The emergence of pornography from the shadows and its impact on modern American society are the subjects of Chyng Sun and Miguel Picker's sober documentary The Price of Pleasure, which looks at how porn has evolved into an increasingly mainstream business, while also analyzing the effects on both performers and consumers. On the pro-pornography side, interviewees include entrepreneurs who profit from porn (including coeds who publish explicit magazines and make hardcore films), lobbyists instrumental in securing legal protection for pornographers, and consumers who freely admit they enjoy porn. On the other side, interviewees include scholars and pop culture critics who talk about porn's objectification of women, the unsettling fact that violence against women is often employed as a means of arousal, and the observation that some individuals find their ability to develop gratifying relationships in the real world impaired by their addiction to porn. The Price of Pleasure tries to avoid sensationalism, but the illustrative excerpts from films are quite graphic, with many disturbing images (the DVD includes two versions of the film: one unedited, the other blurring anatomical detail—although it's still pretty strong stuff). DVD extras include a brief excerpt from an interview with Noam Chomsky. Sure to provoke heated discussion, this is recommended for more adventurous collections. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships
(2008) 56 min. DVD: $34.95: public libraries; $150: high schools; $250: colleges & universities. Media Education Foundation. PPR. ISBN: 1-932869-26-3. Volume 24, Issue 2
The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships
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