Cass Sunstein is a constitutional law scholar who teaches at the University of Chicago. He takes a strong interest in how debates are evolving in new media. He observes that people frequently separate themselves into distinct online camps, drive off people who don’t conform, and vilify the opposition. This is a poor way to achieve a […]
Continue reading Moving from Shrill Debates to Consensus: “Political Charity”
It has become a cliche in American culture, yet its truth still makes us laugh. Lucy offers Charlie Brown a football to kick. Charlie Brown knows that during virtually all previous attempts, Lucy has pulled the ball away at the last minute, causing him to go flying and land flat on his back. Nevertheless, Lucy knows […]
On July 11, we continued our dialogue with Renegade Evolution, a stripper and porn performer, moving on to the subject of workplace rules for porn performers. We are happy to see some areas of common ground, with the goal of making life less harsh for people in the industry: NPN: I would like to take […]
Continue reading Workplace Regulations for Porn Performers: A Dialogue with Renegade Evolution
It has been interesting this week to see members of the adult industry, famous for its staunch defense of free speech, object to being quoted in ways they find ‘exploitative’ or damaging to their interests. Notions of having a free and open debate, so cherished by the founders of our country, go out the window […]
Continue reading Adult Website Tries to Use Copyright Laws to Restrict Debate
Andrea Lavigne has a modest proposal for those who think legalized prostitution is a good idea. Andrea received her Masters Degree in Social Work at Wayne State University in 1994. She is currently in an independent private practice as a licensed clinical social worker (LMSW), is credentialed as a Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW) and […]
Continue reading A Thought Experiment for Those Who Want to Legalize Prostitution
Renegade Evolution and others who defend pornography have said it’s improper for anti-porn activists to hold up actual examples of porn to public view. Unless we get permission from the subjects to do this, we are exploiting them. In a sense this is true, and unfortunate. It’s the case anytime one holds up another’s work […]
Our debate with pro-porn blogger Renegade Evolution continues. In one of her emails to us today she wrote [typos in original], That’s great, see, I actually advocate listening to all sexworkers, even those who hate it. Now, doing the whole “your feelings are important” thing with me is not, oh, going to impress me much […]
Alan Bisbort raises a cheer for blogs in “Vox Bloguli”, published in the July 12 Valley Advocate. He asks, Where do the American people find the truth today? Blogs. Just look at the political stories that have dominated the past two years. During that time, print and broadcast journalists got their asses kicked by the […]
Many things make no sense in Pornoland. The latest example is the position of Renegade Evolution, a porn advocate, “a bit pathological about the rights of free speech,” who objects to our linking to her public statements without permission (even though she linked to NoPornNorthampton on July 8 with no prior notice) and our referencing […]
Those who think the sex industry celebrates women’s choices and empowerment should consider the attitudes of many of the participants. Even if stripping makes some women feel personally empowered, they need to consider how they are part of a machine that disempowers women generally. The effects of adult entertainment don’t stop at the strip club […]
Continue reading Strip Poker Men’s Club: Women’s Lib to Blame for Men’s Going to Strip Clubs