Maybe we're witnessing a kind of specialization of media functions: the sphere of pornography becomes the place where people scream and slap each other and pantomime power dynamics and sexual pathologies—sucking all of that volatile energy out of cinema, which is now possessed of a kind of post-nut clarity where it can portray people and their relations as they *ought* to be. No one has to be uncomfortably turned on by the toxic & abusive & rapey masculinity of Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski anymore, because that kind of prurient & problematic shit has been relegated to Pornhub categories WHERE IT BELONGS.
Lots to unpack here but I really disagree with the idea that films should reflect relations "as they ought to be." Definitely see your point that there's a specialised distinction between the role of film and the role of porn now but I think that's actively bad and partly why people are becoming so sexually illiterate.
Hm. Evidently I need to recalibrate my sarcasm transmitter.
But—it's funny because I'm usually in a sphere where people are more prone to talking about how porn, not Hollywood, is making people (especially young ones) more sexually & romantically incompetent. But think about the two spheres might be working in tandem.
Imagine being sixteen to eighteen years old. On the one side, your ideas and expectations of sex have been shaped up by the distorted spectacle of internet porn. On the other side, your ideas and expectations of dating and relationships have been informed by, I don't know, Disney Studios, Netflix teen dramas, Taylor Swift songs, whatever, all developed with we're-trying-to-do-better 21st-century sensibilities. One's a simulacrum of sex that's hot & dirty & uncomplicated (because it doesn't intersect with the rationality of life outside of skng & fkng) and the others are simulacra of a romance that's warm & clean & uncomplicated (because it doesn't intersect much with that irrational & adrenalizing Freudian stuff that sex tends to uncork).
I wonder if one of the reasons for the zoomers' famous aversion to sex and dating is their having no idea where or how the hell the twain are ever supposed to meet.
The sarcasm was TOO good it went full circle and read as sincere again!
But yeah I'm with you. There's definitely a prevailing notion that sex should be uncomplicated as you say. I have seen some push back to that as it becomes more ridiculous (21-25 being considered a problematic age gap relationship and so on) and a lot of exhaustion with clean pop culture too. These things are always cyclical so it's fun to consider what the reaction will look like.
That one picture of JAW laying face down with his jeans pulled below the waist -> me on my bed when the new Gabrielle drops.
Between this and Žižek’s “Smoking considered as one of the Fine Arts” Substack piece, many thoughts to be had on the pleasure, the sordid, the self-destructive in this new year.
An objectively hilarious thing to say about smoking darts but "How are we to cope with this brave new world which undermines the basic premises of our intimate life?" is THEE great question of our times.
I don't know how to preamble it, I think anyhow Anne Carson doesn't need an excuse, I was thinking of a moment in a talk of hers, citing Barthes about the erotic:
Don't we find Jeremy Allen White sexy because he looks precisely like the anguished hipster cool actor with a small jack'd-up body, oversized features, and massive toddler head that has long been the Hollywood ideal of an alt leading man - he gives good white vest, and because of the size of his face you can see how fucking brooding he from the back of the auditorium
Made me howl with laughter like 4 times and nod sagely about 50. So good I upgraded to paid.
The sad clown's dream feedback. Thank you king.
Maybe we're witnessing a kind of specialization of media functions: the sphere of pornography becomes the place where people scream and slap each other and pantomime power dynamics and sexual pathologies—sucking all of that volatile energy out of cinema, which is now possessed of a kind of post-nut clarity where it can portray people and their relations as they *ought* to be. No one has to be uncomfortably turned on by the toxic & abusive & rapey masculinity of Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski anymore, because that kind of prurient & problematic shit has been relegated to Pornhub categories WHERE IT BELONGS.
Lots to unpack here but I really disagree with the idea that films should reflect relations "as they ought to be." Definitely see your point that there's a specialised distinction between the role of film and the role of porn now but I think that's actively bad and partly why people are becoming so sexually illiterate.
Hm. Evidently I need to recalibrate my sarcasm transmitter.
But—it's funny because I'm usually in a sphere where people are more prone to talking about how porn, not Hollywood, is making people (especially young ones) more sexually & romantically incompetent. But think about the two spheres might be working in tandem.
Imagine being sixteen to eighteen years old. On the one side, your ideas and expectations of sex have been shaped up by the distorted spectacle of internet porn. On the other side, your ideas and expectations of dating and relationships have been informed by, I don't know, Disney Studios, Netflix teen dramas, Taylor Swift songs, whatever, all developed with we're-trying-to-do-better 21st-century sensibilities. One's a simulacrum of sex that's hot & dirty & uncomplicated (because it doesn't intersect with the rationality of life outside of skng & fkng) and the others are simulacra of a romance that's warm & clean & uncomplicated (because it doesn't intersect much with that irrational & adrenalizing Freudian stuff that sex tends to uncork).
I wonder if one of the reasons for the zoomers' famous aversion to sex and dating is their having no idea where or how the hell the twain are ever supposed to meet.
The sarcasm was TOO good it went full circle and read as sincere again!
But yeah I'm with you. There's definitely a prevailing notion that sex should be uncomplicated as you say. I have seen some push back to that as it becomes more ridiculous (21-25 being considered a problematic age gap relationship and so on) and a lot of exhaustion with clean pop culture too. These things are always cyclical so it's fun to consider what the reaction will look like.
Choked on my laughter and enjoyed it. Now, just confused on which excerpt to quote to people. Great article.
Horniest Gabrielle comment so far, let's keep it coming!
Yeah but Jack Grealish also stole Keira Knightley’s hair
This could definitely use a companion piece about the lesbian heartthrob.
That one picture of JAW laying face down with his jeans pulled below the waist -> me on my bed when the new Gabrielle drops.
Between this and Žižek’s “Smoking considered as one of the Fine Arts” Substack piece, many thoughts to be had on the pleasure, the sordid, the self-destructive in this new year.
The Children Yearn For The Hays Code.
An objectively hilarious thing to say about smoking darts but "How are we to cope with this brave new world which undermines the basic premises of our intimate life?" is THEE great question of our times.
New Year’s resolution: be unabashedly horny, irl and everywhere. Something something the change you wish to see in the world.
I should translate that into Latin and stick it on a hat.
Gabrielle merch????
“Ironically the result of all this striving for physical perfection is usually a Men’s Fitness type of look that’s mainly attractive to other men.”
I workout to stop me from thinking, which means I workout a lot. I get a lot of comments from guys
Brothers in (large) arms.
I don't know how to preamble it, I think anyhow Anne Carson doesn't need an excuse, I was thinking of a moment in a talk of hers, citing Barthes about the erotic:
https://youtu.be/vKD8S9pQcJo?t=920
Correction/question: you wrote Y tu mamá también is about three teenagers... When it's about two? (and an adult woman)
Was a pleasure to read, thank you for your writing
Don't we find Jeremy Allen White sexy because he looks precisely like the anguished hipster cool actor with a small jack'd-up body, oversized features, and massive toddler head that has long been the Hollywood ideal of an alt leading man - he gives good white vest, and because of the size of his face you can see how fucking brooding he from the back of the auditorium