Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 04:19:21 +0000
From: Mark Jones <Jones_M-AT-netcomuk.co.uk>
Subject: Re: M-TH: Re:  Porn


Yoshie wrote:

> Judging by many men's (except for Carrol C., Doug H, James H, and to a
> lesser extent Hugh R) responses on to my comments about heterosexuality as
> social construct on this list, it seems that the dethronement of
> heterosexuality as naturalized norm is a huge threat to their
> identity-fetish (i.e. normative straight masculinity.) Lesbians are a
> threat to straight guys' sense of masculinity/identity-fetish in the same
> way.
>
I don't know if one of the proscribed persons is permitted to comment, but
neither you nor James Heartfield seem to have any conception at all of what
exactly the 'natural substratum', as James engagingly calls it, of socially-
constructed personae actually is. Strange; are you not persons of flesh and 
blood?

I'm tempted to ask James why the minnesingers so obsessively pursued 
their  romantic prey if there was no biological basis at all
to their behaviour, and if it so clearly transgressed the prevailing medieval
norms and they only got drubbings or in some cases, were castrated or had
their heads buried in flower pots where small citrus trees grew, nourished
by the unavailing tears of a distressed lady; but the same chaos lurks in 
James's head as now does in yours so I won't bother.

Altho you deny being a culturalist you and James both are exactly that;
followers of the school of science as culture, and of a particualrly
obscurantist take on the material basis of human nature at that.

Even supposing that heterosexuality was a social construct (that the word is
new ought not fool anyone who isn't a pedant) nothing alters the fact that even
when the human population was only one percent of what it now is, it only got
that way by procreating thru heterosexual sex, and given the parlous
circumstances, humanity had to do a lot of it and it had to construct its
social relations primarily around the task of conserving life. So the 
imperatives which produced family life were always present (just as -- 
and James is woefully ignorant on this point -- trying reading some 
Desmond Morris among the fancy Verso tomes, James -- many species of 
mammals manage all kinds of courtship, sexual play and display even 
in their rude state of nature).

I am not continuing with this debate, which is the equivalent of not hitting
myself on the head with a brick any more.

Put it down to my hurt heterodox pride, but I'm gong to lurk in my corner for a
while.

Mark



     --- from list marxism-thaxis-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---