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| Porn Users Forum » No Porno Screening For UMD Campus |
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| 04-02-09 11:28pm - 5743 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
No Porno Screening For UMD Campus Avast! I should have started this thread a few days ago, but like a lot of porn-in-the-mainstream stories, this quickly took on a life of its own. The University of Maryland was planning to have a screening this Thursday, 2 April, of the multimillion dollar porno blockbuster Pirates 2 -- but of course they did not. Fortunately the state's legislators got involved and drafted an amendment that would hold state funds from any school that screened such "shocking" material. For the UMD, that is more than 400 million dollars, so the screening in question was canceled almost instantaneously. I first heard about the screening, or at least the planning of it, on Tuesday and was pretty happy; believe it or not, college students are adults who can legally view such things, and they had shown "Deep Throat" in 2004. But a part of me also had that nagging feeling that this just would not fly in our country, not outside the handful of places where porn can be produced, and definitely not on a college campus, where "free speech" is only alluded to in history and law classes. My experience in school has led me to believe that for all the tolerance and free speech talk, there is always an opposing viewpoint that, more often than not, is not tolerated, and the single threat of screening a porn film is a good example. And they were not going to simply show it, but preface it with a standard safe sex/anti-porn message from Planned Parenthood. With the uproar I was hearing, the cancellation is pretty par for the course of how our culture overreacts to porn and all the warriors for family values and decency come out and arm themselves to do battle in their next culture war. All problems we now face and the state's politicians saw blocking this as a priority? Sad. "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove Edited on Apr 02, 2009, 11:33pm | |
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| 04-03-09 03:44am - 5742 days | #2 | |
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mbaya (0)
Suspended  Posts: 891 Registered: Jul 07, '08 Location: new jersey |
I am hardly a prude, look at my reviews. However, I am not too crazy about the idea of porn in public. I believe it is best left as a private matter. I think those who want to see it most definitely should, but in doing so in public merely starts trouble that we as Puers can live without. | |
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| 04-03-09 03:56am - 5742 days | #3 | |
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Jeffrey99 (0)
Active User  Posts: 106 Registered: Nov 04, '08 Location: Good Ole Midwest USA |
I can kinda agree with both sides. To me, I guess it really comes down to where were they panning on screening it? And how where they gonna make sure minors don't get involved? If it was at a adult store, I could understand that alot more then them just renting out a theater or something. On the other hand, what's really the point of showing it in public? The whole point of porn is to get turned on and then either have sex or get off. I mean nobody watches porn for the plot things. So wouldn't that make more sense to actually watch porn in private? That is unless they are wanting to try and turn it into something else. | |
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| 04-03-09 05:54am - 5742 days | #4 | |
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Toadsith (0)
Active User  Posts: 936 Registered: Dec 07, '07 Location: USA |
It rather irks me whenever politicians feel they need to start dictating what our colleges and universities cannot teach. While I'm not surprised that there was an outcry over such an event, I am saddened that the legislators were so willing to try to essentially pass a censorship law. While I find the Student Union Council a little naive to think that this wouldn't ruffle a huge amount of feathers, especially when listing the screening as an alternative form of entertainment, I think it should be ardently protected if approached from a educational direction. Pornography is a part of our culture and an art form in and of itself - I don't think it is at all unreasonable to run a film class on the history of pornography, or the cultural impact of pornography on various America (or specific eras, sub-cultures, demographics, et cetera) or simply a examination of the stylistic changes in the genre over the years. Classes have famously been taught on these topics to much hubbub and have caused the formation of angry mobs, thankfully on a few occasions, some school officials have stood by the decision and kept running the classes. So I think there is plenty of good reason to screen pornography in a semi-public venue, but I think it was silly to even try running it solely as entertainment. Europe we are not. Unfortunately. "I'm not a number, I'm a free man!" Second Grand Order Poobah in the Loyal Order of the Water Buffalo | |
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| 04-03-09 06:16am - 5742 days | #5 | |
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jd1961 (0)
Active User  Posts: 296 Registered: Jun 07, '07 |
An American college campus is the last place you'll find these ideals...still, I have to admit that I find it somewhat odd that someone would think of screening a porno on campus as if it were some sort of legitimate film. Especially from that company! | |
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| 04-03-09 06:20am - 5742 days | #6 | |
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jd1961 (0)
Active User Posts: 296 Registered: Jun 07, '07 |
These schools receive public funding, so while I find politicians distasteful myself, it is their responsibility to account for where their constituents money is being spent. | |
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| 04-03-09 06:56am - 5742 days | #7 | |
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Toadsith (0)
Active User Posts: 936 Registered: Dec 07, '07 Location: USA |
Their responsibility may be to divide up the money and I don't argue with requirements of certain subjects that must be provided by these publicly funded institutions, but I never condone censorship, especially on such a high level like passing a law. Even in the extreme scenario of the school spending all of its money screening porn and not teaching a single class otherwise, then the best solution would be to require them to at least teach the essentials like Physics, Bio, Chemistry, et cetera. By making them to meet these requirements to get the funding, then some of the money would be pulled from the porn funding. I find it disconcerting that so many people feel censorship is OK some of the time. A free society doesn't always behave the way we would prefer it to; that's what makes it free. "I'm not a number, I'm a free man!" Second Grand Order Poobah in the Loyal Order of the Water Buffalo | |
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| 04-03-09 12:16pm - 5742 days | #8 | |
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Wittyguy (0)
Active User  Posts: 1,138 Registered: Feb 04, '08 Location: Left Coast, USA |
x Edited on Apr 20, 2023, 11:25am | |
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| 04-03-09 02:50pm - 5742 days | #9 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
Except that their constituent's money was not being spent; the film was provided free by Digital Playground and the admission costs were being used to pay for the theater's staff. The problem was that film was going to be shown on school property -- a public school -- therefore it was sacred ground to the high minded politicians who swung in and saved the day. The theater was also planning on checking IDs and try and keep people from sneaking in, so this wasn't exactly just wide open to the public like a more mainstream film. Maybe I should have posted this in Free Speech and Porn thread instead of here. "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove | |
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| 04-07-09 01:59pm - 5738 days | #10 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
"At U-Md., XXX-Rated Show Goes On" Well, despite the legislative threats, and protests that those threats are censorship masquerading as a budget issue, the University of Maryland showed clips of "Pirates II" (hey, it is over two hours long). Andrew Harris, the state senator who originally threatened to withhold funds, continued with more words of wisdom: "The taxpayers are paying a high six-figure salary to a lot of people who are supposed to be running that campus," he said. "They need to take control of this situation. If they cannot handle this situation, they cannot handle the type of money that is earmarked for them in the capital budget, either." Hmm...is it really worth all the fuss? Is a single screening, that isn't even school funded, this dangerous to students who choose to see it? Students who are legally adults (though not even old enough to drink, but they do that too)? Lawmakers might not like to think about it, but one day these students will actually be the ones who "take control of this situation." Some of them might even be in his district and choose to vote him out of office. I bet Digital Playground (who produce the "Pirates" series and provided it for free to the theater) is loving all this; every article grabbing people's attention with "XXX" or "Porn On Campus" in the headline is giving this movie more publicity than they could have ever dreamed of. I would not be surprised if sales go up, even if every school in the country banned it. "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove Edited on Oct 09, 2009, 12:07am | |
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| 04-07-09 03:44pm - 5738 days | #11 | |
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Goldfish (0)
Active User  Posts: 265 Registered: Jan 19, '08 Location: Boston, MA |
Regardless of the government squashing the screening I think this is good for the porn industry and the people who consume porn. It gives more legitimacy to porn when it's in the news and being talked about openly. I don't want to see porn at every corner store but it shouldn't be a shameful secret either. | |
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| 10-09-09 12:05am - 5553 days | #12 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
Well, the Maryland legislature won't let this issue die, so I won't let this thread die! It seems that Maryland will be the first state to have rules for showing porn on public school campuses. Apparently all Maryland state colleges will have until December 1 to come up with policies that govern "the displaying or screening of obscene films and materials." I would say that there are probably more pressing issues at hand (massive state budget deficits? recession? rising unemployment? is anybody even thinking anymore?), but after all, what do I know, right? Never mind that pesky 1st Amendment -- that damn thing just keeps coming back to bite narrow-minded politicians in the ass -- but now some administrator somewhere at every school is going to waste time with the task of defining what is obscene and what is not. And we all know how well defining obscenity goes... "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove | |
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| 10-09-09 02:46am - 5553 days | #13 | |
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Drooler (0)
Disabled User  Posts: 1,831 Registered: Mar 11, '07 Location: USA |
The students should instead have planned to show a movie depicting extreme violence and gore. Had they done that, chances are the threat of a funding cut -- and this thread -- would never have materialized. I wanted something new, so I left England for New England. | |
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| 10-09-09 03:07am - 5553 days | #14 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User  Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I can't believe I missed this one 'til now. This is hometown news for me, y'all! Yeah - I live in the Draconian State of Maryland. You have to understand that we've always had clashes like this. It's been Church Law vs "What people really want" forever. The red light district in Baltimore, somewhat famously known as "The Block" was all but closed down by groups backed with religious fanaticism. Once covering well more than one block, it's now only one block and only open at all because the city realized that allowing a few big money operators can benefit the City financially. Maryland also has fairly tight alcohol sales regulation, only fairly recently allowing Sunday liquor sales on a restrictive basis. And I can personally attest to what it takes to get a divorce in this state. We're just not a fun group of people. "A film with sex acts in it? I don't think so! I'd rather my child watch a movie with 47 murders and 10 gallons of blood on the walls." Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 10-09-09 12:06pm - 5553 days | #15 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
Sadly, you are probably right, but I would rather have people imitating a porno than even a 'mild' horror movie any day! And if this thread hadn't materialized there would still be Wittyguy's Free Speech one. :) "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove | |
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| 10-09-09 02:21pm - 5553 days | #16 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I don't know if you meant that in the general sense or not, but, in case you were referencing the film in question here, there was no imitating going on. That's what I thought when I first heard about the film being played here. Managed to snag a copy and was floored when I saw it was an out an out, full penetration porn flick. The beauty of it was that it reminded me of classic porn - with a lame plot and lousy acting included. Any classic porn fans should check it out if they have the chance. Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 10-09-09 05:07pm - 5553 days | #17 | |
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Capn (0)
Active User  Posts: 1,740 Registered: Sep 05, '09 Location: Near the Beer! |
'Obscene films' ??? Why aren't extreme violent & gory films classed as obscene then? Cap'n. :0/ Admiral of the PU Hindenburg. 2009 PU Award Hilarious Post of the Year 2010 PU Award ( I would have preferred it to be Helpful Post of the Year for Guys who Hate 'Retail Therapy' ) :0/ Sanity is in the eye of the Beholder! | |
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| 10-09-09 05:28pm - 5553 days | #18 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
I think it's because the Bible allowed graphic descriptions of killing but all the begatting was done with no mention of stuff like nipples? Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 10-10-09 08:49pm - 5552 days | #19 | |
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pat362 (0)
Active User  Posts: 3,575 Registered: Jan 23, '07 Location: canada |
I think we are getting close to some horrors film being classified in that category. The way technology is today. You can make almost anything look real. I'd say that the Saw films or the Hostels ones should be in that category. I don't know if the people behind the project to screen Pirates II didn't do it on purpose to cause trouble. I for one can't see the reason for the screening. I'm quite curious to know the justification of the screening. Was it to show how the porn industry is trying to go mainstream? Was it to show how much money was spent on a less than impressive porn movie? Long live the Brown Coats. | |
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| 10-11-09 04:39am - 5551 days | #20 | |
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Drooler (0)
Disabled User Posts: 1,831 Registered: Mar 11, '07 Location: USA |
Good question. When I was a university student back in the late '70's, and this was somewhere several hundred miles west of Maryland, out in the "heartland" as it is often called, there were on-campus screenings of The Opening of Misty Beethoven and other flicks that were popular at the time. And they were advertised around campus with flyers stuck to telephone poles, etc. I don't know if the idea was to rock the boat or just get the rocks off. They were explicit porn films, and they caused controversy then, too. I don't know if those in charge had argued that in the case of Misty Beethoven that the film had literary -- and therefore "redeeming social" -- value. I just looked it up and found out that it was based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Maybe it was like, "Well, kids, you saw My Fair Lady (1964). Now it's time for this!" LOL I wanted something new, so I left England for New England. Edited on Oct 11, 2009, 04:49am | |
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| 10-11-09 07:22pm - 5551 days | #21 | |
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pat362 (0)
Active User Posts: 3,575 Registered: Jan 23, '07 Location: canada |
I think that they could have argued that and it would have been correct. I've seen The Opening of Misty Bethoven and it is a very good variation on Pymalion but with hardcore sex being at the core rather than oratory skills. What was Pirate II claim to fame. That it was possibly the most expensive porn movie ever made? That it was a sequel to a spoof of Pirates of the Caribbean? Wow! Now that is a classic of cinema. I don't have a problem with a University showing a porn movie but I do have a problem in the choice of movie and the reason for it. Long live the Brown Coats. | |
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