#343 - Kelsy Burke on THE PORNOGRAPHY WARS

Award-winning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Kelsy Burke, Ph.D., chats with Trey Elling about THE PORNOGRAPHY WARS: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF AMERICA'S OBSCENE OBSESSION. Topics include: How she ended up writing this book (0:50) A definition of ‘pornography’ (2:02) The subjectivity of ‘offensive’ (3:33) The genesis of the US porn wars around Civil War times (4:17) George Francis Train as one of the first porn defenders (6:24) J. Edgar Hoover’s “Obscene File” (8:22) Both sides of the porn wars feeling empowerment in 1957 (10:00) Common ground on porn for hardcore feminists & Christian women in ‘60s & ‘70s  (12:37) Nixon’s war on porn backfiring (14:03) What sparked a golden era for porn in the 1970s (17:14) Rev. Jerry Falwell’s impact on the porn wars (18:39) The VHS saving porn (21:33) The relationship between the internet and porn (22:45) An explanation of sex trafficking (24:50) How often sex trafficking is a part of porn (26:27) Similarities between diametrically opposed sex trade expos (28:43) The complications of a California bill to require male porn actors to wear condoms for intercourse (31:28) A horrifying example regarding the complications of consent (33:31) Where women go to work when they try to leave the sex industry (36:28) Feminist porn (38:04) How watching porn is potentially harmful (41:08) Is porn addictive? (42:49) Youth sex education & porn (46:06) Is ‘porn’ sex 'real’ sex (50:47)