#p01

Early adult content consisted of anonymous productions, and the participants often wore masks like criminals and outlaws. We show our faces and hide our genitals; they did the opposite. They didn't "act." The women were usually prostitutes immortalized with their clients. But near the 21st century, outlaws had become entertainers, even celebrities, acting in scripted films. Many of these porn stars were so well-known that they could grace the covers of mainstream "elite" magazines.

Los primeras contenidos para adultos eran producciones anónimas y los participantes a menudo llevaban máscaras como los delincuentes y forajidos. Nosotros mostramos nuestros rostros y escondemos nuestros genitales, ellos hacían al revés. No “actuaban”. Las mujeres solian ser prostitutas inmortalizadas con sus clientes. Pero cerca del siglo XXI, los forajidos se habían convertido en entertainers, incluso celebridades, actuando en películas con guion. Muchas de estas estrellas porno eran ya tan conocidas que podían ser portada de ''castas '' revistas mainstream.

In 150 years they had gone from being misfits, deviants or, at least, clandestine; to being people like us, although celebrities who had conquered that position by making themselves, and we began to imitate their dress, speech and sexual behavior.

En 150 años han pasado de ser inadaptados, desviados o, al menos, clandestinos; a ser personas como nosotros aunque celebridades que habían conquistado esa posición haciéndose a si mismos, y nosotros comenzamos a imitar su vestir, hablar y comportamiento sexual.

'Pornification' is used in English to condemn something in terms of becoming porn: sexualizing or uploading sexual content. This expression stems from the artistic classism and contempt for the word pornography that has always accompanied it (I recommend reviewing my series of posts on this subject). It's a euphemistic way of avoiding talking about morality and decadence in the manner of a religious pastor or biblical moralist. When people say popular music is pornified now, it's a complaint about the sexual references in the lyrics, the artists' skimpy outfits, and/or their dancing. The same thing happened in the days of Elvis Presley and later with Madonna. But back then, those scandalized spoke openly about the sin or corruption of youth.

'pornificación' se usa en inglés para condenar algo en los términos de volverse porno: sexualizarse o subir el contenido sexual. Esta expresión nace del clasismo artístico y desprecio para con la palabra pornografía que ha acompañado a esta siempre (recomiendo revisar mi serie de posts sobre ello), es forma eufemística de evitar hablar de moral y decadencia a la manera de pastor religioso o moralista bíblico. Cuando se dice ahora que la música popular está pornificada es queja de las referencias sexuales en las letras, las escuetas prendas de los artistas y/o sus bailes. Pasaba lo mismo en los tiempos de Elvis Presley y luego con Madonna. Pero entonces los escandalizados hablaban abiertamente del pecado o la corrupción de la juventud.

My use of the term "pornification" is different. I'm interested in memes featuring porn stars, denoting that there's no longer a social stigma attached to declaring oneself a consumer, as there once was. Every meme or joke needs a common context between the parties to function. When did pop culture (the mainstream, class-based kind) embrace porn so much that it could joke about its commonplaces? This is a symptom and a minor part of what's interesting about studying what I call porn culture. This isn't so much porn culture (history, stars, industry, and milestones) as porn leaving its mark on mass culture. Its increase in quantity and ease of access has led to various interesting demands and discourses, aside from the expected moral panic. The relationship between porn and feminism is complex. It's been blamed for perpetuating the oppression of women and worse, but other feminists have defended it as a form of free expression and use of one's own body that no one has the right to take away from them.

Mi uso del término 'pornificación' es otro. Me interesan los memes con estrellas porno denotando que ya no hay estigma social por declararse consumidor como pasaba antes. Todo meme o chiste necesita para funcionar de un contexto común entre las partes. ¿Cuándo la cultura pop (la común y no clasista) adoptó el porno tanto como para poder hacer chiste de sus lugares comunes? Esto es síntoma y parte menor de lo interesante de estudiar lo que llamo pornocultura. Esta no es tanto cultura del porno (historia, estrellas, industria e hitos) sino el porno dejando mella en la cultura de masas. Su aumento en cantidad y facilidad de acceso ha dado para distintas reivindicaciones y discursos interesantes aparte del esperable pánico moral. La relación entre porno y feminismo es compleja. Ha sido culpado de perpetuar la opresión de la mujer y cosas peores, pero otras feministas lo han defendido como forma de libre expresión y uso del propio cuerpo que nadie tiene el derecho de quitarles.

There have also been some who have declared that watching porn helped them find identification and security during the development of their own sexuality, although porn isn't designed for that. Added to this is the dilemma of amateur material, created in ways learned from porn and erotic photography; it's freely displayed on sites like Tumblr or reserved for intimate and private socializing. Despite what respected authors say, the people who produce this material don't feel oppressed or exploited. On the contrary, they feel empowered when their works of self-accepting desire attract attention. Wouldn't this be a kind of porn-socialization? A way of constructing oneself personally and socially codified like commercial erotica. Its existence isn't new, but its use is more widespread than ever now, and this isn't explained solely by the ease of recording and distributing content. It has a lot to do with the current culture where we can all be someone's porn, and this is sometimes exercised as a right… But I promised not to go on, so just one more…

También ha habido voces particulares declarando que el visionado de porno les ayudó a encontrar identificación y seguridad durante el desarrollo de su propia sexualidad, aunque el porno no nace para eso. A esto se añade el dilema del material amateur, creado de maneras aprendidas del porno y la fotografía erótica; se expone gratuitamente en lugares como Tumblr o se reserva para socializar de forma íntima y privada. A pesar de lo dicho por firmas respetadas, las personas que producen este material no se sienten oprimidas ni explotadas. Al contrario, se sienten empoderadas cuando sus obras de expresión de deseo en auto aceptación atraen atención. ¿No sería esto una suerte de porno-socialización? Una manera de construirse personal y socialmente codificada como la erótica comercial. Su existencia no es novedad, pero su uso está más extendido que nunca ahora y esto no se explica solo por la facilidad de registrar y distribuir contenidos. Tiene mucho que ver la cultura actual donde todos podemos ser el porno de alguien, y esto a veces se ejerce como derecho… Pero prometí no extenderme, así que solo una una más…

Mass access to adult products has made some porn stars influential celebrities in a way that was once reserved for Hollywood and, especially, musical artists due to their identification and aspirations. Even Stoya's cats had a blog dedicated to them, and on mine, you can find statements by Sasha Grey (and other porn stars) about sexual politics, the objectification of women, or the right to express female desire, with more listeners (and by more men) than Paglia or Dworkin. A certain type of male audience on this platform finds it incomprehensible that you show respect or identification with these public figures in a way that isn't exclusively sexual. They stick with what they do or what they've been exposed to and don't see what they are or represent. Grey is a high-IQ woman with a penchant for experimenting with sex without prejudice, but she also does this with the arts: music, acting, music, literature… and without fear of failure or of not being liked for speaking her mind. Would it be so strange if some substitute librarian eager to write and express themselves found it inspiring? [A mere hypothetical example, of course.] If this were to happen, I suppose the confusion would be because no one has told them about this phenomenon or about other porn culture phenomena that are new to them. But they could follow this blog and read it to better understand why I try to study all of this and be able to explain it to myself. Are you up for it?