The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Obscene Obsession

Sociologist Burke (Christians Under Covers) delivers a compassionate and well-balanced study of “the many people, past and present, who believe they know the truth when it comes to pornography and who seek to shape both the culture and the law.” Analyzing the cultural and ideological underpinnings of positions taken by pornographers, feminists, sex workers, conservative Christians, feminists, anti–sex trafficking crusaders, and more, Burke sketches the history of antiobscenity laws from the 1873 Comstock Act to the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. California that established new national standards for determining whether a work is obscene and therefore falls outside First Amendment protections. Elsewhere, Burke compares the viewpoints of the Christian right and antipornography feminists, examines how sex trafficking laws are “chipping away at the legality of internet pornography,” discusses the rise of porn addiction recovery programs, visits antitrafficking conferences and adult entertainment trade shows, and probes the impact of young people using unrealistic porn as ad hoc sex education. Burke’s own background as a born-again Christian who left the Baptist church after coming out as a lesbian informs her refreshingly unbiased approach. The result is an astute and forthright presentation of a hotly contested issue. Agent: Amy Bishop, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)