Forum editor Elizabeth Coldwell believes the ban on certain forms of pornography is dangerous
With the Government's plan to make the possession of violent porn punishable by three years in jail, and prevent access to images of already illegal acts such as bestiality and necrophilia, comes a real danger that we will criminalise many images which fall outside these categories, and which live happily in the fantasies of many mature and sensible adults. How long will it be before someone decides that a DVD or website featuring acts of consensual BDSM falls into the 'extreme' category and seeks to have it banned? Censorship of adult material is already much stricter in the UK than in Europe and the US, and mags with a strong fetish content like Skin Two and Forum are subject to heavy legal and distribution guidelines which encourage an element of self-censorship anyway.
There are two problems here. The first is that the Internet is almost impossible to police, much as governments across the globe would love to be able to, and without a universal set of laws and values (and whose laws and values would you like those to be, given the choice?), what is legal in one country can easily fall foul of jurisdiction in another.
The second is that the insides of people's heads, particularly when it comes to their sexual desires, are much darker and more deviant places than some wish to acknowledge. However, just because you fantasise about something doesn't necessarily mean that you want to or are even physically able to - act it out. People who have the urge to commit violent acts will do so anyway, and blaming it on whatever is the current bogeyman Internet porn violent video games, heavy metal or gangsta rap music just takes away the responsibility for their own actions.
Elizabeth Coldwell is the editor of Forum magazine and has been involved in the world of top-shelf publishing for nearly twenty years
Comments (2)
True to a point however the explosion of the web and its anonimity has made it easier for anyone to produce and consume material of a pornographic nature. Those dark thoughts in someones head become reinforced by a myriad of images and other experiences. From the media from the web, from daily life. Yes they do, whether you want to believe that or not.
Having said that. Supposedly adult drama tv seems to show images or depict scenes which are just as graphic as anything shown on the web. Gore filled horror movies show just as much gratuitous violence or sexual exploitation as any website. So where do you draw the line.
It's all very well to say that you have freedom of expression. That does also place a responsibility on you to use that freedom wisely.
neoneo100![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://sundayheraldsalon.com/salon/nav-commenters.gif)
on September 3, 2006 10:22 AM report comment
The difficulty would seem to be in framing legislation that can differentiate between consensual activity and forced activity. The former, however strange it may seem to others, is surely down to the individuals concerned as long as they are functioning adults, whilst the latter needs to be stopped. Not sure I have the answer but then thats why I'm not in government or the civil service.
PeterWeir'sLeftPeg![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://sundayheraldsalon.com/salon/nav-commenters.gif)
on September 3, 2006 2:46 PM report comment