Our Modern Eyes are Jaded:
Pornography and the Line of Obscenity
The visual cortex is the largest and busiest part of the brain. There’s no doubt Homo Sapiens is an animal that relies heavily on sight. We take it for granted, living as we do surrounded by the rich visuals of the reality we have constructed, that to see is EVERYTHING. But, while the "food of the eye" has arguably never been saltier or contained so many empty calories, its ravenous appetite is as old as the species. Needless to say, the importance of our Sense of Sight could not have evolved overnight.
Long before there was even a dream of photography, from the time we lived in caves, to the building of the pyramids, to the castles of Versailles, there’s been a lot for humans to see in the world — more than enough to justify the evolution of our magnificent Human Eye. I only make this point so heavy-handedly because I know many people tend to think nothing was ever better in all of history than 5 minutes ago. I also don’t wish to be contradicted later in this essay, when I am making my larger point, when I say:
The Eye is an old dog. He knows many wonderful tricks. He can tell a friend from a foe at a glance. He can climb a tree in duress. The eye IS everything and ALL that is true — but it knows nothing new. (more…)
