Good points, all. I think the way to make distinctions between art and pornography is to take into consideration the uses of that art. Not in a utilitarian sense because it is sometimes difficult to define "use" in a very practical sense for art. The example of "Lost Girls" is a good one because it is also possible to use pornography artistically. I am always impressed with the way Tarantino uses blacksploitation cinema techniques in a way that completely redeems it. And in fact when I watch blacksploitation films, I don’t just see the sensationalism of busty black women getting revenge against "the man". I see it through Tarantino’s eyes as an interesting genre of cinema and a cultural phenomenon of African-American culture.
grant
Jun 27 2007
12:48 pm
Good points, all. I think the way to make distinctions between art and pornography is to take into consideration the uses of that art. Not in a utilitarian sense because it is sometimes difficult to define "use" in a very practical sense for art. The example of "Lost Girls" is a good one because it is also possible to use pornography artistically. I am always impressed with the way Tarantino uses blacksploitation cinema techniques in a way that completely redeems it. And in fact when I watch blacksploitation films, I don’t just see the sensationalism of busty black women getting revenge against "the man". I see it through Tarantino’s eyes as an interesting genre of cinema and a cultural phenomenon of African-American culture.