Hard to Swallow: Hard-Core Pornography on Screen

by Claire Hines, Darren Kerr

Even in our increasingly sexualized culture hard-core pornography and the representation of explicit sex is still hard to swallow. This lively and provocative new collection of essays by leading scholars explores screen representations of pornography and sex in a variety of cultural, historical, and critical contexts. Contributions cover a wide range of topics from sex in the multiplex to online alt-porn, from women in stag films to the excesses of extreme pornography, and a variety of contemporary case studies including porn performance, fashion in hard-core, and gay and lesbian pornography.

Genres: Pornography

249 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2012

Reviews

[Kate Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hines has collected a fantastic series of essays that sheds a lot of light on topics often tossed aside in film scholarship. Obviously if you are looking for titillation this isn't the book for you necessarily, but if you are looking for in depth academic scholarship, I highly recommend! (And the cover is certainly eye catching lol)

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of articles about what appears on-screen in adult films. Topics include British documentaries, on-line material, legal issues, commenting at a Kinsey Institute showing of old films, spoof, 'Behind the Green Door', extreme, and same gender material. Insightful. B/W images, swearing.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

While it would be easy, and accurate, to argue this book is quite dated, that hardly means reading it in 2012 would have made it any more interesting or insightful. Porn Studies has come a long way, pun totally intended, since 2012. This book has little to offer in 2023 that arguably wasn't done better in 2012 when it was published. Possibly a book that is mildly interesting for the casual reader of Porn Studies, or someone suckered in -HA! - by the lascivious cover - but there is a distinct lack of any critical, academic analysis here. Maybe I was expecting too much, but a thin overview of various hardcore porn styles, and an even thinner and spottier history of hardcore porn was not what I wanted. You may find it sucks less - or would that be more? hahaha! - than I do.

[Linda Smolenski · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're hoping to be titillated by this book you're in for a serious disappointment. It's a boring collection of essays trying to uncover deeper meaning in Pornographic iconography, plots and characters. Good luck finishing this one! I am amazed I somehow did!