How do the worlds of contemporary pornography and Victorian sexual codes meet you ask? UK produced pornography has this month been censored by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) through an amendment to the 2003 Communications Act. While the increased censorship already applied to pornography sold on DVD in sex shops, its significance until now had not been felt wholesale due to the proliferation of porn online. Now crucially, these guidelines apply to video on Demand (VoD) online porn.
The list of sexual acts falling under 'content that is not acceptable' and therefore now banned include: caning, spanking, penetration by any object "associated with violence", "water sports", humiliation, physical restraint, aggressive whipping and physical or verbal abuse (regardless of if consensual). Three further acts have fallen under the BBFC's list of unacceptable content listed as "potentially life-endangering".
This may seem an unusual choice of blog topic, particularly as my blog to date has four entries. I am aware this post adds both to the lack of cohesion within my page while making me look like a porn addicted, sexually frustrated masturbating fanatic but I assure you that is not the case, not that it would be a problem if I were.
I guess I chose to throw my two cents and shillings on this topic as it is both hilarious and outrageous in equal measure. Even if we stretch our imaginations to believe any of these sexual acts are "life endangering" why on earth is female ejaculation now banned? If that's the case tell me why male ejaculation, often all over a woman's face or down her throat has not been given the same censorious treatment? Surely the risk of choking or pink eye is for more endangering.
It seems the change in law is completely arbitrary, without any explanation or true scientific inquiry. Worryingly these measures seem to focus on acts that demonstrate female sexual pleasure and or empowerment; perhaps it is an unfortunate coincidence however I cannot help but feel it is something far more extensive within our society.
In 21st century Britain female sexuality is constantly under attack with displays of sexual assertiveness still deemed slutty, laddish and uncouth. Women are constantly judged on how they carry themselves from their social behaviour to their clothing choices. When those choices do not equate to modest attire, moderate drinking, chaste and beige conversation they are berated for putting themselves in dangerous situations, or even worse, encouraging sexual attacks. Pick up a handful of British newspapers and look at the scornful headlines that accompany 'scantily clad women falling out of their dresses' accompanied with a photograph of a woman legs akimbo in a gutter, the same photo of her male counterpart often conveniently missing or featured in a far more minor way. If featured in the paper's online version, expect the article to be followed by equally scornful reader comments.
It leaves a sour taste in my mouth that an industry already saturated with unrepresentative (and often unattainable) images of the female body has now eliminated any aspect of female dominated sexual pleasure in UK produced pornography. The argument for porn obscuring male minds as to what "normal" sex should look like is going surely going to get a lot louder now without the counterbalance to all the bukake and double penetration out there.
Away from what appears to be a suppression of female sexuality, the new legislation is an act of unnecessary censorship, a robbing of freedom of expression and a strangulation of creativity. These losses will make the UK porn industry less creative and make it harder to compete on the international market...perhaps the greatest irony.