The Pornography Wars

Reviews

Compelling . . . No other book has covered American battles over porn quite so extensively . . . Burke establishes herself as a reliable guide with firsthand knowledge of the allure emanating from countervailing social forces . . . I learned a great deal from The Pornography Wars and recommend it to experts and beginners alike. A mature, thoughtful book about a complex and divisive topic. No matter their personal opinions, readers will likely find observations here to inform their thoughts about pornography's creation and consumption. Compassionate and well-balanced … refreshingly unbiased … an astute and forthright presentation of a hotly contested issue. A thought-provoking examination of pornography in America … well balanced and rigorously researched, featuring dozens of opinions from across the spectrum of debate … An intellectually stimulating read for porn fans and critics alike. Thoroughly researched and refreshingly readable … this volume does a remarkable job of conveying points of view from all sides of the issues, resulting in a much more complex understanding of a lightning-rod subject. A great overview . . . informative . . . And it has a fresh angle: rather than portray porn performers, producers, and pro-sex feminists as polar opposites of the people crusading against pornography, Burke suggests 'this dividing line of anti- or pro-porn is a false dichotomy.' The Pornography Wars is a tour de force! Weaving together history, politics, science, and technology, Burke meticulously documents all sides of the pornography debates... always staying above the fray. If you want to be truly informed, this is where you start! Whether you believe pornography exploits or empowers those who engage in it, you’ll enjoy how Kelsy Burke deftly blends storytelling and rigorous social science research to enlighten us on this complex and often taboo subject. The Pornography Wars is relevant to anyone who is concerned about the influence that pornography has on our culture and our lives, including parents, clinicians, educators, and researchers alike. A fascinating read! In The Pornography Wars, Kelsy Burke offers a timely and insightful perspective on one of the world’s most contentious topics. She uses careful research and details from numerous interviews to convey realities about anti-pornography and pro-pornography advocacy positions, all while remaining transparent and clear about her own position and analytic frame. The writing is rich, highly accessible, and often personal. This is a provocative, extraordinary, must-read. A clear-eyed, engaging, and deeply-researched study of an industry and an argument we cannot afford to ignore. Bold and ambitious, this book argues neither for or against pornography, instead championing the importance of knowing the sociohistorical context of narratives about pornography. With a sociological lens, Burke illuminates people’s messy relationships to sexual images—the anxiety and the joy, the judgment and the pleasure—all in a radical attempt to humanize people on all sides of the porn wars. Kelsy Burke may have done the impossible. At a time when debates over pornography's production and consumption have never been more heated, Dr. Burke has written a book that combatants on either side of that fight would find accurate, fair, and enlightening. And that's because Dr. Burke invites both sides to explain their case. She interviews the activists, the experts, and the producers. She traces the history and crunches the numbers. Meticulously researched, yet sweeping in scope, The Pornography Wars is required reading for anyone interested in America's love-hate obsession with porn. Social conflicts over pornography are as ubiquitous as porn itself. Moving from Comstock to OnlyFans, armed with rigorous research and smarts, Kelsy Burke jumps into the fray with empathetic curiosity, complexity, fair-mindedness and nuance. A definitive and important study. [A] fascinating social history … an excellent snapshot of the various players involved in the porn wars, and why it still puts us at ideological loggerheads … Burke’s work makes it clear that the controversies over porn are far from over. Burke has the gift of being supremely unruffled about even the most incendiary of subjects . . . The anti-porn and porn-positive camps she’s been chronicling actually care about the same things, she concludes: 'human rights, sexual consent, and living a fulfilling life.' Everyone wants to achieve 'a real and authentic sexuality' and break away from the 'fake sex that surrounds us.' The Pornography Wars is truly one of most cogent and sophisticated deep dives into our collective dirty secret that I’ve ever read. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Expand reviews