Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible"

POW E R,

P LEA SUR E, AND

THE

ftF R E N Z Y OFT H E

V I S I B L E"

LINDA WILLIAMS

HARD CORE

HARD CORE Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible"

LINDA WILLIAMS

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY

Los

ANGELES

University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California

C 1989 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Williams, Linda, 1946Hard core : power, ple-leasure relation. 22!i; and 511domasochism, ~ lit 22Q. ~ and sexual fantasy. 2.24 Romance fiction. Ii. l.H.. g ~ ~ 284n15 Roommates (Vinct'nt). l.6!i l1ll Ross. Andrew, 2ti.b.2fH

m

326

lnde.r

Royalle. Candida, Ii. ~ ~ 246-247. 249-250. ~ g§Q, 294n5 R-rated Rims. sexual violence in. l81 Rubenstein. Carin. 293-294nl Rubin. Gayle. 1..15. 29003. 293n9 Russ. Joanna, 284n13 Sacher-Masoch. Leopold von. ~ ~ ~224

Sade. Marquis de. 9-11, ~ ~ 210ill 216 Sadism. ~ \.TI.;. and annihilation of other. and deSire. distlnguished and fetishfrom masochism. ism. ~ and film medium. ~ ~ and heterosexuality. 19S; male. 22-23. ll!!i. gQl, ~ 209~ and narratiYe. ~ and oedlpw complex. 2LO-212. ~ and patriarchy. 2M; and phallic sexuality. gQ§; and power-pleasure relation, gm, ill and psychoanalysis, 210-211: and sexual difference, m and viewer identification. 221 Sadomasochism. §, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ aesthetic. L98-201, 219gg,'i; amateur, 196-199. 201-202, contractual, 203-204. and Deep Th,.oat. !TI; and desire, ggQ, 223-225, ~ gN;. distributors of, ~ and domination-submission, ~ ~ ~ ~ 283-284nI2; feminist critique of, ~ gQL and frenzy of the visible, gQl, ~ hetero~ and Ifl8atiable, sexual, g1., 177 -178: and male pleasure, 2llli and mass culture, ~ and men's pleasure, g1., m. 2M; and narrative, as non genital sexuality, ill ~ ontology of, ggl; oscillation of subject In, 2L6-217. ~ ~ and patriarchy, ggl; and perfonnance. 202-203: and perversion, ~ and pleasure, 195ll!§; and power-pleasure relation. 2OO.=2!M.. 2 L7 -219. 222. 225-226. ~ and problemalization of sex, ~ and problem of recognition, 293nI2; and realism, m!!. 201-202; and repression of desire, 26-27: as ritual, ~ ~ and role-playing, ~ m 219-220. ~ and sadie-max, ~ lTI. ~ 201-202. ~ gH; and sexual diJference. 221-222; and sexual fantasy. g1., ill 224-226. ~ and sexual identlty, 215-216. 220ggJ... 225-226. ~ and sexual norms,

m

m

mm

m m

m

m

m

mm

m

m

m

m

~ and sexual numbers, 177-178: and slasher film, 207-209. 226; and Story of 0, !Ifu and subversion of phallus, 221-222. 224-226; theatrical aspect of, ~ 1m. 112. 2M. and viewer identiRcation, l.!!§, 205-209. 2H.::Z.lS. i l l and women's pleasure, 26-27. ~ 208-209. 226 Salt, Barry, 66 Sanger, Margaret, 85-87. 289n17 El sawrio. Ill, 6{. ~ 7.3 Scarry, Elaine, 203 Scenes on Every Floo,. (Smith). 66 Schatz, Thomas, l2.8d29 Schrage, Margaret. 2&9 Science: and bureaucracy, 283n8; and fetishism, 40-41, 45-46: and harmful efFects of pornography. l81=l88; and phallic sexuality, 54-5.5: and prurient show,ll.. Q.l; and sexuality, ~ 147H!t IT!; and speculum metaphor. ~ and voyeurism, 45-46; and will-toknowledge, 51 Scientw w.ruails, ~ 34-36. ~ ~

m

m

~~ll3

Scientific American (periodical), 31 Scott, Joan, 292n3, 295n6 Screw (periodical), 100 Secret Museum (Kendrick), 11 Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky, 289nl0 Seb, ~ 292n5 Sensual ElCtJpe (Leonard and Royallel.

260=.262

Seven, Bruce, rrg, l.9B Sexology, ~ ~ ~ UQ. 136-13i.

HI.

~

!1!,

~

236

Se.ror"Clst Deml, 120 Se.r, Powe,., aM PlelJSUre (Valverde), 29 Sexual difference: and disrourse. ~ and fetishism, fi.. ~ 49-50. ~ ~ !!!Q, !Jf.. UQ. ~ ggl; and 111m medium, 41-43; and frenzy of the visible, ~ and hard-core feature film, m ~ and male ideology, 5.; and money shot. 113-114 !Jl;, and musicals, 134-136; and narrative, 41-43, 134~ ~ and otherness, 54--55; and perversion, fi; and phallogocentrism, !.!li and pleasure, ;n, ~ and power. i; and psychoanalysis, 53--55, and representation, 54-55, 2§1; and sadism, ~ and sadomasochism, 221-222; social construction of, ~ !J!Q; and speculum metaphor, iii; and Western metaphysics, 54-55: and ~men's pleasure, 241

m

327

Index Sexual fantasy and psychoanalysis. 210 Serual Freedom in Denmllrk (Lamb). 97 Sexual identity. ;l. §; addressed by pornography, !i=l; bisexual, 215-216; and cross-gender identiScation, goo; and culture, I; dichotomization of. !Q; and exteriority, 258-259. g§g; and female. 2Q2. ~ 22L m 216. 258~ ~ and gender, fi§. ~ ~ and interiority. g§Q, ~ male, ~ 80-83. ~ 2Q§. ~ ~ and masochism, ~ oscillation of. 216226. ~ and otherness. and sadomasochism. 215-216. 220~ 225-226. ggfu social construction of, 259; subversion of, ~ and traditional roles, 21-22; and women's resistance to power, Sexuality; abnormal, L l.!!::2Q.. ~ active, ill ~ ~ 215-217. commercialization of, I.ZQ; and confession, ~ ~ dichotomization of, ~ egalitarian, ~ 112; female, gQ, g 25-28, ~ ill!, !§Q, !§g, ~ 2.'56-2.'57. g§g, 273hierarchization of, ~ history of, ~ 34-35. 281nl; and knowledge, ;l. 34-36 48-50, ~ !R. 147-148. ~ lesbian, !!1 male, gQ. 2;1 ~ ill.; and male dominance. 'L 19-20. lTI; measurement of. ;rr. ;M, ~ it ~ !H.; mediated by technology, ~ and multiplicity. 113-117; natural. 22-23: and otherness. m passive. 171-173 !1L gQ§, 212-215; and patriarchy, 200; and pleasure, :.!.. 35-36, ~ politicization of, 89-91, ~ and power, 22=n ~ 34-36. ~ ~ 155-156. 161-162. 1M. 170-172, problematization of, UQ. ~ 238-239. 267-268. g:& reproductive function of, !!!. ~ !!)g.. m safer. 241-242. 244-24.'5, ~ and science, ~ 147-148. !11 and .tcientia serualis, ~ 34-36. ~ ~ and sexual hygiene. 9-10. ~ and sexual liberation. !Q. 14-15. g7, ~ ~ !!)g.. ~ 218n I, 284n 17; social construction of, :.!.. 2;1 ~ ~ !!&. 281n1; social importance of, 88-90. ~ and visibility,

m

m

m

:m

m

m m

m m

m

a.

m

~

Sexual rewlution. !Q. 14-15. gL ~ ~ ~ ~ liH.. 170-172. 2J8 Shackleton, Alan, ll.I3 Shaw, George Bernard, 85-87. 136. Sherfey, Mary Jane, J..SQ

Shriek of the MutillJted (Findlays), 29202 SlgrJ.'l (periodical), 284n13 Silverman, Kaja, ~ ~ ill 288n6, 293n7, 294n6 Simpson, David, 29On2 Singin' in tile Rain, 133 Sjostedt, Per, W Slasher Slm, ~ ~ 1M.. 193-194.

m

m

206-209,

m

mm

m

226

Smith, G. A.• 66 Smith. Richard, 99 Snitow, Ann, !Q" 25-27. ~ 284n13, 284n15 Snuff: feminist critique of, !jQ, gQl., generic status of, !jQ, 192-194; and misogyny. !.OO; narrative of, 190.m1 public reaction to, 189-190,

m

192=.193 Soap opera, 6 Soble. Alan, !Q" 163-164 284n18, 29502 Society: and construction of gender, ~ 2§L and construction of pleasure, !!fu and Slm apparatus, 'fQ; and mass culture, ~ and psychoanalysis, and sexuality. ;!. g;!, ~ 88-90. 95l!!i. !!&. ~ 281nl; and social science, !§. ~ and transgression, 10!!. gQ. 30-31, UQ. IT!. ~ Sodom and Gomarroh (Mitchell Bros.),

m

l.62

m

Soft core, ~ ~ gL 49-50, !l!!. 253, 284n 15 Something Wild (Demme), 1.96 Sontag. Susan, 10-11, lQ, 151 Sound, ~ lil.. 291nl; absent in stag and beaver film, !IT; 6lm, 59-50, and diegesis. and fetishism, ~ ~ and Slm medium, ~ ~ and Slm music, ~ and hard-core feature Slm, 121-126; and inwluntary bodily response, 121-122, ~ and men's pleasure. ~ and money shot, !M; in musicals. 123-124; nonsynchronous, 122-125; as proof of pleasure, ~ and realism, 122-124; in sexual numbers, 122-124; and synchronous speech, ~ ~ and technology, and uniSed subject, J,gg; and wyeurism. ~ and women's pleasure. 19;!, l25. The Sounds of Love (Vydra), 125 Special ell'ects, !M. ~ 158-159, ~

m

m

m

m

m2.~242

Spectator. See Viewer Speculum of the Other Woman (lrigaray). ~

Inder

328 Spelvin. Georgina. 119. Spinelli. Anthony. 1M, l10 Spivak. Gayatri. ~ l.l.3. Sprinkle. Annie, 250 Stag film. 7-8 ;};l absence of sound in, 59-50, ~ in adult arcades, 75-76. TIi. ~ arousal function of. 74-76; and beaver lilm. 96; closure in, !l!l. :zg, :N; (.'ompared to hard-core feature ~ film. l.ill::lll.. IJ.!!. lll. ~ l§;l. l!H!; compared to musicals, lID.; (.'ompared to striptease, 1fi=BO. ~ compensatory aspect of, ~ ~ 1M; direct address in, 70-71. N. :& ~ !.Q1; discontinuity in. 63-65. 68- 70. ~ ~ earliest, 285n4; and genital show, !l!l. ll.. :& ~ 801ll.. !tl.. l!!L humor in, §2.. 28929OnlB; and implantation of perversion. 9i; and knowledge, ~ !ill. ~ ~ legality of, 58. @, 74. 84-86; lesbianism in. H!!. and male bonding, Qft. 00. N. 75-76. ~ ~ male-to-male sex in, 289n12; male vit'Wpoint in • .59-60; and meat shot, 12. 79-80, ~ and misogyny, 70-71. !IT.. !!;t l1!!.. 290n 111; and money .hot. ~ and narl'1ltive, 60-61, 63-64, 67ll..1b 79-80, ~ obsolescence of, ~ lind performam.-e. 58-.59, 77-78; and pleasure. so.!H.. ~ lind pornographil' revisionism. ~ and primitivism, 60-61, 63-65, 67-68. 70-71. N. 7.5-76. !H.. 91-92. 287n2; and psychoanalysis. 81-82; and representation of rape, 164-166; and separated utopia. 161-163 ~ sexual acts in. ~ and sexual discourse. 84-85; syntax of, )J!;l; and viewer identification. ~ 70-71. 73-74, ~ 80-81. 83, llZ. ll!;l; and voyeurism, 68-69, ll.. 80-81. 83-84. ~ and women's pleasure. ~ 233 Staiger. Janet. !!1. !H. Stanford. Leland. ;IT. ;m. 285n6 Stansell. Christine. !§, gQ, 284n13 Steinl'm. Gloria, 112-114, 283n11 Steiner. George. !.L 15 Sternberg. Josef von. :i2 Stevens. Kirdy. l3:!1 Stewart. Potter. 5-6. !L 283n9 Stewart. Susan. 283n8 Stimpson, Catherine. 284n13 Stoller. Robert. ~ Story of the Eye (Bataille). 10. Story of JOlJnruJ (Damiano). lW. 219-

m

m

222

m

Story of 0 (R~ge). ~ 199 Strayer. Chris. 295n3 Striptease, 76-80. 9i Studlar. Gaylyn. gQQ, ill A Subject for the Rogues GaUery, 61. 288n5 Subjectivity. :l.=.4; and commodity fetishism, !m. 100; and desire, !I§, ~ 26i. m and discourse, 282117; and exteriority. ~ 262; female. 176-177, ~ ~ W!. ~ 258-260. 21Q=lll; and ideology, 282n7; and interiority, goo, g§g; and intersubjectivity, 225. 227-228. goo, ~ male, 41-42, 59-60. 82-83. ~ gQQ, WL 222; and phallic seKuality, ll!§, ~ 286n7; preoedipal, ~ and representation. unified, §Q. ~ 288n6 Subject of Semlotlca (Silverman). 288n6 Subordination, as key term in antipornography legislation, ~ Supreme Court, 88-90, ~ Surveillance, ~ 50 Symbolization. ~ 27.2

m

rn.

m

m

m

Taboo, 1M. 148-149, 170-171. g§Q. 291n5 Take Back the Night (Lederer), 1.90 Talk Dirty to Me (Spinelli), ~ 110 Tallmer, Abby, g:z.. 229 A Taste of Ambrona (Hart), 263 Tavris. Carol, 293-294n 1 Technology: and body, ;L 4.5-46; and fetishism, :m... ~ ~ of film medium, 7. 36-39. 1§. ~ 51-.52. !!!Q; and frenzy of the visible, 7. ~ ~ and perversion, llli and pleasure. ;L 38~ 45-46, IOB-I09, ~ ~ as sexual mediator, ~ and sound, and teleology, ~ and Visibility, 1ll.. 35-39, 4.5-46. 51-53 9.1 I.e telegraphiste, :M Teleology, 185 Temple, Julien. 292n4

m

m

ill. lfl. 1b:as Chain Saw Mauacre (Hooper), This Sex Which Is Not One (Irigany),

lB.l

~

Thompson, Kristin, §;!. Ii{ Thompson, Sharon, !§, gQ, 284n13 Thorpe. Sharon, lAB A ThauBand Pleasure. (Findlays), 292n2 Three Daughten (Royalle), ~ ~ addressed to ~men, ~ and female sexuality, 255-2.57. ~ and inte-

329

Index gJ1Ited utopia. ~ ~ sexual numbersin,~

Throat-1Welve Years After (Damiano), l5O. and conDict resolution, ~ couples orientation of, ~ and ideology of monogamy, m and integJ1Ited utopia. ~ and memory of pleasure, 236-238; and pornOgJ1lphic revisionism, ~ sexual practice in, 235.:.2J6 Thurston, Carol, m 282n5, 293nlO, 293n11 Time (periodical), 231 Toll, Robert C., 287n1O Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son, 63-65 51 Thot.rie, 233 1bpHat, 1M Touch of Her Flesh (Findlays), 292n2 Transgression, social, 10-11' and incest, l1L and narrative, ~ and pornographic revisionism, 263-264: and sexual acts, l!!t and sexual fantasy, gQ; and women's pleasure, 3.1 Traynor, Chuck, 156 'lrop/c of Cancer (Miller), B9 Turan, Kenneth, !il!i. 203

m

Ulysses (Joyce), 81 United States of America vs. Sex (Nobile and Nadler), 282n8 United States v. Married Love, 2891117 United States v. Roth, 8!bB9 Urban Cowgirls, 120 Urban Heat (Neimi), ~ and dissolved utopia, ~ sexual numbers in, 250::253. Utopia, §, ~ g§.. 54-55: dissolved, 174-176, lM.. 180-183. 2J!i. 294n4; and female sexuality, 2Mi; and hard-core feature film, Hl. ~ 154~ 160-164: integrated, J.OO.. 168ill. lM.. ~ 238-239. ~ ~ ~ and intersubjectivity, 21fi.; aDd masochism, ~ and mass culture, 1M. L!il.; and musicals, ~ 159-160 !.§§. ~ 174-175. 294n4; and patriarchy, ~ ~ 2.l3.;, separated, 160-164 168-170

m

m..

m

m

ill. l16. l1B. lB2. ~ ~

g,'il.

26!!. 294n4; and teleology, l.B5

Valverde, Mariana, ~ 284n13 Vance, Carole, ~ 26. 282-283n8, 284n12, 284n13 Venus in Furs (Sacher-Masoch), 1.99 Vera, Veronica, 250 Vernet, Marc, 246

Vertigo (Hitchcock), 2.06 A Very Small Case of Rape (Roter), ~ !1Q, llll Victorian era, ill. l.t. !lli. lliB Video, pornographic, §, ~ !L ;!Q. ~ 75-76, ~ m 197, m 268..:.269 Video Software Dealer's Association, 295nl Viewer: adolescent, 207-208; compensation of, 77 -78; complicity of, ~ sadistic, ~ of striptease, Th as unified subject, 65-67, 1.22. See also Viewer, female; Viewer, male Viewer, female, ~ 9i,llU; active, ~ ~ addressed by pornography, and masochism, 214-215, ~ passive, goo, 214-215; and power-pleasure relation, 286n7; and slasher mm, 201 Viewer, male, 1, ~ ~ and aggression, 187 -18B. llM. 2lM; and crossgender identification, HQ., 207-209: harmful effects on, 187-188. l.lH; and masochism, ~ and money shot, llU; and sadomasochism, ~ and separated utopia, lfiL !1Q; and slasher film, 207-209; and stag film, 67-69. 1!. 7l. 81-83, 288n3; and subversion of masculinity, ~ and voyeurism, 2J3..=2.34. Viewer identification, 2.12; and hard-core feature film, 73-74, 82-83. HQ., ~ l6;l. l.OO. 2QS; and lesbianism, m and masochism, 214-215, 217-218: and money shot, 100-101' and narrative, ~ and power-pleasure relation, ~ and sadism, ~ and sadomasochism, ~ ~ i l l 2Z.'k and stag film, §Ii. 70-71 73-74, TIL. 1I2=..e.L 83 Vincent, Chuck, lfi6 Violence, sexual, §, ll. 2§L 292n3; and exploitation film, !Hi; feminist critique of, l1=2Z. ~ 165-166 J1!§, ~ gQl; and genre, 130-131: and Meese CommiSSion, lfi=22. 186-189; and representation, 17-18. ~ ~ scientific study of, UI1dB8.. See also Rape Virgin with the Hot Pants, ~ 70-71,

m mm

i9, 92 Visibility: and beaver film, 91.; erotic organization of, ;N. ~ 21L and fetishistic scopophilia, 2M.; and frenzy of the visible, 7... ;)§. ~ 50-51, m liM. 285n2; and knowledge, 83-84, ~ maximum, 48-49 Q1. 2l.. 1M. ~ and meat shot, 1M;. and men's

m

Index

330 Visibility (continued) pleasure, !M; and money sbot, !M, lBZ; and phallic sexuality, 1.l§. and pleasure, 7..,. 38-39. 43-46. ~ ~ !&. !!Q, ~ lll.. lQl. ~ 291n2; and scopic regime, ~ and sexuality, 48-49: and technology, L ~ 35-39. 45-46. 51-53. !il; and women's pleasure, 1M. ll1. 200. 21.l Voyeurism: in Behind the Green DoorThe Sequel, ~ ~ and film apparatus, gH; and film medium, ;!g" 43-46. M. 66-67, ~ ~ gQ!. and knowledge, ~ and men's pleasure, ~ and pleasure, ~ and pornographic revisionism, ~ 2SL and problematization of sex, lSO-151; and safer sexuality, 245~ and science, 45-46: and sound, 12.2; and stag film, 68-69, n... SO-81.

m

m

~92.

Warhol, Andy, lll3 Warner Brothers, I.5!I.d.till Waugh, Tom, Z Wa!l Down East (Griffith), 2Q2 Weeks, Jefre~ 281nl Wecpics,5

West Side Story, 133 What Every Girl Should Know (Sanger),

m

Women: and acti~ sexuality. 22§;. and civil rights. l§, ~ as commodities, l12. ~ 290n3; as consumers of mass culture. Ii. 218-219, 282n3; as consumers of pornography, 2. ~ 1ft. U1. ~ L5Q, 1lH!. 230-231. 293-294nl; as natural beings, 2Q. 2,1; objectification of, ~ ~ li!§.. gm, gH; and passive selluallty. l1l=l13. ill. ~ 212-215. ~ as producers of pornography. 2. ll1. 1M. 1& ~ 246-250. ~ 2§ll; resistance to power by, ~ 56-57, illL revision of pornography by, ~ ~ as victims, H. 2!b2.1 Women Against Censorship (Buntyn), 2!l Women Against Pornography, Jd. 283n11 Women Against Violence Against Women,283n11 Women Against Violence in Pornography and the Media, 283n11 Women'" Pictures (Kuhn), 29 Wonden of the Unseen World, 59 Woolf, Virginia. 2M. Woolsey, Judge, ~ 289n17 The World Viewed (Cavell). 185

n.

w.

m

X-Rated Critics Organization, 291n5

85

Whipple, Be~rly, 294n3 Willemen, Paul, 286n7 Williams, Alan, J..22d..24 Williams, Linda, ~ 283n8, 284n16, 285n3, 286n8, 29402 Willis, Ellen. §. gQ, 282n4 The Woman at the Keyhole (Mayne). 288n5

Zeus aDd Hera story, Q,1. ~ 1M. ~ ~ 21Ii=m 287nl1 Ziplow, Stephen, 93-94. W, U1. 126~ JJQ. ~ ~ 284n18, 289n9 Zito, Stephen F., ~ 200. Zoetrope, ~ 3B Zoopraxiscope, 38

Compositor: Text: Display: Printer: Binder:

Wilsted & Taylor 11/13 Caledonia Caledonia Haddon Craftsmen Haddon Craftsmen

Contributions to the discourse on Hard Core. discussed In this book:

• JURISTS

"I dontt know what [hard core] is, bu11 know it when I se'e itt.

--.Justice Potter Stewart

"Sex a great and mysterious motiv'8 force in human life, has indisputably been a subject of absorbing interest to mankind through the ages;, it is one of the vital: problems of human :interest t

and public concern."

__ Just~ce VVdllam Brennan

"For many years, we have aU been ,living ... under the spell of an immense curiosity about sex, bent ,on questioning iit •. with an insatiable desire to hear it speak and be' spoken about. I, . h F I

-Mlc. el oucaut

"This I call the Fetishism which attaches itself to the products of labour. so soon as they are pro-

duced as commodities. and which is therefore inseparable from the production of commodities. -Karl Marx tt

FIILMMAKERS

uThere are those who believe that the come shot, or, as some refer to it. 'the money shot is the most important element in the movie and that everything l -

else (if necessary) should be sacrificed at its expense .... Plan an at least ten separate come shots ... ten is enough to allow some freedom o.f

choice."

-Stephen Ziplow

"I want more, more, more ...

tt

-·'MarHyn Chambers (in Insatiab'/e)

"Women's sexuality has only come to be recognized in the last 20 years. Porn was always for men. Now that women are finally allowed to have

a sexuality, weare looking for stimulus. Women are saying, ·Okay, now lefs look at a film.' Well, now is the time to start making fil·ms for women." _. CandJda RoyaUe, Femme Productio'ns

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley 94720