censorship cont....

[silvernyc at earthlink.net]

These issues of censorship and sexuality are very difficult ones, I must
say that I have trouble as an outsider pointing fingers at anyone (so to
speak), especially as an American, considering what is going on now in the
United States.   Each society has lines that they draw at certain times for
certain reasons.  And all governments and all religions for that matter use
and historically have used sexuality as a way of gaining, keeping,
consolidating power.  I might just add that these governments and religions
have been based on consolidating patriarchal heterosexual power.  That
said, there are the fascinating differences that arise, contradictory,
explainable and not.  What part of the body is acceptable to expose, what
act can be referred to, what act not (oh, a random example, oral sex ok if
one doesn't ejaculate, penetration, not).  In Japan I was struck by the
complete lack of inhibition women show at Japanese baths and the complete
prudishness at swimming pool dressing rooms (both same sex).  The seeming
acceptability of what would be considered pornography in most popular
comics in japan (even those for children) and then the censorship of films
and photographs.  The rather open depiction of all sorts of physical bodily
functions in Japanese folktales as compared to those of the West.  I've
thought alot about the prevalence of fantasies/pornography/prostitution
dealing with schoolgirls, which seems like a strange tradeoff of power, the
older men, finding themselves caught in a changing society where they no
longer have the place they once had, find themselves attracted to a better
(i.e. what they hope to be a non-threatening female).  And the girls find
themselves, through the use of this attraction, in what they think is a
more powerful position.  Of course neither of them is getting exactly what
they think they are bargaining for. And of course this is just my fantasy
of what I think is going on which leads me to my next comment.

I often feel that it is unfortunate that there is not more of a Japanese
presence on this list, as the rest of us begin to sound either like
voyeurs, tourists or academics.  Am I the only one who feels this way?

Best,
Shelly.