a journey into porn and censorship
‘Often funny, sometimes brutal and always razor-sharp,
Money Shot shows Sparrow is — hands down — one of our
best writers and journalists.’ — Benjamin Law
‘A wry and absorbing philosophical enquiry into pornography
and society. Read before watching.’ — Chlo e Hooper
‘A highly readable feat of narrative journalism ... This
excellently researched and nuanced book should generate
debate.’ — Bookseller and Publisher
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 Australia: 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.
Jeff Sparrow is the editor of the most radical of Australia’s
long-standing literary and cultural magazines, Overland. He is the
author of a number of books, including Communism: a love story and
Killing: misadventures in violence, and the co-editor, with Antony
Loewenstein, of Left Turn. He also writes regularly for newspapers,
journals, and magazines. Jeff works at Victoria University in Melbourne.
Scribe Publications
Price: A $29.95
Publication:: S eptember 2012
Extent: 320pp
ISBN: 9781921844973
E-book Price: A$19.99