Bot and Hothered About Peminist Fornography

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 16, 2007 1:56PM

Let's face it: there are few very documentaries about porn out there that aren't, well, actually porn. And porn documentaries from a woman's point of view? To be honest, we can't even think of one. That's why Becky Goldberg's new documentary Hot and Bothered: Feminist Pornography is so unique. It will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at The Leather Archives and Museum. It's a rare glimpse into a traditionally male-dominated world and some of the women who are trying to buck the tide by making and supporting pornography that includes their feminist values. They're ready and willing to go up against an entire industry and its history of stereotypes and sexism to get what they want. Sort of like North Country with a lot less clothing.

When we were younger, even the very mention of the word "porn" was enough to make us blush. Boy, things have changed. According to a report at toptenreviews.com, every second there are 28,258 Internet users viewing it and $3,075.64 is being spent on it. Although it's easier than ever to access (and to create — every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video is being created in the United States), our society hasn't even come close to dealing with porn's existence (let alone its ramifications).

The argument over whether porn can ever be empowering or is inherently exploitive has been raging for decades, both within feminist circles and among cultural critics at large. Don't expect any definitive conclusions, but after the screening, there will be a Q & A with Goldberg and a panel discussion regarding women filmmakers and perspectives in the Chicago adult film industry. Other members of the panel include Carolyn Caizzi, director of Early to Bed Productions' Coming Home and other queer smut, and Jack Hafferkamp, former editor of "Libido: The Journal of Sex and Sensibility." The evening is sponsored by Early to Bed, Chicago's very first woman-owned sex shop, who has also chipped in some great raffle prizes (we'll let you imagine what they might be).

The Leather Archives and Museum is located 6418 N. Greenview. There's a suggested donation of $5. Sorry, young Chicagoist readers — you must 18 or older to attend.

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