Like the collector, the photographer is animated by a passion that, even when it appears to be for the present, is linked to a sense of the past.
Susan SontagRead
What pornography is really about, ultimately, isn't sex but death.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that pornography reflects deeper existential issues rather than just a sexual expression.
Susan Sontag's quote indicates that pornography is not merely a representation of sexual desire, but rather it taps into themes of mortality and the human condition. By implying that the essence of pornography lies in its confrontation with death, Sontag challenges us to consider how sexual imagery relates to our fears, desires, and the inevitability of mortality, urging a deeper reflection on the societal implications of such content.
Themes
PornographyDeathExistenceDesireMortality
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on media and its cultural implications, this quote can help illustrate the complex nature of sexual representation.
More from Susan Sontag
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Gide and I have attained such perfect intellectual communion that I experience the appropriate labor pains for every thought he gives birth to!
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Volume depends precisely on the writer's having been able to sit in a room every day, year after year, alone.
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In NY sensuality completely turns into sexuality - no objects for the senses to respond to, no beautiful river, houses, people. Awful smells of the street, and dirt... Nothing except eating, if that, and the frenzy of the bed.
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It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin.
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