As the Silly Season speeds toward the acme of depravity, the political party in power, desperate to retain its stranglehold on the hearts and minds of the body politic, becomes ever more creative in its tactics. Elections are just another war for politicians, and although election battles are won with words, not bullets, the skirmishes are no less intense.
Wars of words are particularly frightening, at least to those of us who make our livings playing semantic games. It's not all that difficult for a talented wordsmith to make any given verbiage imply one thing, when actually it means something quite different. In the hands of government, this type of game is particularly insidious. People are easily, and all too willingly, led by powerful words. Sadly, it seems far too many of us enjoy the manipulation of our beliefs by whoever can command our eyes and ears, whether that be news media, employers, social and business contacts, the Internet, or politicians.
In the U.S., the federal government is particularly adept at playing the semantics card, especially during an election year. In pursuit of maintaining the status quo, not only are the feds engaging in silly semantic games with adult industry players like Alyon Technologies (see the article on page XXX in this issue), but they're also attempting to change the rules by which obscenity is prosecuted. Now that the Department of Justice has succeeded in making a federal case against Extreme Associates out of John Ashcroft's distaste for porn both online and off, the adult industry is waiting with bated breath to see what kind of effect the fallout will have on our businesses for years to come. Of course, the case represents a win-win situation, at least for those of us not directly under the gun. At the very least, whatever decision is made will establish some pretty clear-cut guidelines about what is acceptable adult content these days and what is not. At most, it may stand the Miller decision on its head and send everyone in Washington scrambling for new ways to keep porn out of American bedrooms.
Why? Because traditionally pornographers are mavericks. They push the envelope. They test the limits of federal patience. They stir things up. They question authority. They stand out as glaring examples of what can happen when folks read between the lines. In short, they're exactly the kind of people politicians don't want around to rouse the rabble by encouraging the common man to think for himself. "You've elected us to determine what's best for you. Now shut up and do as you're told. Oh, and while we're doing all this hard work for you, we think we need another substantial raise. It'll stimulate the economy."
Even ignoring the inordinate amount of racket made by a handful of religious zealots, it's no wonder those in power have a vested interest in beating down the porn mob every time they get a chance.
That brings us back to semantics. Don't be surprised if all the political parties engage in some heavy duty scare tactics between now and November. Next to a good lay, people love a good scare. Fear is an effective motivator. Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore employed the fear factor when he and his cronies insisted his ouster was due to some nebulous "War Against Christianity" instead of his own ethical shortcomings. And the Republicans' favorite sacred cow, the "War Against Terrorism," itself embodies a pretty brilliant little semantic twist, since terrorism is a tactic and not a physical enemy against whom war can be waged quantifiably.
Porn will play a role in the campaigns, too. Count on it. It's exceptionally easy to frighten the polity any time "the good of the children" is threatened.
What's not so easy is scaring those who are accustomed to having negative words thrown at them with considerable force. That would be us, the adult industry.
Pass the ammunition.
Kathee Brewer is the technology editor for AVN Online.
