**2.5. Pornography (promiscuous reduction): instrumentalisation and commodification of the human body**

One can call the obsession with the body and health, through the processes of commercialisation and exploitation (marketing), 'bodyism' and 'healthism'. The naked body and the surface of the body become a social text with *religio*-mythical meaning, i.e. it refers to who we are as gendered human beings and how we understand meaning. Through the impact of the media, the body as a social text becomes a symbolic stage upon which the drama of socialisation is enacted, and bodily adornment becomes the language through which the social self is expressed in its search for meaning [41]. In this regard, nudity becomes commercialised: gratuitous nudity [42].6 Nudity has become naturalised to such an extent that advertisements of half-transparent underwear revealing the genitals have become normal; they have become cultural products. This tendency leads to the phenomena of gender titillation,7 sexual exploitation and the objectification of human embodiment (gratuitous nudity).

For example, in contemporary society, the female body tends to become an object of lust and seduction. In the social media, the female body was high jacked by business, companies, the advertisement enterprise and the social media to sell products. The commodification of the female body contributes to the fact that femininity is constantly being robbed of soulful beauty and portrayed as an idol of glamour, fame and flirting sensuality (**Figure 8**).

In ancient Greek culture, womanhood was associated with wisdom and portrayed as the object of pure love.8 In Hellenistic mythology, wisdom was presented by the clothed figure of Minerva, draped with soft linen to protect wisdom against folly. Together with the owl, femininity presented the wisdom of human dignity and the intellectuality of democratic leadership. Femininity was a kind of symbol of serene intellectuality to be needed most by courageous men (**Figure 9**).

In antiquity, it was not necessary and even not the fashion to put up statues of nude females because a draped female body was the epitome of wisdom and dignity. The draped figure distinguishes itself from male identity. When it came to heroic aesthetics, nudity was more

<sup>6</sup> *Gratuitous nudity* refers to the utilisation of the naked body for conveying information about a product across the range of the public languages of magazines and advertising. It is about nudity "on appro" without being requested. For example, in fashion advertising the relationship of the partly clothed male icon or female icon to the product is often obscure. The partly nude body confronts the viewer with something numinous.

<sup>7&#</sup>x27;Titillate' is derived from the Latin for tickling, or to excite another pleasurably, superficially or erotically [43]. Titillation is about portraying the body in order to arouse and to create sensuously felt emotions that stimulate human beings sexually and eventually lead to action in order to get satisfaction.

<sup>8</sup> Clark [44] points out that the stabilising, comprehensive religions of the world, the religions which penetrate every part of our being human – in Egypt, India or China – gave the female principle of creation at least as much importance as the male (societies of obedience). The aggressive, nomadic societies – Israel, Islam, the Protestant North (societies of will), conceived their gods as male. "It's a curious fact that the all-male religions have produced no religious imagery – in most cases has forbidden it. The great religious art of the world is deeply involved with the female principle" [44].

**Figure 8.** The female body is projected as a commodity to be possessed by male monsters and sexual driven animals. Sexuality is degraded to the level of primitive instinct and violent libido. Photo was taken in a shopping mall (Sony Centre) Berlin a week before Christmas 2012 (D.J. Louw).

**Figure 9.** Statue of Minerva with owl as symbol of wisdom. The goddess is clothed because her identity resides in her capacity to lead and to guide into wisdom as the drapery for meaningful life. Copenhagen. Photo: D.J. Louw.

preserved for the young athletic male body. Strength was associated with masculinity and should be used by athletes and the military to protect society. Nudity as heroic, divine athletic was something to be avoided for women [45]. Full nudity connoted more the vigour of the male body than the serenity of the female. The female figure was associated with vulnerability and should be protected in order to safeguard civilised education and wisdom. While female nudity should be protected, male nudity was associated risking one's life and should therefore be exposed fully. The shape of the male genitals contributed to the youthful beauty of male identity, not to pornographic exploitation.

Pornography is derived from two Greek words, *pornay* and *graphay* [46]. *Pornay* is derived from *peraymi*, which means 'to sell', usually in reference to a slave or prostitute for hire. *Graphay* refers to that which is written, inscribed or pictured. 'Pornography' then literally means to picture or describe prostitutes, with the connotation of an unequal slave/master relationship in which sexuality becomes a commodity deprived of the beauty of true love (commercialised sex).

Pornography is therefore not nakedness as such (see the statute of David by Michelangelo and the paintings in the Sistine Chapel) or explicit sexual pictures or portrayals of sexual acts, or erotic material, stimulating sexual excitement. The criterion cannot be sexual excitement or fantasy, because then any stimulation or visual impression related to sexual connotations and to sex will fall into the category of pornography. The criterion for judging a work to be pornographic is sexual exploitation within the schism between ensoulment and embodiment, between aesthetics and sensuality and between *eros* and *agape*. A dualistic anthropology easily feeds promiscuity and pornography. The written (pictured/portrayed/depicted) language of the human body is then not compassionate love and faithful intimacy, but abused *eros* and carnal exploitation.

Pornography refers very specifically to *sexual exploitation and the dehumanisation of sex* so that human beings are treated as things or commodities [47]. Pornography points in the direction of the depiction or the description of the abuse of sex as power. The naked human body is then detached from virtue and hijacked for merely violent sexuality (physical and psychological violence against others and oneself). Nakedness thus then promotes promiscuity.

In this sense, pornography is the description or depiction of obscenity with the effect of violating the dignity and rights of the human person through the exploitation and commercialisation of sexuality and sex. Explicit descriptions or depictions of males, females or children in dehumanised, mutilated, animalistic, submissive, distorted, sadistic and/or masochistic positions which place and keep them in undignified, subordinate roles and positions, all constitute pornography. Pornography reduces sex to the level of animal copulation and tends to rob sex of intimacy and tenderness.

The central issue at stake in pornography is the promiscuous intention of the viewer and reader as well as hedonistic setting of lust with the intention of illegal exploitation; lust and sensuality have become detached from compassionate love and intimate faithfulness.

With promiscuity is then meant an *immoral functionalism (obscene and obscure)* in which the human genitals and body are separated from the spiritual realm of soul, meaning normativity (ethics) and aesthetics. Promiscuity makes sexuality ugly because it can destroy human dignity. By promiscuity is then meant *sexual immorality and infidelity*, i.e. the abuse of sexuality for immoral purposes (*porneuo*) [48] including illegitimate intercourse, adultery, prostitution, fornication and absence of chastity.

preserved for the young athletic male body. Strength was associated with masculinity and should be used by athletes and the military to protect society. Nudity as heroic, divine athletic was something to be avoided for women [45]. Full nudity connoted more the vigour of the male body than the serenity of the female. The female figure was associated with vulnerability and should be protected in order to safeguard civilised education and wisdom. While female nudity should be protected, male nudity was associated risking one's life and should

**Figure 9.** Statue of Minerva with owl as symbol of wisdom. The goddess is clothed because her identity resides in her

**Figure 8.** The female body is projected as a commodity to be possessed by male monsters and sexual driven animals. Sexuality is degraded to the level of primitive instinct and violent libido. Photo was taken in a shopping mall (Sony

Centre) Berlin a week before Christmas 2012 (D.J. Louw).

54 Perception of Beauty

capacity to lead and to guide into wisdom as the drapery for meaningful life. Copenhagen. Photo: D.J. Louw.

Immoral functionalism is about obscene reductionism, wherein the human body is isolated from its humane framework and aesthetic design, namely compassionate intimacy and soulful integration.
