Porn for Women
Not only was that basically the topic at Wiscon a few weeks back (the true title was: “Porn Crushes the Patriarchy”) but it is the title of a book given to me last week.
I have never laughed so hard in my life.
Beautifully photographed with men in various states of undress.
Here’s an example: imagine if you will, a handsome, dark-haired man, his shirt off, showing nice pecs and abs but not anywhere near the over-developed man-titty we all giggle at.
His boxers are peeking out from the top of his jeans and he is barefoot on a white shag rug in front of a fireplace.
In one hand, he holds the handle of a... vacuum cleaner. And the caption reads: “I love a clean house.”
It was put together by the Cambridge Women’s Pornography Cooperative, photographs by Susan Anderson, published by Chronicle Books and the ISBN is 978-0-8118-5551-8
And it kinda makes me think we’ve missed the boat in claiming erotic romance as porn for women. What it should be is romantic comedy with guys doing the things they should be doing, but never do, like putting the toilet seat down.
To say any more would give away the sheer delight of this book. And it was verily the most perfect gift for me.
So, folks, porn for women: does it crush the patriarchy, is it erotic romance, or should it be romantic comedy?
4 comments:
LOL, Celia.
True Confessions time. As a moody, self-conscious, perpetual outsider, what I've always found deeply pornographic are stories about hot sex between people with advanced academic degrees, tastefully successful careers, old families, and excellent inherited furniture. The heroine of a beloved Laurie Colwin novel specializes in the wool trade in medieval England. And reread it often as I may, that particular detail never fails to get me hot.
Desire takes any shape it damn well pleases. The erotic imagination is infinite, clever, and sometimes a bit spiteful.
Sometimes I think that we look to stereotypical, supposedly erotic images relief from the real stuff.
I think I'd like both-funny to show how stoopid all this males are best crap is and erotic to show that it's okay for girls to want sex too.
Am I too demanding? :)
Sometimes I think we take this stuff just a bit too seriously... or sometimes, as Pam says, not seriously enough, because eroticism can be so powerful and frightening. I think those two extremes, and everything in between, represent the great, infinite mystery of desire.
And p.s. what do I find unbearably sexy? A man rolling up his shirtsleeves. Toolbelts. I quite like power tools, too, but I don't think that's an erotic reaction.
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