Re: FWD: MEDIA RELEASE : One Nation threatens action against Virtual Artists!

Marius Johnston (mariusj@best.com)
Thu, 11 Jun 1998 15:12:41 -0700

Well, this asks for a rational definition which is not
totally impossible.

Maybe it is more fruitful to understand why there is
"pornography". I think that the concept of "porno" can be
understood best as a "Taboo". Every society has taboos and
they appear to be, particularly to the outsider, as
irrational. Yet taboos serve an important function within a
society. The most important function is that they contribute
to the "glue" that holds society together. They help
define, give self-defininition, to a particular society.

Sexual taboos exist in most if not all societies and they
are important. They moderate and guide behavior thus
avoiding conflict (there is much more).

If society has a "sense of who it is", then its members have
a sense of who they are.

We have seen what happens in society when taboos are
destroyed.

Marius Johnston

Tom Coffin wrote:

> what is pornography?
>
> coffin@art.net
>
> ---===<<<<<<<((((((([[[[[[[*]]]]]]])))))))>>>>>>>===---
>
> art.net/~coffin

--
My online studio
<http://www.art.net/Studios/Visual/Mariusj/studio_door.html>

and barbecue page <http://www.best.com:80/~mariusj/> Both are perpetually under contruction