speech and respect - College of Social Sciences and International ...

The Excesses of State Regulation
Universal Studios in Florida is considering showcasing the Jim Rose
Circus sideshow at Halloween. Rose swallows razor blades, lies on a bed
of nails, and hammers spikes into his nose. Mr. Lifto hangs heavy objects
from his pierced nipples, while the Torture King puts pins through his; an
ageing dwarf feeds live slugs to the Sword Swallower, while Matt (The
Tube) Crowley drinks several quarts of beer, chocolate sauce and ketchup
through a tube in his nose and then regurgitates the mixture. Fans queue
for front-row seats to see the tears in Mr. Lifto's eyes. New York Times B4
(June 15, 1992); Los Angeles Times E1 (September 1, 1992); cf. Bogdan
(1988).
58 Los Angeles Times Kb, A8, A10, A12, A14, A17, A18, A19, A22 (March
25, 1991).
59 Implants enhance the attractiveness of breasts to men while eliminating
them as a site of female pleasure. Wolf (1991); Faludi (1991); New York
Times A1 (February 6, 1992); Los Angeles Times E1 (August 18, 1992);
254(5) The Nation 155 (February 10, 1992). To reduce sexual harassment,
women in the U.S. Navy have adopted the opposite strategy,
gaining weight, eschewing makeup, and wearing uniforms several sizes
too large to make themselves unattractive. Los Angeles Times A1 (February
10, 1992). On the role of advertisements in constructing gender
images, see Goffman (1976); Steele (1985: 65-67); Goldman (1992).
Male bodies are being similarly fetishised. A Los Angeles bookstore
reported a 25-30 per cent increase in sales of health and fitness books to
men in 1991. Male celebrities in People magazine have waists under 30
inches. The head of the men's division at LA Models explained: "Ultimately,
we're selling sex, and women like to see men with nice bodies,
broad shoulders, and the V-shape." The proportion of cosmetic surgeries
performed on men has increased from 5 per cent a decade ago to 20 per
cent today. They include hair, calf, and pectoral implants, chest-hair
dying, and face patterning. Men's cosmetic sales now total $2.5 billion.
More male anorexics and bulemics are seeking treatment. Glassner
(1993); Los Angeles Times E1 (August 7, 1992).
60 New York Times B7 (February 26, 1992); Los Angeles Times E1 (April 17,
1992).
61 Critics who should know better repeat the calumny of the religious right
and politicians like Dan Quayle—that the media are to blame for most
contemporary social ills. Medved (1992). An article in the prestigious
Journal of the American Medical Association just reiterated the claim that
television causes violence, based on correlations between the white
homicide rate and the introduction of television in the United States,
Canada, and South Africa! Centerall (1992); New York Times A12 (July
27, 1992) (editorial). South Africa seems to take such nonsense seriously.
The SABC is cutting scenes from children's shows like "The Real Ghostbusters,"
"Bionic Six" and "Robotech" because they contain occult,
satanic, and other "dubious signs and symbols." Examples include the
peace sign (broken cross or crow's foot), the Taoist yin-yang symbol, the
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