Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ncsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!mauney From: mauney@ncsu.UUCP (Jon Mauney) Newsgroups: net.women,net.misc Subject: Re: Real Dirt on Porn Message-ID: <2502@ncsu.UUCP> Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 12:07:22 EST Article-I.D.: ncsu.2502 Posted: Fri Feb 17 12:07:22 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 04:22:26 EST References: <6919@watmath.UUCP> Organization: N.C. State University, Raleigh Lines: 42 Tracy Tims has an interesting idea: don't ban pornography that depicts graphic sex, ban films that promote rape and/or other crimes. This would give a much more objective and workable guideline. Unfortunately: 1) which crimes are not to be shown? If it is the glorification of crime that we object to, then a lot of very good movies are in trouble. A lot of movies show people getting away with murder; The Sting certainly glorified fraud. If someone makes a movie that depicts littering (and creating a nuisance) will he be fined 50 dollars and made to pick up the garbage? 2) XXX-rated movies (so I'm told) often depict adultery, fornication, incest, and Infamous Crimes Against Nature -- activities which are still illegal in many places. Porno movies without such activities would be even more boring than they currently are. 3) Restrictions could be easily circumvented. For example, I could make a movie that graphically depicts a man raping and murdering many women. I would draw this out for about 90 minutes -- especially the sex scenes -- to emphasize the brutal and inhuman nature of this man. Then I would show him arrested, tried, and put behind bars. I would make this part last about five minutes, to show the swift application of justice. Voila! a morality play, suitable for schoolchildren: If You're Mean, You'll Go To Prison. I could argue my artistic vision in court for years, and I probably would win. And if the prosecution wants to argue the influence my movie has, they'll have to find someone who saw my movie and was thus motivated to commit a rape he would not otherwise have committed. Tracy admits that there are problems with any attempt to restrict forms of communication. I agree. That is why there should be no restrictions at all, unless a clear and present danger can be shown. The way to prevent rape is to find out why some men are mentally ill. Censoring movies will not work. -- _Doctor_ Jon Mauney, mcnc!ncsu!mauney \__Mu__/ North Carolina State University