Porn on Campus

Every few months, a college campus becomes all hot'n'bothered about some sex issue. This time it's the University of Maryland. While it managed to pull off a sell-out showing of "Deep Throat" years ago, with little complaint, a similar attempt with "Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge" hasn't been so lucky. Plans to roll the hardcore porn film have ignited a local firestorm around morals, academic freedom, and censorship, largely thanks to Maryland's state senator, Andrew Harris.

An appalled Harris feels that the college campus is no place for porn. The reality check required would be laughable if it wasn't that Harris is putting your money where his mouth is. So strong are his convictions that he has offered an amendment to cut state funding (a.k.a., your tax dollars) to public colleges showing hardcore porn flicks on campus. Exceptions will be made when it comes to showing films for course purposes, e.g., cinematography studies. (Sexologists like me are wiping their brows.)

Despite the fact that the event is funded by student -- and not state -- monies, the University of Maryland has reacted by canceling the screening. It claims that the film's "educational" context was lost in the debate. The educational component was its "foreplay." A Planned Parenthood representative was invited to talk about safer sex prior to the midnight screening. (Apparently, the pirates don't practice safer sex.)

As a sex educator, I was surprised that Planned Parenthood would want to go anywhere near this kind of event. Given the country's political climate, a debate was guaranteed to ensue. I can understand the organization's interest in that the event is a forum with an audience waiting to be captivated. But the students are there for the action, and the thrill of being group voyeurs. They're not there to be educated.

I don't know who the university -- or Planned Parenthood -- thinks they're fooling in framing this matter as a sex education seminar of sorts. Sadly, the below-the-belt backlash is one being bore by all sexual health advocates, who are made to look like porn peddlers in this student body's passion pursuits. The rationale we often need to justify legitimate educational opportunities involving video, like those in a classroom, have only been hampered by this misrepresentation.

The intent to eroticize - and not educate - is supported by comments made by those who originally organized the event. They claim that the fun and entertaining 2.5 hours, "XXX" activity was meant to be a stress break. (Hmmm... seems plenty of people can get the same stress relief in 2.5 minutes of "XXX" private-time, solo action). The flick was chosen because it had a plot (as if this matters), and would be one way to compete with DVD rentals and illegal downloading (not quite sure I understand that one).

Outraged that their right to porn has been infringed upon, a group of students are moving ahead with plans to show the movie anyway. They've organized a campus viewing Monday night. Apparently, professors have been invited to moderate discussion on free speech issues (Note: no mention of safer sex education anymore). They need something to prove that their rebellion is being waged in the name of academic freedom.

Ironically, showing porn isn't needed to host a discussion on your right to view explicit materials in an academic setting, even if that involves no more than using university facilities for such. It's not necessary to provide adult sex education in most circumstances. If these students want to satiate their sexual needs, they could better see to their business -- and let the university see to its -- in focusing on events in their personal space. Better luck next time with a dorm porn crawl.

Comments

[StrayTalk]

Porn on a college campus!
That is a slippery slope. Next thing you know they'll want alcohol at college also.

[VinceTeeter]

OMG! porn on campus, how terrible. Say this six times fast: "Sex is not fun".

[unmannedanimal]

how quaint.

my undergrad campus had it's own porno mag. student run (content and publishing), supported by the college activities fund.

[Dionsmusica]

I remember my freshman year of college at Western Illinois University, on my floor on friday nights we would have "Pizza & Porn" night. I think it is dangerous ground to tread when we allow others to dictate what young adult can, and cannot watch. I think what Greg Lukianoff says in his blog on this same topic is exactly correct, when dealing with free speech; what may be vulgar to one may be poetic to another. The occasional offense is a small price to pay to make sure that our free speech goes un-infringed, especially at a time when it seems that first amendment rights are constantly being threatened on multiple fronts.
Having been a part of such movie showings myself, I know that no one goes to see a film like this one who isn't the least bit intrigued. If you find it so very offensive, then don't go, and allow others to have their fun. I often found that us sitting around eating pizza and watching porn led to interesting conversations, on sex, sexuality, relationships, self-image, eating disorders, everything under the sun, not to mention tons of laughs.

[valkyrie607]

Porn is so banal.

I can't believe people still get worked up over it.

[RobinSeattle]

"Porn is so banal. "

But dude, note the last four letters in your description. Your thinking has been infected by the scourge of porn and you didn't even realize it. :p

Porn and sex itself are both banal, but yet conservatives sure get themselves in a tizzy over both. That is because they are secret perverts.

[RevBookburn]

Right on! Look how many 'moral' crusaders turned out to be closet 'perverts.' The louder they screamed against adult entertainment, adult sexuality or any component of reproductive freedom, the more scandalous they turned out to be. Just a fraction of the list: Pastor Ted Haggard, Sen. David 'Diaperman' Vitter, Sen. Larry Craig, Mark Foley.....

[MajorKong]

Most of it's pretty boring. After about 10 minutes I'm thinking "Can we throw a car chase or something in here to liven it up?"

[JScott]

PPPfffffftttttttttt!!!!!! As if the students can't already get probably the same movie over the internet in the privacy of their dorm rooms, porn is already on campus.

[pixiepotpie]

The only reason for this movie to be shown publically like this is the producer's attempt to recruit. i don't have a problem with porn in general, but i can't help thinking how totally inappropriate this is. School is supposed to be a place to Learn. i can't help wondering how many girls got raped afterwards. Unfortunately, we'd never know because rape is rarely reported, let alone by a girl who just left a public porno beforehand. i swear our country's overall mentality is that of a 14-year old boy.

[RobinSeattle]

"i can't help wondering how many girls got raped afterwards"

Yeah, because as we all know, men are beasts unable to control their sex drives.

Your misandry is showing.

[rjmiller]

"i can't help wondering how many girls got raped afterwards."

You're kidding, right? You say this like no college kid has ever seen a porno, when it's more likely that every single one of them has been watching them since they were 12. Everyone is going to walk out laughing because this movie is just ridiculous. A better question would be how many girls buy sexy pirate costumes after viewing this.

[ECBA88]

When did we get to the point where we tell adults what they're allowed to watch? And can you support your claim that porn causes rampant sexual violence on college campuses? I can't believe you can still consider it acceptable to say that if a man watches a pornographic scene, he will then take sex by force. The very real problem of sexual violence in our society is no excuse for your blind prejudice.

I'm a male college student myself, and have shown porn films on a large projection screen in my room on several occasions, generally with a mixed audience. So far, it has led to some entertaining discussions about sex, filmmaking, and breast augmentation, and one couple running off during the ending credits for some private time. In fact, we watched the original Pirates film last month. It was very silly, and not highly arousing. In one scene, at the end of a threesome, a suspiciously hairless man yells out "I AM THE GREATEST PIRATE HUNTER IN THE WORLD!" in the throes of orgasm. Do you honestly believe that college students, who our society recognizes in theory to be adults, will be hurt by this?

I'm not sure what your college years were like, but I hope you had fun at Puritan U.

[RobinSeattle]

I just love conservatives.

Gruesome torture of prisoners OK!

Adults watching porn on campus: oh my God, can't have that! Call out the National Guard!