Sexual Entertainment in American Popular Culture

Sexual entertainment in American popular culture has lived through various different meanings throughout history, but has always had an inferior opinion from the public mass. To understand this and the role of sexual entertainment, one must examine the methods by which it is presented: pornography and burlesque. However, we must carefully define the meaning of these, and hence the meaning of the obscene in American popular culture. In this popular culture, we have always had an affinity towards the obscene, the explicit, and the vulgar regardless of historical censorship laws, forbiddance of pornography, and a substandard image of sexual entertainment in the eyes of the public realm.

Pornography in American popular culture has many meanings. The popular and universally accepted meaning is the presentation of sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is sexual arousal for the presentee. To an artisan, a composer, a virtuoso, or any other liberal arts participant, pornography is a way of art for the humanities, an expression of natural freedom, and a sexual stimulant for influential thoughts to elevate the arts. However in American popular culture, one cannot think of pornography without the visualization of vulgar, explicit, and obscene images of the nude engaging in sexual activates. The poor images American popular culture has fashioned for pornography has also undermined it. Pornography in American popular culture is a type of underground sleazy cult or downgraded sub-culture for those who specifically seek these poorly fashioned images of the vulgar, the obscene, and the explicit and unfortunately has no respectable regard for the liberal arts in any shape or form.

Since the nineteenth century, however, the meaning of the obscene has also changed. Anthony Comstock, who assiduously pushed for the famous Comstock Law of 1873 which made it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail, had a great concern for mischievous acts. His understanding of obscenity was not restricted only to the inciting lustful or lewd feelings, but also included spiritualism and feminism which, for Comstock, corrupted the minds of women and children. As vision replaced sound in the latter nineteenth century, spiritualism materialized and took the form of material bodies, specifically female mediums. Sometimes seductive, spiritual séances or meetings were a great concern, as Comstock would argue, because of the mischievous acts it upheld. Comstock advocated the censorship of the United States postal service because it was corrupting the minds of women and children with porno peddlers and freelance feminists such as those in spiritual séances. The government had legislated laws to deal with the obscene by prohibiting such material from spreading. The panic and fear of sexual information throughout the urban realm and into the hinterlands would contaminate the public culture.

Thanks to the wonderful efforts by Anthony Comstock and other anti-obscene government officials, the public has formed an abominable view of obscene materials. Instead of communicating art through the obscene (pornography), the public has almost made it embarrassing for one to practice sexual entertainment as a career. Pornography producers and participants use various alias names, sexual entertainment employees use alternate terms to describe their job titles, and the all too famous San Fernando Valley - arguably the hub of pornography in America - has earned itself a sleazy reputation where its beautifully constructed Mediterranean style architecture has walled and fenced off its buildings to produce pornographic films in the back-lots of the beautiful homes and offices.

If one is caught participating in the obscene, as in the case of popular musician George Michael in 1998, he or she is booked for a misdemeanor and thus becomes the national icon for the explicit, the obscene, and the vulgar. To compensate for such a damaging public view, George Michael had to artfully craft a comical song to excuse himself of his wrongdoings and prevent any further public humiliation. His 1998 song following the misdemeanor, titled Outside, sang, "I think I'm done with the sofa, I think I'm done with the hall, I think I'm done with the kitchen table, baby." With such a humorous take, the public slowly began understanding and even forgiving Michael for his obscene acts. This example demonstrates that obscenity in American popular culture, if left alone by itself is harmful, however, obscenity in American popular culture with comical undertones is okay and appreciated.

Obscenity with comical undertones, like the Michael example, has also been the theme in American burlesque. Originally a form of art that was mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines, Burlesque in the late 19th century and into the 20th century steered into the genre of adult entertainment while still focusing on aspects of humor. Short routine sketches, quick-witted humor, sexually themed dialogue and dance, along with minimal costuming on female mediums described the burlesque scene of the 1880s and into the 20th century.

It is, however, suggested that burlesque is out of date. Because of the "censorship-driven / fear of public contamination" advocates, a social crackdown on burlesque shows eventually led to their downfall. Still, censorship advocates are not the only group who may claim responsibility to for the downfall of burlesque. Because Americans have an affinity towards sexual entertainment, they have found other means of sexual entertainment via pornography and other straight-to-the-point forms. As American popular culture continues to become more tolerant, exposed, and liberated with less shame, burlesque has lost its audience because it seemed to have suggested that burlesque shows were a type of cover-up for what the audience really wanted - sex! The plotlines, the humor, and the theatrical style displays were a cover-up for the obscene, the explicit, and the vulgar, which ironically is what the audience has always had an inclination for.

Fortunately technology has introduced other forms of sexual entertainment. Pornography, the Internet, and other forms of modern entertainment have allowed people to enjoy this form of sexual leisure without the cover-up of the old-fashioned and out of date burlesque shows. Americans have always had an affinity for sex in the popular entertainment culture. As these cultures diversify and expand, newer forms of sexual entertainment unfold just as they have been doing so for centuries in the past.