Dirty Talk at UNH

If the UNH students that attended the debate on pornography between feminist author Susan Cole and feminist porn star Nina Hartley showed up expecting a catfight, they certainly didn’t get what they wanted. Upon taking the stage, Cole set things straight by swearing that all she wanted was an honest, civil conversation. Indeed, this is definitely what transpired Wednesday night in the Granite State Room of the MUB.

Although the two women disagreed on a couple of issues, it was surprising how much they had in common.

“We are both wearing Tiffany’s jewelry,” Cole discovered as they took the stage together in front of a packed audience. Students started lining up for the much anticipated debate an hour before the doors opened and many kids had to be turned away.

Apart from the jewelry, both women had similar goals in mind for women. Both being feminists, they commented on the significant progress the feminist movement has made since it began in the 1970s. After all, society has come a long way since the days when the use of birth control was considered a crime. Furthermore, both women want to see sexuality more greatly portrayed in society. For instance, both Cole and Hartley would like gay sexuality more widely seen and presented to the public.

Cole started off the evening’s festivities by posing an array of questions for Hartley and explaining her concerns with the pornography industry. She was particularly insistent about the use of pain and violence in porn. Even though she admits that not all porn demonstrates forcefulness and dominance, she would like to see the violence component completely removed from the industry.

“An orgasm shouldn’t come at the expense of bruises,” Cole said.

Cole would also like to see equality eroticized, as well as older people and condom use.

The main question Cole posed to Hartley questioned Hartley’s typicality in the pornography industry. To this, Hartley confirmed that she is not typical to the industry, because she has a college education, is bisexual, and is older than the average porn star, among other reasons.

Hartley went on to address Cole’s other questions and make points of her own. In response to Cole’s complaint regarding the lack of condom use in porn, Hartley explained that overuse of condoms causes abrasions in the vagina, making the woman more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases.

Hartley also commented on the new developments in the pornography industry. For instance, a health clinic is provided for the participants, which tests them for HIV and other STDs weekly. In addition to medical aid, peer counseling and referrals to self help clinics are now offered for anyone in need of such.

While Hartley repeatedly claimed to be kinky and very much into dirty, hot sex, she did offer one very serious statement to her college audience: “Don’t have sex when you’re drunk.”

Hartley insisted that sex is already complicated enough without adding a factor that fogs one’s rationality and decision making abilities.

The debate between Cole and Hartley offered eye opening perspectives, outspoken opinions, civil argumentation, valuable advice and, at times, some witty humor. While the mediators of the debate, two hall directors from various dorms at UNH, warned the audience that some promiscuous topics were going to be touched upon, the entire audience was shocked as Cole and Hartley didn’t hesitate to discuss masturbation, sexual positions, and bisexuality.

While the debate itself remained calm and professional, things definitely heated up once the reigns were handed to the audience. Several members of the audience asked a variety of rude, surprising, and downright absurd questions. Still, the debaters didn’t seem shaken by these questions and offered thoughtful answers as best they could.

One of the more outrageous questions was directed at Cole from a male student. He wondered that since she claimed to be ok with masturbation, yet against porn, would she be against him if he masturbated to porn.

After wondering aloud if this young man had even been listening for the past hour, Cole summed up her thoughts by saying she still remains curious how a sexual visual aid or even just a random thought can cause a man to have an erection.

“If an erection is speech I wanna know what it’s saying,” Cole concluded.