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Money Shot: a journey into porn and censorship
In the spirited tradition of Louis Theroux, Jeff Sparrow sets out to explore the relationship between porn and censorship, and what it reveals about our social values. From the internet revolution to raunch culture, Sparrow’s quest takes him through contemporary the sparkly booths of Sexpo; grimy adult cinemas; the loud, pro-virginity rallies of Pentecostal youth groups; and the depths of the Australian desert, where the Intervention has led to prohibitive restrictions in Indigenous communities. Along the way, Sparrow interviews some key figures, from religious lobbyists and porn stars to feminist activists, convicted pornographers, and those on the censorship board ― who spend their days watching porn to evaluate what ‘the average person’ would think of it. Through their stories, he uncovers the hypocrisies and blind spots in a system that seeks to encapsulate the community’s views, but endorses cultural and social prejudices in doing so. In a time of fervour and moral panic, when old divisions between Right and Left are breaking down, Money Shot probes the contradictions of our relationship to sex and censure, excess and folly, erotica and vice. By turns moving, enlightening, and terrifically funny, it will show you a new side to the debate about censorship ― whatever your views.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 3, 2020
Thanks to this book I now know rather more about many things which I didn't know much about before. These things include (in roughly sequential order): the inner workings of the Australian Classification and Media Authority; the retail and distribution of offline adult material in Australia; the vast assortment of people from both ends of the political spectrum and everywhere in between who advocate higher or stricter or better enforced censorship in Australia; Sexpo; the Eros Association; assorted activist individuals and movements of the 60s/70s sexual and social liberation in Australia; gonzo porn; the Northern Territory Intervention; neo-liberal social economics. Other topics covered, upon which I was pretty well informed to begin with and haven't gone away vastly more so (but you might!) include: sex-positive feminism, history and development of; arguments in favour of porn in general and non-censorship in particular; the Australian Sex Party; chastity advocates and evangelical Christians; why internet filtering cannae work; and the difference between actual child abuse (mostly in-family) and Fear of Predators on the Internet.
So, I learned a lot of interesting stuff! I was also impressed with the way Sparrow put this together.
- Narrative style: it's what is apparently called 'narrative non-fiction'. One presumes Sparrow bumbled around the country for some years, researching everything he could about porn and censorship, and then grinding out his findings in a book. It *reads*, however, not as an essay or a series of arguments, but as a sort of travelogue. Each chapter has a coherent theme, and there's a clear progression of information and critique through the book (for instance, he'll refer to interviews which 'happened' in the previous chapter, and introduce new arguments/evidence which relate to the current chapter). What they don't have is a thesis-first approach, a 'here's what I'm going to say and here's me saying it' structure. Instead, Sparrow has spent a lot of time carefully crafting this story so it *feels* like a steadily-evolving train of thought.
- Treatment of different perspectives: Sparrow makes no bones about his own political, liberal background, or the fact that he's interviewing, say, Fiona Patten from a position of far greater common ground than he has with Melinda Tankard-Riest. But he says he took care to represent the arguments of all parties fairly and concisely: I think he did more. I think he drew out what was good and laudable out of each interviewee's perspective, and consistently critiqued all 'sides' of the debate. He's certainly not more critical of liberal-to-libertarian perspectives than he is of the conservatives - in fact, I think he's more so, obviously irritated by the failure of most pro-porn activists to offer actual solutions to the sexism and racism of the industry.
- Social conscious and clarity of thought: Sparrow's interests or investments, the common themes which come up in every chapter and in many interviews, are consistent and laudable. He's concerned about individual liberties; about the fact that minorities so often bear the brunt of censorship; about sexism and racism as social ills; about the physical and mental well-being of the young. He shows great sympathy, for instance, for the picture of traumatised/struggling adolescents growing up with raunch culture, as outlined by Tankard-Reist - at the same time as he questions the anecdotal nature of her information. He makes consistent distinctions between individual liberties and systemic prejudice, between an individual's right to film or watch violent pornography and the fact that this pans out as a consistent pattern of male dominance and female submission in the vast majority of porn.
- Perception. Sparrow just struck me as very perceptive. He made links you don't often see made - for instance, he cottoned on to the fact that chastity movements are very much a product of contemporary culture, and that their appeal lies in offering a straightforward answer to the conflicting and often scary demands placed on young people by a hypersexualised culture. I also found his commentary on views of pornography in remote indigenous communities (where X-rated material was generally unavailable even BEFORE the Intervention) to be insightful, but I didn't have a solid grounding before reading this, so perhaps it isn't. And the big structural link which underpins the whole book - that the union anti-pornography activists from the left and right is facilitated because both, in this current environment, accept basic market economics and the authority of the state. On the other 'side', he critiques the difference between modern sex-positive stances (if it's fun, do it!) and the anti-capitalist liberal movements of the 70s. I think he missed something here: there are, after all, plenty of clusters of anti-capitalist sex-positive people out there. But I think he's right insofar as the anti-capitalist part of sexual liberation never became mainstream, and what you end up with is, well, Sexpo.
- Conclusion: I'm just thoroughly impressed with Sparrow, who's obviously a child of the 70s, and politically aligned with the sexual and social liberation politics of that period, for managing to end on a happy note. He talks about the downfall of a movement he was party to, but he ends on an open-ended desire to see what we might make of sex, sexuality and freedom of the press beyond market economics. Take ten points, Mr Sparrow, you're well ahead of most adults of your generation whom I know.
So, I learned a lot of interesting stuff! I was also impressed with the way Sparrow put this together.
- Narrative style: it's what is apparently called 'narrative non-fiction'. One presumes Sparrow bumbled around the country for some years, researching everything he could about porn and censorship, and then grinding out his findings in a book. It *reads*, however, not as an essay or a series of arguments, but as a sort of travelogue. Each chapter has a coherent theme, and there's a clear progression of information and critique through the book (for instance, he'll refer to interviews which 'happened' in the previous chapter, and introduce new arguments/evidence which relate to the current chapter). What they don't have is a thesis-first approach, a 'here's what I'm going to say and here's me saying it' structure. Instead, Sparrow has spent a lot of time carefully crafting this story so it *feels* like a steadily-evolving train of thought.
- Treatment of different perspectives: Sparrow makes no bones about his own political, liberal background, or the fact that he's interviewing, say, Fiona Patten from a position of far greater common ground than he has with Melinda Tankard-Riest. But he says he took care to represent the arguments of all parties fairly and concisely: I think he did more. I think he drew out what was good and laudable out of each interviewee's perspective, and consistently critiqued all 'sides' of the debate. He's certainly not more critical of liberal-to-libertarian perspectives than he is of the conservatives - in fact, I think he's more so, obviously irritated by the failure of most pro-porn activists to offer actual solutions to the sexism and racism of the industry.
- Social conscious and clarity of thought: Sparrow's interests or investments, the common themes which come up in every chapter and in many interviews, are consistent and laudable. He's concerned about individual liberties; about the fact that minorities so often bear the brunt of censorship; about sexism and racism as social ills; about the physical and mental well-being of the young. He shows great sympathy, for instance, for the picture of traumatised/struggling adolescents growing up with raunch culture, as outlined by Tankard-Reist - at the same time as he questions the anecdotal nature of her information. He makes consistent distinctions between individual liberties and systemic prejudice, between an individual's right to film or watch violent pornography and the fact that this pans out as a consistent pattern of male dominance and female submission in the vast majority of porn.
- Perception. Sparrow just struck me as very perceptive. He made links you don't often see made - for instance, he cottoned on to the fact that chastity movements are very much a product of contemporary culture, and that their appeal lies in offering a straightforward answer to the conflicting and often scary demands placed on young people by a hypersexualised culture. I also found his commentary on views of pornography in remote indigenous communities (where X-rated material was generally unavailable even BEFORE the Intervention) to be insightful, but I didn't have a solid grounding before reading this, so perhaps it isn't. And the big structural link which underpins the whole book - that the union anti-pornography activists from the left and right is facilitated because both, in this current environment, accept basic market economics and the authority of the state. On the other 'side', he critiques the difference between modern sex-positive stances (if it's fun, do it!) and the anti-capitalist liberal movements of the 70s. I think he missed something here: there are, after all, plenty of clusters of anti-capitalist sex-positive people out there. But I think he's right insofar as the anti-capitalist part of sexual liberation never became mainstream, and what you end up with is, well, Sexpo.
- Conclusion: I'm just thoroughly impressed with Sparrow, who's obviously a child of the 70s, and politically aligned with the sexual and social liberation politics of that period, for managing to end on a happy note. He talks about the downfall of a movement he was party to, but he ends on an open-ended desire to see what we might make of sex, sexuality and freedom of the press beyond market economics. Take ten points, Mr Sparrow, you're well ahead of most adults of your generation whom I know.
December 10, 2012
Jeff Sparrow is a well known Australian intellectual and the editor of Overland. We had him on the show recently to talk about the book of essays that he co-edited with Antony Loewenstein, entitled Left Turn, but he’s been exceptionally busy and has a new book out already. It’s called Money Shot and it’s an examination of porn and censorship in Australia, as well as an exploration of Jeff’s own attitudes to both things. It’s absolutely fascinating, travelling from porn stars to politics, chastity to zombie porn.
Jeff joined Sky in the studio to talk about the board of classification, the view of sex as commodity, the imposition of the market into sexuality and how to improve the current state of affairs. Originally broadcast on 11/10/2012. Money Shot is out now through Scribe.
Jeff joined Sky in the studio to talk about the board of classification, the view of sex as commodity, the imposition of the market into sexuality and how to improve the current state of affairs. Originally broadcast on 11/10/2012. Money Shot is out now through Scribe.
August 28, 2022
Very interesting read, in Australia about Australian porn & censorship & what that really means ? & should we have it ? & what materials should be censured ? he had a way of ending subject matter or chapters before it started to get boring. Well done, I've definitely read another current Affairs book by Jeff Sparrow, as long as the subject talked about was of interest to me.
August 4, 2020
I don’t know why it took me so long to get through this as the majority of it was fascinating and very well written. It was, perhaps, a lot of information. Who would have thought that a journey into porn and censorship could get so deep and so philosophical. Fascinating.
December 19, 2018
Sparrow is an exceptionally engaging author who makes good use of a mildly (to-severely) taboo subject as a means to investigate the confusing nature of censorship.
February 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Probably the most interesting to me was an inside look into how things get classified in Australia!
October 15, 2012
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
I must admit I felt some trepidation when this book arrived at my doorstep to be reviewed. The lurid pink cover, even the title, didn't see very appealing to me - despite this being a book I ordered. A book about porn...
I got stuck into the novel just as I promised myself I would though - and it turned out to be an enlightening and interesting journey. I couldn't say I enjoyed it, but it was interesting.
It's difficult for me to pick out bits of this novel, because this is a non-fiction book, a genre which I rarely attempt to read and review. Something in this book's favour is that I did stick with it, and it wasn't unpleasant like some other non-fiction book I have come across. Sparrow was an engaging writer, and his sense of humour carried the book. The conversational tone, and the individual episodes of speaking to each of the interest groups, worked.
I've never really thought about the XXX-stores, other than a passing 'ew, I could never be caught going in there', but this book is quite an eyeopener. Chances are, some of the DVDs in there are ones that were never permitted by
I had to feel a little sorry for the old men who are described by Sparrow - it seems a little cruel to be picking on them when they are being open about their desires. I agree there is something a little sleazy about the whole idea - but isn't that what porn is? It's easy enough to imagine people in cinemas getting off on a screen reel, but i'm sure most people at some point have watched porn in the privacy of their homes.
Zombies, Poppers and Pork is a particularly witty and well written chapter. Sparrow effectively manipulates his reader into feeling negative about Wolstencroft from the beginning, so you aren't all that shocked to here that he is somehow a libertarian fascist!
Perhaps the most important thing is that there should be a mid-line between porn and complete puritanism. The points Sparrow makes about the Bible Planetshakers, and the natural curiosity of teens are very relevant and somewhat worrying. There is such a thing as good porn!
From nannying the net (internet filters) to predation on children, almost everything about porn in Australia is covered in this book. There are things that some people wouldn't be interested in reading about, and I did find myself skimming a couple of chapters towards the end (racial porn for example). Do you have an interest in the future of porn, and the worrying ideas of Tony Abbott and completely censoring the net (with filters that also chop out useful sites)? An open mind is a must.
If you are interested into insights about censorship of porn in Australia and learning more about the guidelines that govern its import, this is the book for you. Due to the content, I would recommend it only for adult readers. It would likely be a useful read for people in the porn industry of Australia.
I must admit I felt some trepidation when this book arrived at my doorstep to be reviewed. The lurid pink cover, even the title, didn't see very appealing to me - despite this being a book I ordered. A book about porn...
I got stuck into the novel just as I promised myself I would though - and it turned out to be an enlightening and interesting journey. I couldn't say I enjoyed it, but it was interesting.
It's difficult for me to pick out bits of this novel, because this is a non-fiction book, a genre which I rarely attempt to read and review. Something in this book's favour is that I did stick with it, and it wasn't unpleasant like some other non-fiction book I have come across. Sparrow was an engaging writer, and his sense of humour carried the book. The conversational tone, and the individual episodes of speaking to each of the interest groups, worked.
I've never really thought about the XXX-stores, other than a passing 'ew, I could never be caught going in there', but this book is quite an eyeopener. Chances are, some of the DVDs in there are ones that were never permitted by
I had to feel a little sorry for the old men who are described by Sparrow - it seems a little cruel to be picking on them when they are being open about their desires. I agree there is something a little sleazy about the whole idea - but isn't that what porn is? It's easy enough to imagine people in cinemas getting off on a screen reel, but i'm sure most people at some point have watched porn in the privacy of their homes.
Zombies, Poppers and Pork is a particularly witty and well written chapter. Sparrow effectively manipulates his reader into feeling negative about Wolstencroft from the beginning, so you aren't all that shocked to here that he is somehow a libertarian fascist!
Perhaps the most important thing is that there should be a mid-line between porn and complete puritanism. The points Sparrow makes about the Bible Planetshakers, and the natural curiosity of teens are very relevant and somewhat worrying. There is such a thing as good porn!
From nannying the net (internet filters) to predation on children, almost everything about porn in Australia is covered in this book. There are things that some people wouldn't be interested in reading about, and I did find myself skimming a couple of chapters towards the end (racial porn for example). Do you have an interest in the future of porn, and the worrying ideas of Tony Abbott and completely censoring the net (with filters that also chop out useful sites)? An open mind is a must.
If you are interested into insights about censorship of porn in Australia and learning more about the guidelines that govern its import, this is the book for you. Due to the content, I would recommend it only for adult readers. It would likely be a useful read for people in the porn industry of Australia.
April 10, 2022
Jeff starts by considering how censorship works in Australia, and what standards it guards (and what it should guard). To explore this further, he has to look into what pornography is, so goes on a bit of a mission through adult cinemas, sexpo, interviewing anti-porn campaigners, a porn star, reading the academic literature and so on. In the end it is there mostly to present his own musings on the topic, and his judgement of the arguments he's heard and research he's looked at. And, by the sounds of it, a rather tedious amount of porn that he also analysed. As far as a left view of porn goes, it probably is about as balanced as you can get; that is to say, he concludes it's hard to support censorship of porn and on the other hand you wouldn't say that there's anything liberatory about most porn either. The tendency to degradation and sexism Jeff links to the extreme inequality and individualism of the neoliberal era where anything goes as long as it's a free choice of the individual. Towards the end there's a couple of interviews with interesting campaigners, including veteran (70s) feminist activists, and perhaps most interestingly, Indigenous people who had a ban on pornography imposed as part of the racist Northern Territory "intervention" by the Federal government. How this ban plays out as both part of a humiliation of their communities, and part of the move to "mainstream" (i.e. assimilate, erase) Indigenous people is probably the most powerful part of the book. The book is often entertaining, which saves it from becoming an over-long thought bubble.
September 7, 2012
Though this book is not something I would normally read, I had found it quite enjoyable. Sparrow took me on a journey through the 'nitty-gritty' of this world or porn and censorship and gave a thorough look through the different views on this subject. He encapsulated me from the beginning where he found himself in a rather awkward position in a 'adult movie' theatre. From there on I was left wanting to know more and more and found the different views from different sides of the coin interesting. This is definitely a book I would recommend especially if your not too sure of your feeling on porn and our increasing exposure to things that had seemed very taboo in the past.
January 21, 2016
Excellent analysis of pornography (esp in Australia) and its various effects. Decent history and academic research, some real knowledge about the players on both production and law enforcement sides, and very interesting and thought provoking arguments presented. I really enjoyed it and changed some of my preconceptions through reading it and thinking about the issues more.
March 26, 2014
Excellent reading from Jeff Sparrow. Money Shot delves deeply into the question of porn and censorship in ways I didn't expect, opening up many questions about the issues and presenting a coherent and strong argument for a way forward. Definitely worth the read!
August 26, 2015
Don't normally read non fiction, so was pleasantly surprised to find this book pulling me more and more into it. Was fascinating to learn about the porn industry and the development of the feminist anti-porn stance to today's feminism of embracing porn.
July 9, 2016
I was worried this book would be too hard to get in to but I was worried for no reason! After hearing Fiona Patten speak previously I was interested to see how she came across in this book. A diverse range of views was presented here.
April 15, 2013
An interesting glimpse into the world of censorship. Another good book by a talented Aussie author. Really enjoyed the research, thought and personal sacrifice that went into this chewy morsel.
January 11, 2013
Fascinating look at the incredible complexities of implementing a censorship regime in demoncratic society. Incredibly, Sparrow actually makes this entertaining and lol-funny.
March 14, 2013
One of the best books that I've read on this topic - deft, intelligent, humorous and wise. Will provoke discussion and reflection. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews