance of the participants but shudders at what they are putting themselves through. For every double anal there is a head-first bump to the floor; for every highspotty match there is two girls pleasuring themselves with glass dildos, shot through a gauzy filter. They are our two great physical spectacles, what opera was to the Renaissance and the saints on their poles were to the Levant.....

Remember that one famous definition of wrestling that Irving Muchnick had? Where homoeroticism meets homophobia? There has to be something similar for porn. Like, where misogyny meets feminism except only Pags thinks feminism explains porn's rise. Where hatred of women meets the sexual power of women. Something like that.

I'm just blue-skying here."

Here too! David Smith added:

"Make it fear of women instead of actual hatred of women and I think you have the beginnings of a graduate thesis there.Make it fear of women instead of actual hatred of women and I think you have the beginnings of a graduate thesis there."

That would be a good little thesis, wouldn't it? Even if it did contribute to the perception that there's a whole lot of rot coming out of humanities departments these days. It could even be considered part of that general rot. Ach, what to do? My heart is clearly in the humanities, yet my wallet craves biodollars. If I was less craven I could just do what I wanted. AND live at home the rest of my life. Dang it.