You've hit all the nails on their heads :)
On 9 Feb 2012, at 11:39, marc garrett wrote: > > One of the most depressing things regarding working class culture in the > UK (of which I am part of), is that the 'gutter' press and x factor > mentality, has poisoned cultural dialogue through a process of > 'top-down' corporatized mediation, with shallow glamour & celebrity > banality; which holds down any hope of 'real' change from the lower > classes, en masse. It is the middle class, the educated who are out > there changing things and protesting, and the younger dysfunctional kids > 'uneducated' who rioted and smashed the shops for designer clothes. We > are truly living in a Ballardian nightmare, where most rebellions exist > within a constant loop of consumer orientated entrapment. > > The desire to be free, is channeled, exploited through protocols and > frameworks which mutate the mutated, into extreme distortions which more > relate to consumer, designed fetishism, rather than connecting to actual > 'wild' and deeper resonances. Whether male or female, we are all trapped > in a maze of a trade off that demands the sell-off of our possbile > liberations, via gadgets and fantasy-promises. The revolt of the > privelaged, gains greater control through globalization, its networks, > and an never ending war on us the people, and the constant creation of > wars to distract us from claiming civil liberties, whilst they say > civil-rights is nothing but a privelage in itself. > > The other thing to remember, is that supply and demand whether > technological or 'physical', social construction, is based on exploiting > 'habits' not 'needs'. Thus, if we are to expect to change anything, > either personal or societal, we need to recognise that our habits are > our weeknesses. Re-establishing control over our 'INNER' contexts will > only be truly evolutionary or revolutionary, if we express, think and > act beyond habit. For the habit of the individual/masses, creates ways > in, various roots - where methods of psychological power is at its most > potent and exploitative. > > As you say 'its about power', of course - but there different forms of > power, and it is up to ourselves to gain some hold of power reflecting > own contextual nuances which are less driven by the powers over us and > more about mutual powers and personal forms of power. And power involves > claiming control of a situation, of others, of things and of aspects of > life; the resolutions we weave are not always going to be seen by the > journalists, the media, the lucky enlightened, but by personal localism > where communities forge out their own contexts, not reliant on > hegemonical, distant unrelated dialogue or remits. For the general > dialogue out there, is close to entertainment, whilst being in a > post-modern sense, important at the same time. > > Regarding the Sun Newspaper and Page 3, I think you know what I think > about it (and Ruth). This is the video we did last year 'at winter > equinox we burn The Sun' http://vimeo.com/18325342 > >> It was shocking when a senior newspaper executive responded by saying > page 3 girls >> are harmless fun. They do enormous harm to those involved in their > production and >> all those exposed to them. The impact of hard porn is arguably that > much greater, >> as is the impact of prostitution. > > Again, I must refer to prostitution from experience. When I was younger > I knew prostitutes personally, some were friends of my family and just > like anyone else they are varied and different, in respect of > intelligence and class. I have never sex with a prostitute - but have > talked with many, played board games and stayed round their houses and > have been to parties with them as younger lad; and the wisdom and > knowledge they possesed about men and the world is deep, tragic, > violent, beautiful, hilarious, enlightening, horrible and more. The Sun > Newspaper has cheapened sex, based around principles of patriarchal > mechanisms of economy and shallow habitualness, to a point where sex > becomes a taboo. The power game here, is that, we are now unable to > claim sex and its variant forms because it has been exploited to such an > extreme level - the real depths of its (possible) beauty can only be > discussed within a political context alone - it has been stolen from us, > dialogue is now inflammatory and our potential as human beings to > explore sexuality on our own terms is no longer acceptable as an > awakening and discovery. > > Wishing you well. > > marc > > >> The recent submission to the Leveson inquiry by a number of feminists on >> this topic was timely. > > It was shocking when a senior newspaper executive responded by saying > page 3 girls are harmless fun. They do enormous harm to those involved > in their production and all those exposed to them. The impact of hard > porn is arguably that much greater, as is the impact of prostitution. > > It's all exploitative. I stress again, this is not a moral issue but a > political one - it's about power. >> >> best >> >> Simon >> >> >> On 8 Feb 2012, at 16:36, marc garrett wrote: >> >>> Hi Simon, >>> >>> I remember in the 80s, a radical lefty feminist artist who was showing >>> strange artwork in a Brixton Gallery in 84, introduced me to Kathy >>> Acker's work; and lent me a copy of her book 'Blood and Guts in High >>> School'. I found the book not only disturbing but also liberating. A >>> brillaint writer, I wish there much more like her. She challenged men >>> and women. >>> >>> What I like about her work, is how it cuts across the hypocrisy around >>> 'self censored & imposed ideas', on human sexuality. Much of the work, >>> unearths, even admits, certain realisms about human sexual fantasy > which >>> may not necessarily be acceptable in polite or conservative thought >>> (right across the board), but is what it is. >>> >>> Of course, in respect of sex slavery - I am a humanist and believe that >>> people should never be made to do what they do not wish to. >>> >>> I have worked with people who have experienced such situations >>> themselves, and it has been traumatic (personally) to work with these >>> individuals. Especially in some of the homeless centres I have > worked in >>> in London. The systems in place seem designed to exploit rather than >>> support. >>> >>> Wishing you well. >>> >>> marc >>> >>> >>>> Kathy Acker's work was often sexually explicit, in print and >>> performance (I was a videographer for the Pussy, King of the Pirates >>> performance in London, with the Mekons, so "was there"), but I'd never >>> have considered what she did as pornographic. Pornography isn't about >>> sex. There is plenty of pornography that has no explicit sexual content >>> (much popular culture fits in this definition). I would argue that any >>> representation that is created with the intention of inducing a > sense of >>> gratification at the expense of those presented in or consuming the >>> representation is pornographic. This is also true of any particular >>> activity, not just representations, so when sex involves such dynamics >>> it is exploitative. I can accept that sex workers and their clients >>> might not believe themselves to be in an exploitative relationship with >>> one another. However, my earlier argument was not about those directly >>> involved in what might be fully consensual activities but the affect of >>> their activities upon others. When activity is in the pubic realm then >>> you are going to encounter major issues. Again, this isn't just about >>> sex. The same dynamics can be seen in sport, the creative arts and >>> elsewhere. Coming back to Acker, her work often sought to highlight how >>> what appears to be quite normal human interactions are actually >>> exploitative and pornographic. I see Alan's work in the same light. >>>> >>>> best >>>> >>>> Simon >>>> >>>> >>>> On 8 Feb 2012, at 13:46, marc garrett wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi Simon, >>>>> >>>>> Let's I def-agree that we do not abide sexual exploitation... >>>>> >>>>> Yet, people also need to be able to find their own sexual identities >>>>> beyond the restrictions of the state or moralists. >>>>> >>>>> One of the problems with sex is that is one of those things which is >>>>> deeper than society can 'openly' deal with - you have interesting >>>>> individuals crossing the borders of their sexual activities such as >>>>> Kathy Acker, and much of 70s French cinema, and the sexual >>>>> liberationists such as Tuppy Owens. Where their sexual exploration is >>>>> linked to their liberty and politics and they consider society as a >>>>> social construct limiting their particular feral discoveries... >>>>> >>>>> Pornography is exploitative because we exist in a male dominated > world, >>>>> with men who value exploitation and its industry above the liberty for >>>>> others - and this goes way beyond sex itself, wars, vid-games, sport, >>>>> economies - pornography is such a loaded term, and usually > appropriated >>>>> as an absolute and partial to simplistic symbols. Yet, the problem is >>>>> not sex - it is our lack of freedom to explore the 'feralness' of >>>>> ourselves, in a world contained by frameworks trapping people's 'real' >>>>> potential as intimate human beings at various levels - thus it creates >>>>> scarcity and isolation as part of the product. >>>>> >>>>> Stop men controlling everything - then we'll find new ways of >>>>> rediscovering things beyond literalization of our 'selves'... >>>>> >>>>> Wishing you well. >>>>> >>>>> marc >>>>>> The question might not only be about whether the sex workers >>> themselves are being exploited but that others not associated with > their >>> activities are. For example, sexual representation of young (or young >>> appearing) sex workers could be leading to the sexualisation of >>> children. Ditto, images of women performing as subservient sexual >>> partners to men exploits women generally. There are loads of examples >>> like this. It's not just pornography - it's a concern in representation >>> in general (eg: Louis Malle's representation of Brooke Shields in > Pretty >>> Baby, a great film with huge problems). >>>>>> >>>>>> Of course, such exploitation is not unique to sex work. It happens >>> in other domains too. But there is no justification for such >>> exploitation, wherever it happens. >>>>>> >>>>>> This is not a moral argument but a political one. I agree with the >>> feminist argument that pornography and sex work are intrinsically >>> exploitative, not just of women but everyone involved in, exposed to > and >>> even those totally unaware of it. >>>>>> >>>>>> best >>>>>> >>>>>> Simon >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On 8 Feb 2012, at 10:02, marc garrett wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> [Copied from the Spectre list...] >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Sex Work and Consent at @transmediale - by Dmyri Kleiner >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Transmediale 2012 is over. R15N is closed again, until the >>>>>>> next occasion. As usual, lots of great people at the >>> festival, and >>>>>>> lots to talk and think about. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Saturday I attended the discussion "Commercialising Eros" with >>> Jacob >>>>>>> Appelbaum, Zach Blas, Liad Hussein Kantorowicz, Aliya Rakhmetova and >>>>>>> moderated by Gaia Novati. Aliya Rakhmetova, supporter of sex > workers' >>>>>>> right working as a co-ordinator with SWAN, gave an overview of her >>>>>>> organization and it's campaigns defending the rights of sex workers, >>>>>>> including campaigns to fight violence against sex workers. Jacob >>>>>>> Appelbaum went over his experience working in the IT department of >>>>>>> smut.com, a leading internet pornography company, which he left as a >>>>>>> result of his opposition to exploitive pay inequality at the company >>>>>>> which paid the performers far less that the executives at the > company. >>>>>>> Liad Hussein Kantorowicz talked about her work as live erotic >>> performer >>>>>>> at a internet pornography site, and performed her job on the > stage for >>>>>>> her online clients while the other panelists gave their > presentations. >>>>>>> Zach Blas gave an overview of the work of the "Queer > Technologies" art >>>>>>> collective. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I enjoyed the presentations and discussions and applaud the > panellists >>>>>>> for their support of sex workers. One question stuck with me, I > didn't >>>>>>> expand upon it at the discussion, but I'd like to here. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Several of the panelists referred to the issue of consent as a >>>>>>> justification for sex work and a way of arguing against legal >>>>>>> repressions of sex work, and against the opposition against sex work >>>>>>> that some feminists and other have, as well as a way to >>> distinguish sex >>>>>>> work from rape. Sex work is distinguished from rape because it is >>>>>>> consensual, and neither legislator nor moral campaigner has any > place >>>>>>> interfering with what consenting adults do. Yet, this argument is >>>>>>> unsatisfying. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Within the capitalist system, where workers and their families face >>>>>>> destitution and homelessness unless they work, no work can be truly >>>>>>> described as consensual. What's more the pretense of consent, is > often >>>>>>> used as justification for exploitation and to excuse the exploitive >>>>>>> behaviour of employers. After all, the worker chose to accept > the job. >>>>>>> Yet, as the cliche goes, in context this choice is not much > different >>>>>>> than the one that a mugger gives you. "Your money or your life" is >>> also >>>>>>> a choice. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Like all professions, there can be no doubt that many sex > workers feel >>>>>>> empowered by their work, and take great pleasure in it. However, > there >>>>>>> can also be no doubt, that many sex workers are directly or > indirectly >>>>>>> coerced into doing this kind of work, and face emotional and social >>>>>>> trauma as a result. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "Consent" seems to justify not only the sex-work itself, since > the sex >>>>>>> worker consents to perform sexual services for a client, but the >>>>>>> conditions of the sex-workers labour as well, since the sex-workers, >>>>>>> like other workers, has consented to the terms of employment. Thus >>> while >>>>>>> consent may help us differentiate sex work from rape, it > justifies the >>>>>>> economic exploitation of the sex worker at the same time, since >>> both the >>>>>>> workers relationship with the client and the employer are ultimately >>>>>>> consensual. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I would prefer to see a stronger line of argument that says that sex >>>>>>> work is a valid form of work not merely because it is > consensual, but >>>>>>> because it is valuable. Rather then a week liberal argument based >>> on the >>>>>>> sanctity of what consulting adults to, a strong social argument that >>>>>>> argues that sex workers do necessary and beneficial work and > should be >>>>>>> protected and supported. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Like the consent argument, the value argument also differentiates >>>>>>> between sex work and rape, as rape clearly is not socially >>> valuable, but >>>>>>> unlike the consent argument it doesn't excuse the economic >>> exploitation >>>>>>> of sex workers, since such exploitation is not socially valuable. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> If we accept that sex work is valuable work that has a place in >>> society, >>>>>>> then we can focus on the health and well being of the sex workers >>>>>>> directly, and acknowledge that many of them are not empowered >>> consenting >>>>>>> workers, but rather victims of coercion, trafficking and > exploitation, >>>>>>> often forced, unwillingly, into their work. Pretending that they > have >>>>>>> consented to their own exploitation is both delusional and >>> disrespectful >>>>>>> when it's quite likely that the empowered sex worker who takes >>> pleasure >>>>>>> in their work is the minority within an industry that recruits > most of >>>>>>> its workers by way of terror and desperation. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The value argument also confronts the moral issues more directly, >>> since >>>>>>> the consent argument doesn't necessarily dispute the immorality > of the >>>>>>> work, it only argues that nobody that is not directly involved > has any >>>>>>> business with it. The value argument makes a much stronger social >>>>>>> statement: that sex work is not just a private business between >>>>>>> consenting adults, but a form of work that benefits society and, far >>>>>>> from being immoral, is a vital part of human civilization and >>> always has >>>>>>> been, despite persecutions and prohibitions. And that such > persecution >>>>>>> and prohibition should stop, not simply because it interferes with >>>>>>> liberal rights, but because it is wrong and harmfull. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> First we must reject capitalist ideological notions of consent, >>> these do >>>>>>> not help sex workers, only make them responsible for their own >>>>>>> exploitation, and exploitation aint sexy. Once we see sex work as an >>>>>>> essential form of work, we can fight for the conditions of these >>> workers >>>>>>> along with those of all other workers. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I'll be at Cafe Buchhandlung for Stammtisch tonight at 8pm or so, >>> I hope >>>>>>> some transmediale folk who are still in town will join for a > drink in >>>>>>> celebration of a great event. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Stammtisch is here: http://bit.ly/buchhandlung >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Dmyri Kleiner >>>>>>> Venture Communist >>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>>>>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>>>>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Simon Biggs >>>>>> si...@littlepig.org.uk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ @SimonBiggsUK >>> skype: simonbiggsuk >>>>>> >>>>>> s.bi...@ed.ac.uk Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh >>>>>> http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ http://www.elmcip.net/ >>> http://www.movingtargets.co.uk/ >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>>>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>>>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Other Info: >>>>> >>>>> Furtherfield - A living, breathing, thriving network >>>>> http://www.furtherfield.org - for art, technology and social change >>> since 1997 >>>>> >>>>> Also - Furtherfield Gallery& Social Space: >>>>> http://www.furtherfield.org/gallery >>>>> >>>>> About Furtherfield: >>>>> http://www.furtherfield.org/content/about >>>>> >>>>> Netbehaviour - Networked Artists List Community. >>>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org >>>>> >>>>> http://identi.ca/furtherfield >>>>> http://twitter.com/furtherfield >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Simon Biggs >>>> si...@littlepig.org.uk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ @SimonBiggsUK >>> skype: simonbiggsuk >>>> >>>> s.bi...@ed.ac.uk Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh >>>> http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ http://www.elmcip.net/ >>> http://www.movingtargets.co.uk/ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Other Info: >>> >>> Furtherfield - A living, breathing, thriving network >>> http://www.furtherfield.org - for art, technology and social change >>> since 1997 >>> >>> Also - Furtherfield Gallery & Social Space: >>> http://www.furtherfield.org/gallery >>> >>> About Furtherfield: >>> http://www.furtherfield.org/content/about >>> >>> Netbehaviour - Networked Artists List Community. >>> http://www.netbehaviour.org >>> >>> http://identi.ca/furtherfield >>> http://twitter.com/furtherfield >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >>> >> >> >> Simon Biggs >> si...@littlepig.org.uk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ @SimonBiggsUK > skype: simonbiggsuk >> >> s.bi...@ed.ac.uk Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh >> http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ http://www.elmcip.net/ > http://www.movingtargets.co.uk/ >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org >> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> > > > -- > Other Info: > > Furtherfield - A living, breathing, thriving network > http://www.furtherfield.org - for art, technology and social change > since 1997 > > Also - Furtherfield Gallery & Social Space: > http://www.furtherfield.org/gallery > > About Furtherfield: > http://www.furtherfield.org/content/about > > Netbehaviour - Networked Artists List Community. > http://www.netbehaviour.org > > http://identi.ca/furtherfield > http://twitter.com/furtherfield > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > Simon Biggs si...@littlepig.org.uk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ @SimonBiggsUK skype: simonbiggsuk s.bi...@ed.ac.uk Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ http://www.elmcip.net/ http://www.movingtargets.co.uk/ _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
