Golden Age of Porn
The 'Golden Age of Porn refers to a brief modern period in the history of pornography, approximately from the late sixties to the mid-1970s. The period is idealized as a time in history where most STDs were easily treatable and birth control and abortion permitted sex for pleasure without worries about unwanted pregnancies. This freedom was ostensibly reflected in the pornography industry, with adult movies and magazines approaching the mainstream and becoming increasingly visible. The trend is exemplified by Deep Throat (1972), probably the most successful porn film of all time.
The golden age was also typified by interactions with the contemporaneous second wave of feminism. Radical feminists allied with the religious right in opposing pornography, while other feminists more protection against government intrusion into the growing industry.
Early Days
The origins of the Golden Age are typically associated with the massive widespread success of the movies Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones. These movies saw the blossoming of pornography in the mainstream consciousness, whereby drive-in theaters would take out full-page newspaper ads to promote the latest adult features.
Along with these classics, filmmaker Bob Chinn, along with the priapic porn star John Curtis Holmes {aka Johnny Wadd} and his manager Bill Amerson raised the adult film to a new art form, with the release of Johnny Wadd in 1971 and the subsequent release of six other films in the Johnny Wadd series. The Wadd series saw true character development, recurring characters, plausible storylines, and 35mm cinematography brought to the adult screen. Thanks to these films, John Holmes became a household name and a "brand" that guaranteed box office success.
Bibliography
- Lewis, Jon (2002). Hollywood V. Hard Core: How the Struggle Over Censorship Created the Modern Film Industry. NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-5143-1.
- McNeil, Legs, Jennifer Osborne, and Peter Pavia (2005). The Other Hollywood: Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry. Regan Books. < ISBN:0-06-009659-4 >.
- Rutledge, Leigh (1989). The Gay Fireside Companion. New York: Alyson. < ISBN:1-55583-164-8 >.
- Spelvin, Georgina (2008). The Devil Made Me Do It. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-615-19907-8. self-published inline|date=February 2020
- Stevenson, Jack (2000). Fleshpot: Cinema's Sexual Myth Makers & Taboo Breakers. Critical Vision. < ISBN:1-900486-12-1 >.
- Weitzer, Ronald John (2000). Sex for Sale: Prostitution, Pornography, and the Sex Industry. New York: Routledge. < ISBN:0-415-92294-1 >.
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Golden_Age_of_Porn ]
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root