I recently read Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges. The book really was a rude awakening to our disillusioned society. He explains that American society become so consumed in pop culture that we have lost sight of reality. This contorted perception is so deep that we, as a whole, do not even realize that it is not in fact reality. I was most struck my his chapter on The Illusion of Love which largely addresses the porn industry. It is not just filed sexual acts, but in fact repetitive enslaved torture. Women are tortured and dehumanized beyond belief. The book tells of a woman who was forced to have sex over 60 times in a row. These women sustain injuries that are shoddily addressed and cared for just enough so they can partake in the next movie. It says that the largest group of porn viewers are from the ages of 12-17. This statistic is frightening and speaks greatly on adolescents in our society. I was really taken by this true illusion of love in our society. This is what young men see as sexual encounters. They are told this is okay. Hence, the vicious cycle begins again...
I found an interview of the author about his book. It's really interesting to hear his take on it.(It comes in two parts)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love the interview clips with Chris Hedges. He is a bitter man. He should move to another country.
ReplyDeleteI was also captivated and disgusted by the chapter “Illusion of Love.” Hedges depicts how the porn industry turns sex into a nasty and violent act while generating a lot of cash and ruining lives. However, he provides no solutions to fix this problem and repair the illusion the porn industry creates.
ReplyDelete