bashoGWSS1

In both Koedt’s The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm and Dworkin’s Pornography one thing is clear. In our society, women are valued as sexual objects, existing solely for the pleasure of men. Koedt says, “…men have chosen to define women only in terms of how they benefit men’s lives� (181). When you consider the way Dworkin defines the origins of the word pornography, it is clear that Koedt’s observation has been true since the early development of Western society. If the perpetuation of male dominance is evident in the depiction of women as gross spectacles, it is not hard to see why such myths of female sexuality have also been perpetuated in order to secure such dominance.

Both articles also say something else that is particularly significant. Neither author leaves room for an opposing view. Koedt presents an argument that shows the construction of social and medical myths about female sexuality. In doing so she cites men as he main transgressors. However, she fails to recognize sexual pleasure that females may receive from coitus and completely devalues the importance of the male sex organ. In Dworkin’s argument she gives us a short history of pornography and cites the extreme debasement of the women who originally held the role of porniea. She does not, however, truly explore the possibility that the circumstance may have changed due to the progression of pornography. She does note that the industry has grown extremely large. I think it is important to note the way porn stars now have a certain degree of celebrity. They have award ceremonies and some individuals, like Jenna Jameson or Carmen Electra, are household names. It is possible that the value society place on modern day porneia is greater than it has been in the past, so the message pornography is sending may have changed. Both articles took somewhat limited stances on there interpretation of sexual relationships and depictions of women.