Serious about Porn

I've admitted this before, so I'm not embarassed to bring it up again in this context: I've watched it. In fact, every night at 11:00 we used to turn it on. Until, well, it was replaced with something even more scandalous.

I'm talking, of course, about the re-runs of "Friends" that aired at 11:00 pm on the local WB Channel 11 every week night (it's been our way of letting our brains drain before turning off the lights in our house). Now, however, they're airing re-runs of "Sex in the City", but that's not my point....

I mention "Friends" because one of the long-running points of interest on that show for me was how open all the characters were about the fact that they understood the appeal of pornography, both the men and the women. I found it a bit scandalous at first (as I'm sure it was meant to be), but eventually figured if there was no public backlash that perhaps the nation is at the place where adults can enjoy a bit of "erotica" without being ashamed of it. In fact, with the right attitude, the appeal of porn can be seen as fun and humourous. (OK, so in my circle of friends it always has been, but we're talking about a sit-com that aired at 8:00 pm originally.)

However, according to the FBI, porn is no laughing matter. In response to the jokes circulating among agents who've been asked to leave their posts in fighting terrorism to join the fight against obscenity (for example, "Things I Don't Want On My Résumé, Volume Four." "I already gave at home." and "Honestly, most of the guys would have to recuse themselves."), more stodgy folks at the Bureau have noted that they are not amused:

At the FBI's field office, spokeswoman Debra Weierman expressed disappointment that some of her colleagues find grist for humor in the new campaign. "The adult obscenity squad . . . stems from an attorney general mandate, funded by Congress," she said. "The personnel assigned to this initiative take the responsibility of this assignment very seriously and are dedicated to the success of this program."

Of course, the true scandal was summed up perfectly by one agent:

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

Clearly the FBI has more than one responsibility, and there are elements within the world of pornography that most definitely need to be stopped, but these renewed efforts seem remarkably misguided when there are allegedly terrorist cells amongst us plotting as we speak.

The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.

Who needs situation comedies when we have the Federal govenment to make us laugh, eh?

Comments

[Gary Farber]

If you, at any point, wind up looking for me to disagree, you'll have trouble finding that.

:-)

[ThirdGorchBro]

One of my major disappointments with the Bush administration is that he chose to continue to pander to people who think Larry Flynt is more of a threat to America than Osama bin Laden.

I realize there are serious issues with child porn and forced prostitution, and the FBI should be investigating those things. But those moralizers who spend all their time working to prevent Al Bundy from purchasing the latest copy of Big 'Uns need to wake up and realize we are at war, and there are more important things going on.

[Edward_]

come on Gary...I count on you to find something to disagree with...how else am I supposed to hone my skills? ;-)

[Gary Farber]

Incidentally, I am aroused by sexually explicit material that turns me on, which is to say that most porn either revolts me or bores me, but that I am quite in favor of drama that is sexy, as well as comedy that is such, and that if sex done well and erotically were put in front of me, I'd probably like it if given the option.

TMI, I expect. Oh, well.

[Edward_]

TMI, I expect. Oh, well.

Nah...it's only sex. It's not like we're talking about the national energy policy or something that must be kept cloaked in secrecy.

[Dantheman]

"need to wake up and realize we are at war, and there are more important things going on."

My view that there are more important things going on has nothing to do with war in Iraq, the significant possibility of economic crisis due to Katrina (and Rita may increase the odds), or any other issue of the day. IMHO, providing security to the next Global Tiddlywinks Tournament is a better use of the FBI's scarce resources than investigating the manufacturers and purveyors of pronography for and by consenting adults.

[kenB]

Does anyone have any details on what particular law or laws are being enforced in connection with this? I didn't realize that manufacturing or purveying consensual, non-underage porn was a federal offense.

[ThirdGorchBro]

My view that there are more important things going on has nothing to do with war in Iraq, the significant possibility of economic crisis due to Katrina (and Rita may increase the odds), or any other issue of the day.

Agreed, there are a vast many issues that are more important. I just meant that in a time of war, there is even less excuse than usual for focusing on minor social concerns like porn.

[cleek]

I didn't realize that manufacturing or purveying consensual, non-underage porn was a federal offense

the article mentioned something about bestiality, urinary and scatological stuff... perhaps illegal, but hardly worthy of tax dollars

[Brian]

My pretty uniformed impression is that a lot of porn is illegal - run of the mill stuff involving consenting adults. But the law isn't enforced much. If enforced at all, it tends to be selectively enforced against small time Quikimart owners and the like. Certainly not porn mongers like Time Warner and News Corp. So they're probably making a token attempt at enforcing the laws on the books to throw the fundies a bone.

[trilobite]

Wow. Reminds me of Abbie Hoffman's remark,
"The FBI had 6 agents on my case at that time, all crime in America having been solved."

And at least if you squinted sideways and turned your paranoia up waaaaay high, you could believe that Abbie was fronting for Commies or something. But porn? WTF?
(so to speak)

[kenB]

My pretty uniformed impression

Is it a nurse's uniform? French maid?

[ken]

I wonder. Could this be nothing more than using some of the DC area FBI assets to collect embarrassing information on opponents of the administration?

Surely if they get information on the purveyers of adult consensual porn they would also get information on who is buying or viewing the stuff.

This kind of information in the hands of Karl Rove could be used to relentlessly destroy the candicacy of anyone.

[cleek]

i wonder if they'll investigate any bald male prostitutes who sell themselves online, advertised as being '10" uncut Top'...

[Morat]

Well, obscene materials can be barred. Obscenity, of course, isn't defined but left to "local standards".

If I wanted to be a real dick about it, I'd have the FBI task force find some porn, find a very conservative county, find a few people to download it from the internet and get offended, then helpfully arrest the purveyors of that porn and send them to Bumsack, Idaho, for trial for violating local community standards.

In short, the FBI would match up "porn targets" with willing local prosecutors in districts where that sort of porn is a shoe-in to "violate community standards" -- taking advantage of the fact that the last real porn/obscenity ruling was in an era where buying and selling porn was done face to face, not by transmitting bits over the 'net.

Heck, maybe I could manage a racketeering case out of it, showing how those naughty porn lords were conspiring to violate obscenity laws all around the nation.

The end result of that would be the Supreme Court having to tackle the problem -- which should be quiet interesting, as the conservatives urge to squash porn should run square into their urge to support State's Rights and their (supposed) views on personal privacy and individual rights.

Offhand, I'd guess they'd end up stating that you could track down the creators of porn if they'd violated local, state, or federal law in the creation of porn (pedophilia), could in extreme cases (pedophilia again) arrest the possesors of such porn, but aside from the most obvious extremes, it's simple not subject to regulation of any sort (mostly because you can't write a coherent decision on doing so).

[Kyle Hasselbacher]

I wonder if this has something to do with those new porn laws I read about a while back. Long story short, anyone who publishes porn is required to keep records of the people in the porn. Critics say it was designed to shut down a lot of porn on the web.

[Sean]

The "adult obscenity squad" it's called? What's next, a cabinet-level position for the prevention of vice and the promotion of virtue? I can only imagine the frustration of career FBI employees.

[Phil]

The New Pornographers.

Oh, wait, we were actually talking about naked people?

[Morat]

I think the new porn laws got quickly stayed -- something about them being "ridiculously stupid". Well, I'm sure there was an actual constitutional issue. But I think we need a new Amendment "Congress Shall Make No Laws Which Are Ridiculously Stupid"

[xanax]

ken: "This kind of information in the hands of Karl Rove could be used to relentlessly destroy the candicacy of anyone."

When has The Dark Prince ever needed "real" information to destroy anyone? (ref: McCain in SC 2000). I can see it now: "Classified FBI documents clearly reveal Hillary Rodham Clinton is a lesbian pronography addict!"

[DaveL]

I think we need a new Amendment "Congress Shall Make No Laws Which Are Ridiculously Stupid"

Wouldn't it be quicker just to repeal Article I of the Constitution?

[xanax]

OT: It's nice to be appreciated.

[Sebastian Holsclaw]

I think we need a new Amendment "Congress Shall Make No Laws Which Are Ridiculously Stupid"

I predict some rather ugly court fights over 'ridiculously' and 'stupid'. I can see the, ahem, oral argument now. "The law is only uncommonly idiotic. It is certainly not ridiculously stupid."

Also expect a court fight about 'law' as an amusing sidenote.

[CharleyCarp]

I know a couple of guys who will be happy to hear about this. But then, they think Friends is pornography.

[Stan LS]

Meanwhile, The New York Times lays off 500 people cause Edward doesn't want to pay... :(

[NeoDude]

Porn is fun.

[NeoDude]

Don't the anti-sodomites have anything better to do?

Like some healthy and fun sex?

[liberal japonicus]

Like some healthy and fun sex?

As Woody Allen noted, "Is sex dirty? Only if it's done right..."

[Edward]

Meanwhile, The New York Times lays off 500 people cause Edward doesn't want to pay... :(

Really?

[Morat]

I dunno, if you get rid of porn, mwhat will all the WASP males who vote Republican get off to? (I heard stories about the GOP Convention in New York. Do you HAVE to like being spanked to be a delegate, or was that just a coincidence?)

[Stan LS]

Edward,

Yep..

[NeoDude]

Not that porn necessarily means masturbation, however...

Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone I love.

More:
http://www.lifeisajoke.com/woodyswit_html.htm

[Stan LS]

Morat,

Probably the same thing that non-Wasp males who vote Republican get off to - our candidates winning.

[Edward]

Edward,

Yep..

Well, why didn't they say so? I'll kick in a few bucks to help 'em out.

I won't pay to read David Brooks though.

[Edward]

Probably the same thing that non-Wasp males who vote Republican get off to - our candidates winning.

That's got to be the saddest thing I've heard all day.

[liberal japonicus]

A-ha! A wedge issue between Ann Coulter and Stan!

[Stan LS]

Speaking of porn, this is always a good laugh.

[Doh]

The thing about this story few people seem to recognize is that it appears Congress actually passed a law requiring the FBI to allocate 10 agents to fighting porn, so as little respect as I have for Gonzales, it appears it's not really his fault.

(Of course that's exactly the kind of detail the right wing demagogues, whether in Congress or the media, would never stop to notice if the shoe was on the other foot.)

[Stan LS]

(Of course that's exactly the kind of detail the right wing demagogues, whether in Congress or the media, would never stop to notice if the shoe was on the other foot.)

Unlike the demagogues on the left...

[NeoDude]

Probably the same thing that non-Wasp males who vote Republican get off to - our candidates winning.

If this is your idea of "getting off", no wonder right-wingers fear healthy and joyful sex!

[Stan LS]

no wonder right-wingers fear healthy and joyful sex!

Fear? But, but I thought right-wingers have been screwing the country... Specially women and minorities.

[NeoDude]

LOL,

Now that was funny!

[Dantheman]

"no wonder right-wingers fear healthy and joyful sex!

Fear? But, but I thought right-wingers have been screwing the country... "

And as Mel Brooks said, Presidents who don't do it with other women, do it to the country.

[John Thullen]

This anti-porn initiative dovetails perfectly with the drowning of the Girls-Gone-Wild set in New Orleans.

[hank levine]

Those of us who are able to recall the McCarthy era will recognize the motivation of protecting our youth/culture/etc. against the corruption of bad thoughts.
You could make a solid case for a continuum of puritanical (in the broadest sense) thinking over the centuries since Gutenberg. (And maybe since those clay shards in Egypt....)

[don]

Would it be weird to suggest that it may not be a bad idea for a national crime agency to dedicate resources to the porn industry, seeing as how it's one of the shittiest systems of human exploitation on the planet?

Yea, Chandler likes it and there was that cute movie with Burt Reynolds and, hey look, they're smiling.

The sex trade is bad shit. When did that stop being true? I want more cops on this.

[Ted]

Phil --

There are - or, anyway, there were - actually a couple of topless photos of Neko Case on the Net, and she did win a Playboy poll: http://www.playboy.com/sex/features/indierock/

To my knowledge she has not in fact posed for them....at least not yet.