Porn

“Can there be such a thing as sex-positive, meaningful porn?” prompted the blurb advertising the talk given by Tristan Taormino in McCosh 10 on Thursday. Taormino said yes, in a controversial USG-funded forum sponsored by the campus group Let’s Talk Sex (LeTS).

Limiting the scope of her claim to pornography that does depict women, this position still begs many questions: How do the works of lesbian pornographers who produce erotica featuring women and intended for viewing by other women fit into this axiom?

Pamela Paul might be opposed to porn, but she is not “anti-sex” or a “prude.”

“Porn is not sex,” Paul said, but is “at root a negation of the human experience.” Drawing a comparison between Hostess cupcakes and homemade ones, she explained that because porn is “artificial,” it is “not as good” as actual sex.

Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux ’11, president of Let's Talk Sex, said that an event planned by LeTS would primarily consist of remarks by feminist pornographer Tristan Taormino and would include “a brief showing of various film clips.”