Perversion for Profit is a 1963[1]Eastmancolorpropaganda film financed by Charles Keating through Citizens for Decent Literature and narrated by news reporter George Putnam. The film argues that sexually explicit materials corrupt young viewers and readers, leading to acts of violence and "perverted" attitudes regarding sex—including inclination toward homosexuality. Although Perversion for Profit was serious in its suggestion that pornography could erode the integrity of American culture, Peter L. Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in a 2003 review that it was "shrill and sometimes comical".[2]
Perversion for Profit part 1Perversion for Profit part 2
Today, Perversion for Profit is in the public domain, and it has become popular on the Prelinger Archives website and on YouTube. As Peter L. Stein observes in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle, however, the film also has considerable historical significance, serving as a sort of time capsule of pornography from the era as well as an example of historical concerns regarding media influence:
... as the parade of girlie magazine covers, men's physique pictorials and campy S&M leaflets continues, the film betrays a kind of prurience the filmmakers could hardly have intended. What results is a remarkable visual record of midcentury underground literature and sexual appetites, and a gloss on the values of the society that condemned them.[2]
At the time the Chronicle article was written, Perversion was the Prelinger Archive's second most popular download, superseded only by the well-known Cold War film Duck and Cover. Like Stein, ephemeral film scholar Rick Prelinger, founder of the Archive, views such films as illuminating historical documents or what he calls "unofficial evidence of everyday life".[2]
In 1963, Putnam narrated Perversion for Profit, in which he warned viewers about magazines containing nudity and homosexual material, saying gay people were "perverted" and "misfits",[3] as well as implying they were child molesters, and that they weakened U.S. "resistance to the Communist masters of deceit."[3] The film was financed by Charles Keating.[2]
AllusionsEdit
Putnam erroneously cites the Supreme Court as having declared adult publications, "Dirt for dirt's sake." In actuality, that quote was from New York Court of Appeals judge John F. Scileppi and was in reference to Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer.
To exemplify corrupting literature, Putnam reads a passage from the pulp fiction novel Sex Jungle (1960) by Don Elliot, a pseudonym for novelist Robert Silverberg.[5] In a 2000 interview, Silverberg explained that the erotic fiction that he published under the Don Elliot pseudonym ...
... was undertaken at a time when I was saddled with a huge debt, at the age of 26, for a splendid house that I had bought. There would have been no way to pay the house off by writing science fiction in that long-ago era, when $2500 was a lot to earn from a novel that might take months to write, so I turned out a slew of quick sex novels. I never concealed the fact that I was doing them; it made no difference at all to me whether people knew or not. It was just a job. And it was, incidentally, a job that I did very well. I think they were outstanding erotic novels.[6]
^Strub, Whitney (2013). Perversion for Profit: The Politics of Pornography and the Rise of the New Righ. Columbia University Press. p. 80. ISBN9780231148870. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ abcdStein, Peter L. (August 31, 2003). "A Rejected Genre: Those kitschy and cautionary starchy industrial and educational films provide an Illuminating Peek at the Past 75 Years of American Culture". San Francisco Chronicle (August 31, 2003). Retrieved January 30, 2012.
^ abFriedersdorf, Connor. "Pornography 'Weakens our Resistance to the Communist Masters of Deceit'". theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved February 28, 2015. And then we come to a terribly sad indictment of our society – the so-called physique group of publications. These magazines with a homosexual viewpoint and poses are often not understood by many youngsters who take them as instruction of body development. But psychiatrists believe that prolonged exposure of even the normal male adult to this kind of publication, though he may not be aware of its true nature, will nevertheless pervert. Think then of the consequences to the inexperienced youth, who in purchasing and studying this material becomes a pawn for these misfits. These homosexuals, who have a slogan that betrays the evil of the breed: 'Today's conquest,' they say, 'is tomorrow's competition.
^American Sociological Association. . American Sociological Association. American Sociological Association. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
^"The Works of Robert Silverberg". The Quasi-Official Robert Silverberg Web Site. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
^Horwich, David. "Interview: Robert Silverberg". Strange Horizons. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
^"Perversion For Profit (1965) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies.
Further readingEdit
Friedersdorf, Conor (February 1, 2013). "Pornography 'Weakens our Resistance to the Communist Masters of Deceit': And other warnings from the 1961 film Perversion for Profit, the Reefer Madness of porn". The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
Strub, Whitney (May 2006). "Perversion for Profit: Citizens for Decent Literature and the Arousal of an Antiporn Public in the 1960s". Journal of the History of Sexuality. 15 (2): 258–291. doi:10.1353/sex.2007.0013. PMID 19235281. S2CID 7251523.
Profile of the novel "Sex Jungle" by Robert Silverberg, an excerpt of which is used in the film
October 23, 2023
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Perversion for Profit is a 1963 1 Eastmancolor propaganda film financed by Charles Keating through Citizens for Decent Literature and narrated by news reporter George Putnam The film argues that sexually explicit materials corrupt young viewers and readers leading to acts of violence and perverted attitudes regarding sex including inclination toward homosexuality Although Perversion for Profit was serious in its suggestion that pornography could erode the integrity of American culture Peter L Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in a 2003 review that it was shrill and sometimes comical 2 Perversion for ProfitGeorge Putnam in Perversion for ProfitProduced byCharles KeatingStarringGeorge PutnamNarrated byGeorge PutnamDistributed byCitizens for Decent Literature Inc Release date1963 1963 Running time31 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish source source source source source Perversion for Profit part 1 source source Perversion for Profit part 2Today Perversion for Profit is in the public domain and it has become popular on the Prelinger Archives website and on YouTube As Peter L Stein observes in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle however the film also has considerable historical significance serving as a sort of time capsule of pornography from the era as well as an example of historical concerns regarding media influence as the parade of girlie magazine covers men s physique pictorials and campy S amp M leaflets continues the film betrays a kind of prurience the filmmakers could hardly have intended What results is a remarkable visual record of midcentury underground literature and sexual appetites and a gloss on the values of the society that condemned them 2 At the time the Chronicle article was written Perversion was the Prelinger Archive s second most popular download superseded only by the well known Cold War film Duck and Cover Like Stein ephemeral film scholar Rick Prelinger founder of the Archive views such films as illuminating historical documents or what he calls unofficial evidence of everyday life 2 Contents 1 Summary 2 Allusions 3 Broadcast 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksSummary EditIn 1963 Putnam narrated Perversion for Profit in which he warned viewers about magazines containing nudity and homosexual material saying gay people were perverted and misfits 3 as well as implying they were child molesters and that they weakened U S resistance to the Communist masters of deceit 3 The film was financed by Charles Keating 2 Allusions EditPutnam erroneously cites the Supreme Court as having declared adult publications Dirt for dirt s sake In actuality that quote was from New York Court of Appeals judge John F Scileppi and was in reference to Henry Miller s Tropic of Cancer To support his position Putnam refers to Dr Pitirim Sorokin the renowned Harvard sociologist a Russian American who founded Harvard s Sociology department and served as the American Sociological Association s 55th president 4 To exemplify corrupting literature Putnam reads a passage from the pulp fiction novel Sex Jungle 1960 by Don Elliot a pseudonym for novelist Robert Silverberg 5 In a 2000 interview Silverberg explained that the erotic fiction that he published under the Don Elliot pseudonym was undertaken at a time when I was saddled with a huge debt at the age of 26 for a splendid house that I had bought There would have been no way to pay the house off by writing science fiction in that long ago era when 2500 was a lot to earn from a novel that might take months to write so I turned out a slew of quick sex novels I never concealed the fact that I was doing them it made no difference at all to me whether people knew or not It was just a job And it was incidentally a job that I did very well I think they were outstanding erotic novels 6 Broadcast EditTurner Classic Movies has televised the film Saturday nights on its TCM Underground block 7 See also EditList of American films of 1963Censorship in the United States Boys Beware Dating Do s and Don ts Freedom of speech in the United States Fuck Lavender scare List of films in the public domain in the United States Reefer Madness Sex education Sexual morality Sex Madness The Story of Menstruation This Film Is Not Yet RatedReferences Edit Strub Whitney 2013 Perversion for Profit The Politics of Pornography and the Rise of the New Righ Columbia University Press p 80 ISBN 9780231148870 Retrieved August 8 2022 a b c d Stein Peter L August 31 2003 A Rejected Genre Those kitschy and cautionary starchy industrial and educational films provide an Illuminating Peek at the Past 75 Years of American Culture San Francisco Chronicle August 31 2003 Retrieved January 30 2012 a b Friedersdorf Connor Pornography Weakens our Resistance to the Communist Masters of Deceit theatlantic com The Atlantic Retrieved February 28 2015 And then we come to a terribly sad indictment of our society the so called physique group of publications These magazines with a homosexual viewpoint and poses are often not understood by many youngsters who take them as instruction of body development But psychiatrists believe that prolonged exposure of even the normal male adult to this kind of publication though he may not be aware of its true nature will nevertheless pervert Think then of the consequences to the inexperienced youth who in purchasing and studying this material becomes a pawn for these misfits These homosexuals who have a slogan that betrays the evil of the breed Today s conquest they say is tomorrow s competition American Sociological Association Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin American Sociological Association American Sociological Association Archived from the original on April 18 2012 Retrieved January 30 2012 The Works of Robert Silverberg The Quasi Official Robert Silverberg Web Site Retrieved January 30 2012 Horwich David Interview Robert Silverberg Strange Horizons Retrieved January 30 2012 Perversion For Profit 1965 Overview Turner Classic Movies Further reading EditFriedersdorf Conor February 1 2013 Pornography Weakens our Resistance to the Communist Masters of Deceit And other warnings from the 1961 film Perversion for Profit the Reefer Madness of porn The Atlantic The Atlantic Monthly Group Retrieved April 20 2013 Strub Whitney May 2006 Perversion for Profit Citizens for Decent Literature and the Arousal of an Antiporn Public in the 1960s Journal of the History of Sexuality 15 2 258 291 doi 10 1353 sex 2007 0013 PMID 19235281 S2CID 7251523 Strub Whitney 2010 Perversion for Profit The Politics of Pornography and the Rise of the New Right New York Columbia University Press ISBN 978 0 231 14886 3 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Perversion for Profit Perversion for Profit is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive Part I Perversion for Profit is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive Part II Perversion for Profit at IMDb Perversion for Profit at Rotten Tomatoes Perversion for Profit at the TCM Movie Database Profile of the novel Sex Jungle by Robert Silverberg an excerpt of which is used in the film Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Perversion for Profit amp oldid 1178205746, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
