Capital Video: Purveyors of Shame Feature a New "Celebrity Sex Tape Scandal" (explicit language)
Posted by NPNAdmin at 4/1/2007 8:44 AM 
Categories: Feminist Perspective,Capital Video Corporation,The Property Owner,Porn Examples--Judge for Yourself
Categories: Feminist Perspective,Capital Video Corporation,The Property Owner,Porn Examples--Judge for Yourself
Some of our opponents have been critical of our "shaming" businesspeople like Barry and Annette Goldberg, the owners of 135 King Street, the site of Capital Video's new porn shop. Last fall, after receiving no response to private correspondence, we sent letters to voters in Longmeadow and Northampton describing the material that Capital Video sells and the potential for secondary effects around the porn shop. For an example of these secondary effects, see Springfield, where Capital Video's porn shop is currently impeding the revitalization of the Apremont Triangle area.
We made no personal attack on the Goldbergs, but appealed to them to "to extend the same care to King Street that we’re sure you have for your own neighborhood in Longmeadow." A similar appeal was successful in Hooksett, NH in 1999, where citizens persuaded a property owner there to cancel plans to lease to Capital Video. The landlord said, "If the community feels that strongly, I will withdraw the application. We will continue to try to get other things in there. I felt it was a protected use. I am a dad, and I am sorry it has caused you this aggravation."
Alas, the Goldbergs have not yet shown the same level of concern for Northampton, a town that has profited them for decades. If widespread knowledge of the facts is causing the Goldbergs to feel shame, that is as it should be. They are doing something that puts others at risk, and they have the power to choose another course. Exposing harmful acts is journalism at its best. John D. Rockefeller didn't like it, but few people today criticize Ida Tarbell for her reporting.
It is possible to use shame for bad ends. This would include the shaming of abuse victims (such as Linda Lovelace), the use of shame without a compelling public benefit, and the use of shame to tear down the rich/powerful/beautiful, presumably to make the viewer of the spectacle feel superior. Capital Video excels in the wrongful uses of shame. We have already discussed their prominent offering of "1 Night in Paris" at their website, Amazing.net:
Best price on the web! We are purchasing a huge amount of them and will fulfill all orders as soon as it arrives. This collectors item is a must have for your adult video library! Paris Hilton a blue blood celebrity now forever to be referenced by her 102 minutes of shame. Watched this surveillance film of the Hilton family's worst nightmare. Rick in Paris' Hotel... Rick's tongue in Paris' Pussy...Rick's dick in Paris' mouth...Rick's cock in Paris' pussy! The finale showcases Ms Hilton's blowjob talents where Solomon jerks his load on her breasts.Featured at the top of the Amazing.net home page today is "Kim Kardashian Superstar". The movie box cover bills this as "The NEW Celebrity SEX Tape Scandal". Amazing.net's (typo ridden) sales copy reads:
Paris Hilton’s good friend socialite Kim Kardashian has been caught up in a new sex tape scandal after filming her sexploits with her ex, Whitney Houston’s reported new beau Ray J.A raunchy tape featuring the former couple engaged in various sex acts.Kim Kardishian, the daughter of famed attorney Robert Kardishian, reportedly has been offered a $2 million deal for the exclusive rights to the tape. But Kardashian insists she wants nothing to do with the sale of the sex tape, and insists her ex, R&B star Brandy’s brother, will not want to get caught up in the deal either.Not only is this a bad use of shame, but the consent of the "star" to release the film is not apparent. Capital Video appears to believe that calling attention to this will increase sales, or at least not hurt them. Consent also appears to be missing, or at least not clearly apparent, with the release of the Paris Hilton video. Many of our opponents claim that consenting adults should be allowed to do whatever they want when it comes to porn. The truth is, however, that many elements of the porn industry show little desire to be scrupulous about the appearance or the reality of consent in their products.
See also:
"The look in her eyes tells us that she would like this bondage session to be over pretty soon. Forget it, girl!"
Punishment Porn: "Whether-She-Wants-It-Or-Not"
Martin Amis, "A rough trade":
A single issue of Adult Video News (April 2000) yields the following. Last October porno star Vivian Valentine attended the XXX-Treme Adults Only vacation in Mexico sporting the black eye she copped from Jon Dough on Rough Sex (Anabolic Video).
"I have no regrets or bad feelings about it," she said. Regan Starr who worked on the second film in this "line", Rough Sex 2, had a different take. "I got the s**t kicked out of me," she said. "I was told before the video--and they said this very proudly, mind you--that in this line most of the girls start crying because they're hurting so bad.... I couldn't breathe. I was being hit and choked. I was really upset, and they didn't stop. They kept filming. You can hear me say, 'Turn the f***ing camera off', and they kept going."
Comments