What is obscene?
There was a potentially interesting article on the BBC web site recently, about changing attitudes to obscenity. I won’t regurgitate the words, you can read the whole thing here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7439740.stm
It’s fine looking back at special cases like Straw Dogs and saying that it is less controversial now, indeed, that it’s hard to remember or see why people objected to it at the time. I remember they did, but I always think these things are publicity stunts anyway, but what do I know?
Nine Songs is another film mentioned. It seems that real sex on film is fine if it’s Art. That is, if someone says it’s Art.
Me, I think we are actually getting less tolerant of sex, nudity and all that jazz. The permissive sixties and seventies are gone, and now, years after the event, people are still scandalised by a certain female singer who managed to expose a breast, ot even a nipple, on TV.
