Thursday 8 January 2009

Sex and Money


Oh what joy. Finally the day has arrived when I can write a post that truly justifies the two key words most likely to get a raft of hits to my blog: sex and money.

And what a delightfully astute move by the US porn industry to demand, in the manner of the US car industry, a government injection to shore up its limp prospects (oh, there's more to come). Astute, not because porn stars are likely to receive a hand job, sorry, hand-out from sympathetic government sponsors but because where else could they get pan-global marketing coverage like they have received.

I mean, they've been begging for it - the chance to claim a useful role for society: cheering people up when things are going down. Albeit, in the manner of drugs or alcohol, the cheeriness is only short-lived (or perhaps short lasting). So here it was, on a plate, a golden opportunity to market an industry that otherwise struggles to advertise in the mass media.

Did they want or expect a multi-billion dollar? Did they heck. What they wanted was the opportunity for top porn artistes to talk about their art in mock serious terms to con the public at large that actually the industry has professional standards. Would you have believed that so called respectable papers would publish the fact that for only $19.95 a month you could have unfettered access to watch people 'doing it' live.

So, what's the harm in a few sad sods spending hard earned dollars sitting with spunky tissues before their screens?

Well perhaps there is a rather more sinister motive behind this marketing coup. Whilst the world's mass media raises a rueful smile and chuckles over the fun to be had with puns, the rather darker underbelly of this exploitative industry sits smugly in the knowledge that the public at large sees their business as a little more benign than they did yesterday .

For they do have something to hide. A bit like how a night at the dogs - greyhound racing - doesn't display the cruel fate of the unsuccessful hounds. The champagne face of porn doesn't broadcast the cheaper end of the market where age and/or consent is less important.

7 comments:

Kate said...

Whew. That post made me think.

Anonymous said...

do your twin sons have an opinion on this matter?

it woud make for an interesting discussion around the dinner table

Crofty said...

I'm glad you think it's a thoughtful post Katherine.

And yes, NM they do have an opinion and expressed at the conversation we had at the dinner table!

I think the moral distinctions required were washed away in the tidal wave of testosterone when I tried to compare two friends racing their greyhounds against each other with the gambling fuelled greyhound racing industry.

I knew I'd lost when one of them said,

'if we were just racing our own greyhounds with some mates who are girls, would we be allowed to look at their puppies?'

Anonymous said...

yep! you lost.....

Anonymous said...

Oh dear!! Where did you go wrong with those boys??!!

You know you don't have to even mention Greyhounds to me to get me started!
There is a lovely man we meet on our walks that races Greyhounds and he has a wonderful network of people who foster his ex racers before they are allowed to be adopted. He has the proud boast that none of his hounds have ever been put down, but he is struggling to find a home for his latest retiree.
He can't keep him as he is a big dog and his wife is not the fittest of old ladies. The dog is also black, no one wants black greyhounds. Don't ask me why, I don't know, it seems bizarre to me. He's male too, and people have the misconception that they are vicious. (only yesterday a man told us that grey's are aggessive, I felt like dragging him to our house to see just how aggressive they were, stupid man)
I don't know what will happen to this dog, and I'm sure his owner doesn't either, I think he was secretly hoping we might be able to take him, and I would like a shot if we had room, but we don't.
So no matter how much the owners of the these racers try and be responsible, and provide homes, it doesn't work out all the time. And now times are getting harder, it'll be harder to find homes for these deserving dogs.

*ahem* See you got me started didn't you!!

Crofty said...

I know, I should have known better than to mention greyhounds and you are right of course. If we had house room we'd have him; and I suppose like you said, that's the tragedy, even caring considerate racing greyhound owners ultimately want them to race, and when they're done...

Anonymous said...

ah we're all degraded pornstars to one degree or another, We've all done plenty of things in the line of paid employment that you wouldn't necessarily do in your own home as a matter of choice.
being in Nursing and the cops, more than most I bet.

I kinda like the idea of rehoming aged pornstsrs though, purely as some sort of moral duty for the entertainment they have given before the teeth sagged and the implants fell out.

It can be such a clinical decision when selecting a rescue dog: not that one - too big: Nope - he'd eat the cat: she doesn't match the curtains....

How would one decide which retiree of the pornographic industry met the unique domestic requirements of each household?
Well she's still housetrained but we can't have Miss Leopardskin 1973, we'd never find her on the sofa...