The Pornography Wars

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

By: Kelsy Burke

Narrated by: Kelsy Burke

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents The Pornography Wars by Kelsy Burke, read by Kelsy Burke.

For listeners of Peggy Orenstein and Rebecca Traister, an authoritative, big think look at pornography in all its facets—historical, religious and cultural.

In the 1960s, sex researchers Masters and Johnson declared the end of the fake orgasm. Nearly two decades later, in 1982, evangelical activist Tim LaHaye foretold that the entire pornography industry would soon be driven out of business. Neither prediction proved true. Instead, with the rise of the internet, pornography saturates the American conscience more than ever and has reshaped our understanding of sexuality, relationships, media and even the nature of addiction.

Dr Kelsy Burke has spent the last five years researching and interviewing internet pornography’s opponents and its sympathizers. In The Pornography Wars, Burke does a deep dive into the long history of pornography in America and then turns her gaze on our present society to examine the ways this industry touches on the most intimate parts of American lives. She offers a complete understanding of the major players in the debates around porn's place in society: everyone from sex workers, activists, therapists, religious leaders and consumers. In doing so, she addresses and debunks the myths that surround porn and porn usage while showing how everything from the way we teach children about sex to the legal protections for what can be published is tied up in the deeply complicated battles over pornography.

Sweeping, savvy and deeply researched, The Pornography Wars is a necessary and comprehensive new look at pornography and American life.

©2022 Kelsy Burke (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"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." (Library Journal)

"Compassionate and well-balanced...refreshingly unbiased...an astute and forthright presentation of a hotly contested issue." (Publishers Weekly)

"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." (Kirkus)

deft

This is a fascinating and engaging look at porn's place in our society. Dr. Burke does an excellent job of presenting a thorough review of many perspectives and letting the reader experience the ambivalence of examining this complex and polarizing subject.

Burke presents all the myriad 'sides' with generosity to her subjects. She doesn't drive toward any foregone conclusion but presents the arguments and the people making them with deftness, situating them in an historical context--legally, religiously, morally, culturally. There are no easy answers and so much to think about.

Great narration of the audio as well. I'm looking forward to reading/listening to more from this author.

fantastic history!

Truly sheds light on a topic that is deeply entrenched in the systems of American power.

It’s a research paper, not a book.

While the author’s research was thorough and likely took many hours to compile, this felt more like a college term paper than a book.