ABSTRACT
The 1970s and 1980s saw much debate over pornography as feminists and masculinity researchers developed gendered critiques of the genre that emphasized inequalities of power. The topic has recently re-emerged as the internet has led to the global expansion of pornography. New online pornographies have proliferated as digital technologies of production, distribution, and reception increasingly shape contemporary sexual experiences. This chapter briefly reviews older debates on pornography – focusing mainly on the contributions of masculinity scholars – before taking up the question of how we should best study online pornographies today. It surveys contemporary work on masculinity and pornography and its points of intersection with contemporary feminist perspectives. Based in a consideration of how online pornographies differ from older forms, the chapter argues that masculinity studies must engage with theories of affect if they are to adequately respond to the challenge of understanding the stakes of gender politics in online pornographies.
