Comments on: Today’s Secret Word: Porno

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:43:17 +0000

Deven,

Thank you for spelling my name correctly.

Perhaps another time we can discuss speech, banning, censorship and the like.

By: Ken Arromdee

Ken Arromdee — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:50:57 +0000

The theater doesn’t want to avoid porn as an end in itself. Rather, the theater wants to avoid porn because of complaints. A movie with “Porn” in the title is more likely to produce complaints even if it contains less actual porn.

By: Deven

Deven — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:14:32 +0000

Aaron,

Thanks for playing. I was not trying to make the critic you are making nor was I saying one is better than the other. That is your stance.

I was noting that in fact that duality SEEMS to be in play but in the case of this theater chain, the lip service to nudity and sex is a problem is belied by other films they show AND that I wonder whether their decision has anything to do with a principle or gut decisions based on one word or dislike of a film maker.

If, as you seem to want, all should ban “violence and nudity [because they] appeal to prurient interests, and do little to enrich the public discourse” then that is part of the point. The theater chain is not adhering to any real ideal.

Best

Deven

(speaking of sloppy; note how I spelled your name correctly)

By: Anonymous Coward

Anonymous Coward — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:15:18 +0000

13.3 Billion?

People pay for Pr0n?

Maybe if you include all of the dvd/blu-ray burners, FIOS, external hd’s, network attached storage, and 24″+ lcd screens.

*unless they mean those movies you get whilst on vacation @ Motel 6

By: matt

matt — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:09:05 +0000

Aaron, I’ve not seen the movie and probably won’t. (It doesn’t sound that interesting to me.) My point was just that, if the New York Times review is correct, there’s not really very much nudity in this movie at all.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:32:59 +0000

Devan, I would have expected a little more rigor in your treatment of American culture. If, as your post indicates, that you are critiquing the “oddity of American culture,” you have done it the wrong way. It seems to me that in your sloppy attempt to lambaste American culture, you have ironically adopted its premise and perpetuated the cultural false dilemma: “If ultra-violence is OK, then why not a little porn?” Matt fell prey to this false dilemma when he continued your morally relativistic discussion by beginning his post with “And…”

With few exceptions, violence and nudity appeal to prurient interests, and do little to enrich the public discourse. I have little use for either.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:30:39 +0000

And, according to the NY Times review today, the film doesn’t really have graphic sex in it at all- lots of talking about it and naughty language but very little actual nudity or sex. It seems like a pretty silly and childish reaction.