Professor Shimizu Discusses Feminist Porn Research

IRISH TIMES -- Celine Shimizu, a professor of cinema and sexuality studies in San Francisco State University, acted as an editor of “The Feminist Porn Book,” a book of research by feminist porn scholars as well as feminists within the industry. Shimizu rejects the idea that all pornography is inherently damaging, or that women who consume pornography can be easily labelled as bad feminists. “Pornography is inherently complicated and does not easily fit into good or bad values or conduct,” says Shimizu. “So it is important to talk specifically about why women are watching porn, what they are getting out of it. Many times, it is a matter of sexual curiosity. What feminist porn scholarship challenges in terms of existing frameworks is to define sexuality as not simply oppressive to women but as a creative force women also use and explore.”