Taking Matters in Hand: The Role of Masturbation in the Mainstreaming of the Hard-Core Pornographic Film, 1970–90

The explicit representation of the naked human body, either female or male, alone or in coupled action, has sparked considerable cultural and political debate in the years since the appearance of the first publicly screened hard-core film in 1970. Focus upon the films and attempts at textual analysis often seek the ‘meaning' of various images; this neither addresses the popularity of the films nor engages the role of the consumer in explaining the industry's growth. This paper argues that videotape, by relocating consumption to the private sphere, made hard-core an increasingly effective masturbatory tool. Moreover, while the existing legal doctrine defining obscenity required the industry to deny the films' appeal to prurient interest, the industry fan magazines consistently and frankly touted this appeal. The defining trait of a ‘good' porn film, according to the industry, was its capacity to arouse the viewer physically. While the public and the courts debated harm and pondered offense, the industry thrived after recognizing that its growth depended upon its ability to produce a product that facilitated private masturbation. This paper rests upon an exhaustive survey of over 600 hard-core films, (1908-1990); a detailed review of several dozen magazines aimed at the porn film consumer, relevant Supreme Court decisions, and interviews with federal prosecutors and adult industry figures. This presentation demonstrates that film content actually changed little over time, and that regardless of the minor changes that occurred, producers and reviewers understood that masturbation was central to the hard-core experience.