PRESENTATION PLAN
1. Make script using DROPBOX, a service where all 4 members of group can submit material and text in the same document.
2. RECORD audio of written script. And manipulate voices to unify our voices rendering them generless.
3. make VIDEO, 7 5 minute seperate videos covering all 7 topics eg: Curation, Material, Context.
using 3D scanning, manipulating models of ourselves and green screen effects.
4. PRESENT, the presentation will be a conversation about the topics, before playing the 7 topic videos whenever they fit with the conversation
TURBO SQUID
SCRIPT
GEORGINA ROWLANDS
SECOND SEX WAR – Sidsel Meineche Hansen GASWORKS Gallery.
PRESENTATION SCRIPT
- CURATION
Upon entering the space the first thing the viewer is pulled to is the loud pulsing music, bright flashy monitors that show vibrant video work portraying post-human virtual bodies in sexual acts. The space is clean, like many ‘white cubes’ the clinical space is pristine and portrays neatened detachment from the dirty sexual nature of the galleries work.
The glossy screens of the tv monitors and wood cut prints held beneath glass contrast from the scrappy a4 drawing we eventually notice on the parallel wall to the VIVID tech pieces.
The work is a simple blue drawing of a penis, unframed, it easily could be held on the wall by bluetac.
The relationship between the 2D images and digital animation is the disconnection from humanity. The wood cut prints are laser cut digital drawings fed into a computer which laser etches the naïve drawings into the organic material. This back and forth between the animal and the machine is featured prominently.
The structures in the space have a sexual nature to their forms, on the floor paired with the VIRTUAL REALITY headset Oculus Rift sits a LARGE LEATHER BEANBAG when at on the large object you can’t help but attribute it as a sexual material, feeling it whilst watching the explicit animation on the headset I can’t help but thing about LEATHERS role in BDSM culture.
Similarly the large wooden structure in the right wing of the gallery resembles a sex swing or BDSM apparatus, that in popular culture we may have seen on television or publication coverage of the BDSM life or even from our own consumption of pornography.
I can’t help to feel disconnected between the 2D images and the digitised work. Where the digital work is definatly coded and masked in meaning, a complex watch, the instant gratification of INSTANT SEXUAL CONTENT makes the material easy to consume.
The 2D images are naïvely stylised, almost like child drawings, they show a figure, possessing both breasts and a penis, some 2D images contain text ‘iSlave’ we sit in the gallery for 20 minutes trying to decode these images.
Relating this to Hansen’s practice she combines craft based practise with outsourced skilled digital labour firstly blurring the lines of authorship, whilst relating to commodity, labour and capital and the relationship between low craft and high digitised media.
This dualism is clear as it is almost like two artists feature in the exhibition. Similarly the large ceramic relief on the wall was further disconnected to the rest of the work, the viewers even asking ‘is this part of this show’ as its primal aesthetic seemed entirely foreign to the established aesthetic of the show.
This is repeated in the clay wall relief ‘Cite Werkflow Ltd’ a clay craft based version of a digital face scan. When viewing this work we question its relation to the work next to it the large structure and digital video. I felt this further disconnected both aesthetically and purposefully as I wonder what it is asking. It portrays the artists face. Is it raising this underlying theme of the conversion of the body into an object (in this case the artists face) for a commodity value. IDENTITY/OBJECTHOOD/VALUE/COMMODITY/PRODUCTION.
- MATERIALS USED: PROCESSES AND WORK PRESENTED
NRW2C
The first work encountered by the viewer is the video ‘No Right Way to Cum’ an animation created digitally using the 3D model EVA 3.0, a royalty free model created by TURBOSQUID, a modelling company who provides a wide range of downloadable content for use in gaming and in the adult industry. EVA is the central character to the show, she features in both animations and 2D reliefs and is portrayed in NRW2C, lying in her bedroom masturbating, this portrays the complex autonomy of the animated character.
This paradox of autonomy and agency is portrayed in all work in the exhibition as we see EVA masturbating engaging in an act of self pleasure, this is an act for herself, within her domain, comfortable, we even hear audible sounds from her, firstly we see from her view, down at OUR bodies as WE masturbate.
This first blurs the lines of viewer and the gaze of the protagonist, the male viewer being put in the gaze of a woman, where in pornography we are often in the POV of the heterosexual male.
The male gaze systematically exploits and benefits from the commodification of the female body especially in the porn industry even queer female pornography depicting lesbians is CLEARLY for the male gaze as the actresses depict sexual acts such as imitating blow jobs that clearly is disconnected from lesbian sex.
she ejaculates graphically onto the camera, crude lettering spells ‘NO RIGHT WAY TO CUM’ comprised of her ejaculate a jab at the recent ban on showing female ejaculation in British Pornography.
EVA’s minimicing of masturbation shows her digitised body, her rendered hands hovering over her genitalia, depite this act portrayed we do not respond as if we are consuming real pornography, it is cheoreographed, straged, we know she feels nothing, due to the fact that she is nothing but pixels.
DICKGIRL 3D(X)
The animation piece DICKGIRL is a complex work again portraying EVA, this time her body is purified, in NRW2C we see her body with skintone, even slight scarring portrayed a slight humanity, in DICKGIRL she is presented as PURE WHITE with GLOWING CIRCULAR EYES and a GLOWING BLUE PENIS, this is far detatched from relating our bodies with EVA, she is represented as a clearly digitised body. Her movements more static, more crutched and animatronic. The work appropriates ‘GENTALIA PROPS’ and ‘POSE SETS’ royalty free producst available for use when creating pornographic material from 3d rendered bodies.Explores the overlap between subjects in real life and objects in virtual reality, focusing on their accumulation by capital through the gender binary.
The work explores the notion of POST HUMAN SEX, and the commodity of capitilsing on virtual bodies.
EVA has sex with a mass blob of what we relate to as CLAY, speaking to the concept of being able to shape these post-human sexualised objects into ANYTHING WE WANT this customisation of our fantasy and our fetish
Pornography has always been driven by novelty, due to the immense amount of porn available producers made more and more shocking material.
The pulsing primal soundtrack fills my ears as I rhythmically and roughly bore through the clay, I see through my head, making me aware of the flatness of these 3D renderings, certain angles cause the images to warp and flatten, but the immersion is realized by the ability to gain varying views and angles of the sexual act. For those 10 minutes I was EVA, that level of appropriation has previously been limited but the new technology allows us to fully consume and experience artist's works.
Consent and the digitised body?
Transhumanism is a movement that aims to use technology to enhance human intellectual, physical and psychological capabilities. This can be achieved through anything from brain implants and bionic eyes to stem cell technology and exoskeleton body suits.
The convergence of technologies such as virtual reality, haptic feedback and wireless connectivity raises the prospect of virtual sexual assault, two noted futurologists have warned.
These new forms of violation could arise by combining emerging devices, such as suits that provide wearers with physical sensations through haptic feedback, with existing virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift.
"My big hope is you'll be able to put on a VR headset and reach out and touch and feel. I think this is going to be one of the most useful things for virtual reality in the future."
SECOND LIFE
‘Initially SecondLife was exactly the escape I needed. I was living in an unhappy (and unhealthy) situation and while I felt as though I could not physically leave or remove myself from the situation, SecondLife freed me. At least in my mind it did. My marriage was volatile and it was only a matter of time before it would finally explode; but for the time being, SecondLife was my own little secret.’
VR PORN:
‘There was also something called VR Girl: Kayla, which was nothing more than a series of 3D-rendered statues of a porn actress in varying states of undress. Despite presumably being designed as a masturbatory aid, the whole thing felt airless and cold, like a museum exhibit. No matter how many times Sam enthusiastically hooted about the level of detail in the vaginal mapping, I remained profoundly unstirred by it. So far, this whole thing looked to be a dud. Virtual reality seemed about as likely to become the future of pornography as finding a Razzle in a binbag in the woods.’ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/09/how-virtual-reality-porn-could-bring-about-world-peace
TALKS ABOUT VR PORN BEING TOUCHLES ‘LOCKED IN SYNDROME’
- KEY THEMES: FEMINISM, SEX AND TECHNOLOGY
Turning pornography from a passive viewing experience into an interactive one qualitatively changes the nature of the game. It is now possible to make the experience not only about sex, but about feeling close another human being, even if that person isn’t real.
These sorts of deeper interaction take on a whole new dimension when applied to VR
In fact, virtual reality experiences may eventually serve as a substitute for human contact. Something which is a legitimate concern, voiced by media commentators and academics. Technologies such as virtual reality pornography may have a profound effect on the society of the future.
Technologies change society and sex is always a fundamental part of any society. So it stands to reason that a technology that changes sex itself could have a double impact. It’s not only virtual reality, but related
technology such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence and robotics that are set to change how humans conduct their sex lives in the future. Already some ethicists are calling for a pre-emptive ban on sex robots. The same argument against sex robots would hold true for virtual entities.
What is modern sexuality as technology like tinder allows for hook-up culture, do we just want to fuck and previous cultural relationship stigmas were just masking the CORE DESIRE to have sex?
TECH ALLOWS you to fuck who you want, why have a girlfriend who moans and nags at you when you can have a AUGMENTED REALITY BODY SUIT which stimulates the full weight and touch of a woman, it stimulates a full sexual act as if she were real, as if it were real.
REAL DOLLS
We have been fed this very curated very staged and specific view of how female sexuality is this may be:
PASSIVE, WANTING, TO SATISFY MEN, TO PLEASURE MEN,
POSTHUMAN SEXUALITY, MOVING PAST DESIRE TO COMMODITY AND FUNCTIONALITY
We can buy our life partners, FILM: ‘HER’ falling in love with AI, falling in love with augmented humanity.
PERFECT HUMANITY
FEMINISM AND PORN?
PRO
Pornography can be good therapy. Pornography provides a sexual outlet for those who -- for whatever reason -- have no sexual partner
Porn liberates women to control their own sexualities, where throughout history sex has been a tool to supress women.
Alows women to feel pleasure, to pleasure themselves and achieve orgasms independently.
PROSEX FEMINISM
Pornography benefits women politically in many ways, including the following:
- Historically, pornography and feminism. Both have risen and flourished during the same periods of sexual freedom. Women can be liberated, can have sex with who they want, they are free to feel pleasure to be autonomous and control their own bodies.
- Pornography is free speech applied to the sexual realm. Freedom of speech is the ally of those who seek change.
- It allows women to 'safely' experience sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity.
- it gives a panoramic view of the world's sexual possibilities. This is true even of basic sexual information such as masturbation
- Pornography strips away the emotional confusion that so often surrounds real world sex. Pornography allows women to enjoy scenes and situations that would be anathema to them in real life.
- VIBRATORS AND SEX TOYS ARE VIRTUAL SEX TOOLS TOO.
- PRO VR: saves the often terrible lives of female porn stars by replacing them with VR MODELS.
ANTIPORN FEMINISM
Pornography damages women in the following ways:
- ANDREA DWORKIN argues that the overriding element of pornography is male dominance, PORN IS FOR MEN, the gaze of porn is to objectify the female body,to treat women as sexual objects. And since the viewer will mentally internalize pornography's misogynistic portrayal of women this has a deep effect on the youth of today.
- GAIL DINESDines argues that boys and men are exposed online to pornography that is increasingly cruel and violent toward women. The exposure of teenage girls to the images affects their sense of sexual identity.
- The idealised pornified woman creates a culture of self hate in women, when boys are consuming the mass produced image of the female body does this create a culture of eating disorders and serlf hatred in young women??
- Dines writes, is that women are "held captive by images by ultimately tell lies about women" and that "contemporary idealized femininity" has been reduced to the "hypersexualized, young, thin, toned, hairless, and, in many cases, surgically enhanced woman with a come-hither look on her face.
- Pornography is in line with its portrayals of women being "bound, raped, tortured, killed or degraded for sexual stimulation or pleasure".
- (BDSM) has been criticized by anti porn feminists for eroticizing power and violence and for reinforcing misogyny.
SEXUALISING VIRTUAL BODIES
Dehumanization is a broad conceptualization in which a human is treated as less than fully human.
Beyond human, EVA PORTRAYED AS ABLE TO MORPH HER SEXUALITY.
In mechanistic dehumanization, also called objectification, targets are perceived similarly to objects, with diminished agency, vitality, or warmthIn mechanistic dehumanization, also called objectification, targets are perceived similarly to objects, with diminished agency, vitality, or warmth.
Previous studies have shown that virtual representations of women and femininity can trigger sexist reactions
PORTRAYS OF VIRTUAL FEMALES BODIES PROJECT MISOGYNISTIC REACTIONS relating to sex, violence is more prominent when pornography is exercised using virtual bodies.
A quick google search of ‘3D PORN’ or ‘ANIMATED PORN’ provides videos portaying animated women being beaten, abused, forcebly penetrated by large objects, by animals and even by fantastical CREATURES. MONSTER PORN, blurs the lines of fantasy and consent. POST HUMANISM.
Anthropomorphism increases perceptions of social potential, and more anthropomorphic images are generally perceived to be more realistic.
THE WORLD OF VR PORN IS A BUBBLE, when im inside the oculus rift I can do anything to anyone and it has no external effect VR is a cage where I can execute my wildest fantasies with hurting anyone.
Pro: desires such as peadophilia or beastility can be exercised within the alternative reality bubble.
Con: by enabling individuals to execute these desires this is enabling and encouraging abuse: what happens when virtual reality isn’t enough?
PLATFORMS LIKE TURBO SQUID ALLOW ANYONE TO CREATE ANY SCENE THEY WANT SEXUALITY IS IN OUR HANDS
Pro: this is liberating, we can fantasise about anyone anytime, and we have full control over our desires.
Con: what is the consent of the virtual bodies, when an actor scans his body for a 3D model does he consent to abusive scenarios? To be portrayed with dubious sexual acts? What is the commodity status of the 3D model as a representation of our identity?
When we scanned our bodies they became objects, to pan around to inspect, our identities were not considered IMAGE BASED.
The convergence of technologies such as virtual reality, haptic feedback and wireless connectivity raises the prospect of virtual sexual assault, two noted futurologists have warned.
IMPLICATIONS: QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS RAISED
"My big hope is you'll be able to put on a VR headset and reach out and touch and feel. I think this is going to be one of the most useful things for virtual reality in the future."
If such
technology was integrated into virtual reality systems capable of mapping experiences through sensors, it would conceivably pave the way for people to interact physically within a virtual environment.
At present there are no legal protections against such incidents as the technology does not yet exist, however Istvan believes that society should already begin to consider the implications of its development.
WHAT IF THE NEW REALITY IS JUST US ALL SAT IN MATRIX LIKE PODS, EXPERIENCE LIFE THROUGH HAPTIC SUITS, WITH PERFECT MINDS, PERFECT BODIES, BEATIFUL IDEALISED CREATURES, EATING PERFECT FOOD, PERFECT SEX, PERFECT LIVES?
Life inside the bubble
“One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people,” wrote Zuckerberg in March 2014, when he announced the acquisition. Facebook sees VR as the next big computing platform, but that will depend on it becoming a truly mainstream device.’ -
Analyst firm SuperData has predicted that we’ll spend $5.1bn on VR hardware and software in 2016, but that most of this will be on “cheap mobile VR devices” like Google Cardboard, the sub-$30 headset that smartphones slot in to.
Luckey isn’t a fan, having recently described Google Cardboard as “muddy water” compared with the “fancy wine” of Oculus Rift, but that muddy water may be the current that takes VR to hundreds of millions of people in the coming years.
YouTube introduced 360-degree videos in March, and followed up in November with a format called VR video, for clips designed to be watched using a Google Cardboard headset, providing a sense of depth rather than just the ability to pan around. Facebook, too, is already showing 360-degree videos in the news feed within its smartphone app.
PRO: VR films – whether fiction or documentary – is another fascinating area for experimentation already, particularly on the journalism side.
VR ART – the SECOND SEX WAR is the first time I have ever felt like a character portrayed in an exhibition, I WAS EVA for the moments that I consumed OCULUS RIFT,
Can our bodies and minds really cope with VR?
VIRTUAL SEX
Virtual sex is sexual activity where two or more people gather together via some form of communications equipment to arouse each other by transmitting sexually explicit messages. Virtual sex describes the phenomenon, no matter the communications equipment used.
- Digital remote stimulation involves the use of directed energy, biochips,and/or cybernetic implants to stimulate a man or woman in the genital area from a distance
- Camming is virtual sex that is over video chat from services that provide it.
- Cybersex is virtual sex typed over the Internet, including IRC, e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, webcam, role-playing games, etc.
- Phone sex is virtual sex spoken over the telephone.[1]
- Sexting is virtual sex sent via mobile phone network text messaging. The advent of cell phones with built-in digital cameras has undoubtedly added new dimensions to these activities.
These terms and practices continuously evolve as technologies and methods of communication change.
Increases in Internet connectivity, bandwidth availability, and the proliferation of webcams have also had implications for virtual sex enthusiasts. It's increasingly common for these activities to include the exchange of pictures or motion video. There are companies which allow paying customers to actually watch people have live sex or masturbate and at the same time allow themselves to be watched as well. Recently devices have been introduced and marketed to allow remote controlled stimulation.
SEX WAR
Pornography debate
Toward the end of the 1970s, much of the discourse in the feminist movement shifted from the discussion of lesbian feminism to focus on the new topic of sexuality. One of the primary concerns with sexuality was the issue of pornography, which caused a great divide among feminists. The two recognized sides of the debate were anti-pornography feminism and "pro-sex" feminism. One of the major influences of anti-pornography feminism was its predecessor, lesbian feminism. Anti-pornography movements developed from fundamental arguments displayed by lesbianism, such as the notion of patriarchal sexual relations.Ellen Willis described these relations as being "based on male power backed by force." From this perspective, pornography is created exclusively for men by men and is a direct reflection of the man-dominant paradigm surrounding sexual relations. Another idea taken from lesbian feminism by anti-pornography groups was that sexuality is about creating a compassionate bond and a lasting relation with another person, contrary to the belief of the purely physical nature of sex.
In her book, Pornography: Men Possessing Women, Andrea Dworkin argued that the theme of pornography is male dominance and as a result it is intrinsically harmful to women and their well-being. Dworkin believed that pornography is not only damaging in its production but also in its consumption, since the viewer will mentally internalize pornography'smisogynistic portrayal of women. Robin Morgan summarized the view of anti-pornography feminists that pornography and violence against women are linked in her statement, "pornography is the theory, rape is the practice".
The anti-pornography movement has been criticised by sex-positive feminists as a repression of sexuality and a move towards censorship. In her article,Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality, Gayle Rubin characterizes sex liberation as a feminist goal and denounces the idea that anti-pornography feminists speak collectively for all of feminism. She offers the notion that what is needed is a theory of sexuality separate from feminism. In XXX: A Woman's Right to Pornography, Wendy McElroy summarizes the sex-positive perspective as "the benefits pornography provides to women far outweigh any of its disadvantages".
The pornography debate among radical and libertarian feminists has focused on the depictions of female sexuality in relation to male sexuality in this type of media. Radical feminists emphasize that pornography illustrates objectification and normalization of sexual violence through presentation of specific acts. In contrast, libertarian feminists are concerned with the stigmatization of sexual minorities and the limited right to practice sexual choice that would be hindered without pornography.
Sadomasochism debateThe main locus of the sex wars' debate on sadomasochism and other BDSM practices was San Francisco. Women Against Violence in Pornography and Media was founded there in 1977. Its first political action was to picket a live show at a strip club featuring women performing sadomasochistic acts on each other, in line with its stated aim to end all portrayals of women being "bound, raped, tortured, killed or degraded for sexual stimulation or pleasure". As well as campaigning against pornography, WAVPM were also strongly opposed to BDSM, seeing it as ritualized violence against women and opposed its practice within the lesbian community. In 1978 SAMOIS was formed, an organization for women in the BDSM community who saw their sexual practices as consistent with feminist principles.
FEMINIST OVERVIEW OF PORNOGRAPHY
A FEMINIST OVERVIEW OF PORNOGRAPHY,
ENDING IN A DEFENSE THEREOF
by Wendy McElroy
"Pornography benefits women, both personally and politically." This sentence opens my book XXX: A Woman's Right to Pornography, and it constitutes a more extreme defense of pornography than most feminists are comfortable with. I arrive at this position after years of interviewing hundreds of sex workers.
Overview of Feminist Positions on Pornography
Feminist positions on pornography currently break down into three rough categories. The most common one -- at least, in academia -- is that pornography is an expression of male culture through which women are commodified and exploited. The liberal position combines a respect for free speech with the principle 'a woman's body, a woman's right' to produce a defense of pornography along the lines of, 'I don't approve of it, but everyone has the right to consume or produce words and images'. A true defense of pornography arises from feminists who have been labeled 'pro-sex', and who argue that porn has benefits for women.
Little dialogue occurs between the three positions. Anti-pornography feminists treat women who disagree as either brain- washed dupes of patriarchy or as apologists for pornographers. In the anthology Sexual Liberals and the Attack on Feminism (1990), editor Dorchen Leidholdt claims that feminists who believe women make their own choices about pornography are spreading 'a felicitous lie'.(p.131) In the same work, Sheila Jeffreys argues that 'pro-sex' feminists are 'eroticizing dominance and subordination'. Wendy Stock accuses free speech feminists of identifying with their oppressors 'much like...concentration camp prisoners with their jailors'.(p.150) Andrea Dworkin accuses them of running a 'sex protection racket' (p.136) and maintains that no one who defends pornography can be a feminist.
The liberal feminists who are personally uncomfortable with pornography tend to be intimidated into silence. Those who continue to speak out, like ACLU President Nadine Strossen [Defending Pornography] are ignored: for example, Catharine MacKinnon has repeatedly refused to share a stage with Strossen or any woman who defends porn. 'Pro-sex' feminists -- many of whom are current or ex sex workers -- often respond with anger, rather than arguments.
Peeling back the emotions, what are the substantive ques- tions raised by each feminist perspective?
Anti-Porn Feminism:
Page Mellish of Feminists Fighting Pornography has declared, "There's no feminist issue that isn't rooted in the porn problem." In her book Only Words, MacKinnon denies that pornography consists of words and images, both which would be protected by the First Amendment. She considers pornography -- in and of itself -- to be an act of sexual violence. Why is pornography viewed as both the core issue of modern feminism and an inherent act of violence? The answer lies in radical feminist ideology, which Christina Hoff Sommers calls 'gender feminism'.
Gender feminism looks at history and sees an uninterrupted oppression of women by men than spans cultural barriers. To them, the only feasible explanation is that men and women are separate and antagonistic classes, whose interests necessarily conflict. Male interests are expressed through and maintained by a capital istic structure known as 'patriarchy'.
The root of the antagonism is so deep that it lies in male biology itself. For example, in the watershed book Against Our Will, Susan Brownmiller traces the inevitability of rape back to Neanderthal times when men began to use their penises as weapons. Brownmiller writes: "From prehistoric times to the present, I believe, rape has played a critical function. It is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear." [Emphasis in original.] How she acquired this knowledge of prehistoric sex is not known.
Another tenet of gender oppression is that sex is a social construct. Radical feminists reject what they call 'sexual essentialism' -- the notion that sex is a natural force based on biology which inclines women toward natural tendencies, such as motherhood. Even deeply felt sexual preferences, such as heterosexuality, are not biological. They spring from ideology.
Men construct women's sexuality through the words and images of society, which the French philosopher Foucault called the 'texts' of society. After such construction, men commercialize women's sexuality and market it back to her in the form of pornography. In other words, through porn man defines woman sexually -- a definition which determines every aspect of her role in society. To end the oppression, patriarchy and its texts must be destroyed.
Liberal Feminists:
Liberal feminism is a continuation of 60s feminism which called for equality with men, who were not inherent oppressors so much as recalcitrant partners to be enlightened. Equality did not mean destroying the current system, but reforming it through such measures as affirmative action. The liberal principle 'a woman's body, a woman's right' underlay arguments ranging from abortion rights to lifestyle freedoms like lesbianism. The stress was upon the act of choosing, rather than upon the content of any choice.
Liberal feminists share the general liberal bias toward free speech, but they are in flux on pornography. Some liberal organizations like Feminists for Free Expression [FFE] have consistently opposed censorship in any form. Some liberal feminists like Sallie Tisdale [Talk Dirty to Me] have staunchly defended sexual freedom. But many liberal feminists commonly reason as follows: 'as a woman I am appalled by Playboy...but as a writer I understand the need for free expression.'
Such arguments are not pro-pornography. They are anti-censorship ones based on several grounds, including: great works of art and literature would be banned; the First Amendment would be breached; political expression would be suppressed; and, a creative culture requires freedom of speech.
Other liberal feminists, who have accepted many of the ideological assumptions of the anti-porn position, seem willing to sacrifice free speech for the greater good of protecting women. For example, they also condemn the free market for commercializing women as 'body parts', which demeans women. In "A Capital Idea", an essay defending pornography, which sometimes seems to be an attack, Lisa Steel comments:
"Sexist representation of women...is all part of the same system that, in the service of profits, reduces society to 'consumer groups'. And marketing is every bit as conservative as the military...we pay dearly for the 'rights' of a few to make profits from the rest of us."
Such muddled and ambivalent 'defenses' often offend the sex workers they are intended to protect.
Pro-Sex Feminism:
Over the past decade, a growing number of feminists -- labeled 'pro-sex' -- have defended a woman's choice to participate in and to consume pornography. Some of these women, such as Nina Hartley, are current or ex sex workers who know first-hand that posing for pornography is an uncoerced choice which can be enriching. Pro-sex feminists retain a consistent interpretation of the principle 'a woman's body, a woman's right' and insist that every peaceful choice a woman makes with her own body must be accorded full legal protection, if not respect.
Pro-sex arguments sometimes seem to overlap with liberal feminist ones. For example, both express concern over who will act as censor because subjective words, such as 'degrading', will be interpreted to mean whatever the censor wishes.
The state that banned Margaret Sanger because she used the words 'syphilis' and 'gonorrhea' is no different, in principle, than the one that interprets obscenity today. There will be no protection even for the classics of feminism, such as Our Bodies, Ourselves, which provided a generation women with the first explicit view of their own biology. Inevitably, censorship will be used against the least popular views, against the weakest members of society...including feminists and lesbians. When the Canadian Supreme Court decided (1992) to protect women by restricting the importation of pornography, one of the first victims was a lesbian/gay bookstore named Glad Day Bookstore -- which had been on a police 'hit list'. Among the books seized by Canadian customs were two books by Andrea Dworkin, Pornography: Men Possessing Women and Women Hating. Such an event should not have surprised Dworkin who declared in Take Back the Night, "There is not a feminist alive who could possibly look to the male legal system for real protection from the systematized sadism of men." (p.257)
On the dangers of censoring pornography, pro-sex and liberal feminists often agree. On the possible benefits of pornography to women, they part company. (Such benefits are explored at the conclusion of this article.)
Critique of Anti-Porn Feminism
The specific accusations hurled at pornography include
1. Pornography degrades women;
2. Pornography leads directly to violence against women.
3. Pornography is violence against women, in that:
a. women are physically coerced into pornography;
b. women involved in the production of pornography are so psychologically damaged by patriarchy that they are incapable of giving informed or 'real' consent;
Do these accusations stand up under examination?
1. Pornography is Degrading to Women.
'Degrading' is a subjective term. I find commercials in which women become orgasmic over soapsuds to be tremendously degrading. The bottom line is that every woman has the right to define what is degrading and liberating for herself.
The assumed degradation is often linked to the 'objectification' of women: that is, porn converts them into sexual objects. What does this mean? If taken literally, it means nothing because objects don't have sexuality; only beings do. But to say that porn portrays women as 'sexual beings' makes for poor rhetoric. Usually, the term 'sex objects' means showing women as 'body parts', reducing them to physical objects. What is wrong with this? Women are as much their bodies as they are their minds or souls. No one gets upset if you present women as 'brains' or as 'spiritual beings'. If I concentrated on a woman's sense of humor to the exclusion of her other characteristics, is this degrading? Why is it degrading to focus on her sexuality?
2. Pornography Leads to Violence against Women.
A cause-and-effect relationship is drawn between men viewing pornography and men attacking women, especially in the form of rape. But studies and experts disagree as to whether any relationship exists between pornography and violence, between images and behavior. Even the pro-censorship Meese Commission Report admitted that the data connecting pornography to violence was unreliable.
Other studies, such as the one prepared by feminist Thelma McCormick (1983) for the Metropolitan Toronto Task Force on Violence Against Women, find no pattern to connect porn and sex crimes. Incredibly, the Task Force suppressed the study and reassigned the project to a pro-censorship male, who returned the 'correct' results. His study was published.
What of real world feedback? In Japan, where pornography depicting graphic and brutal violence is widely available, rape is much lower per capita than in the United States, where violence in porn is severely restricted.
3. Pornography is Violence
a. Women are coerced into pornography.
Not one woman of the dozens of woman in porn with whom I spoke reported being coerced. Not one knew of a woman who had been. Nevertheless, I do not dismiss reports of violence: every industry has its abuses. And anyone who uses force or threats to make a woman perform should be charged with kidnapping, assault, and/or rape. Any pictures or film should be confiscated and burned, because no one has the right to benefit from the proceeds of a crime.
b. Women who Pose for Porn are so Traumatized by Patriarchy They Cannot Give Real Consent.
Although women in pornography appear to be willing, anti-porn feminists know that no psychologically healthy woman would agree to the degradation of pornography. Therefore, if agreement seems to be present, it is because the women have 'fallen in love with their own oppression' and must be rescued from themselves.
'Man passes out after masturbating to Virtual Reality Porn'
'Thanks to all of my friends/fam who have been wishing me well over the last 12 hours. Sorry if I haven?t responded to everyone?s texts but I promise I will soon! Grateful for you all. If you hadn?t heard, I was found unconscious on my bathroom floor at 3AM by a couple of my roommates, and I?d like to share what happened so maybe I save someone from making the same mistake. I decided to watch some porn, only this time it was Virtual Reality via PornHub (actually pretty cool stuff.) Little did I know, there?d be a ?chasing a better high? effect that would ensue by combining it with autoerotic asphyxiation. For those who aren?t familiar, autoerotic asphyxiation means you basically choke yourself during masturbation to achieve a heightened orgasm. I woke up at the hospital and the doc had a great sense of humor which really helped. I vaguely remember him kneeling down and whispering in my ear, "You look like my 5 year old down there." I was fortunate to be surrounded by caring professionals, real friends, and a bit of luck. Love you all, and don?t try this at home. Or anywhere, for that matter ?'
Inferences About Avatars: Sexism, Appropriateness, Anthropomorphism, and the Objectification of Female Virtual Representations.
Objectification and Dehumanization
Dehumanization is a broad conceptualization in which a human is treated as less than fully human (Haslam, 2006). Dehumanization has been described as the “inverse process of anthropomorphism” because it involves the denial of human traits (Waytz, Epley, & Cacioppo,2010, p. 58). Haslam's (2006) dual model of dehumanization defines two types. In animalistic dehumanization, targets are perceived similarly to animals, with decreased cognitive capacity, rationality, and civility. In mechanistic dehumanization, also called objectification, targets are perceived similarly to objects, with diminished agency, vitality, or warmth. Scholars have determined that these two types are often intertwined (Haslam & Loughnan, 2014), especially in regards to the treatment of women (Gervais, Bernard, Klein, & Allen, 2013).
Similarly, objectification theory posits that sociocultural forces, including media messages, influence people to diminish or deny the personhood of women and instead treat women as things (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Fredrickson et al., 1998). Scholars have integrated objectification theory with models of dehumanization to help explain why women in particular are targeted (Gervais et al., 2013; Moradi,2013). When women are objectified, they are perceived as less competent, less moral, and less human (Heflick & Goldenberg, 2009; Heflick, Goldenberg, Cooper, & Puvia, 2011; Vaes, Paladino, & Puvia, 2011).
Several studies have examined the conditions under which people are more likely to dehumanize women, and found certain triggers or situations make women more likely to be objectified. When women are perceived to deviate from social norms, or behavior deemed appropriate in a particular context, including clothing choice, they are more objectified (Gurung & Chrouser, 2007; Infanger, Bosak, & Sczesny, 2012). The appropriateness of clothing worn also influences perceptions of credibility, likability, dominance, and competence (Gorham et al., 1999; Gurung & Chrouser, 2007; White, 1995). This also applies to digital embodiments, and research has shown that the clothing choice associated with avatars and virtual representations engages sex stereotyping and gender schema (Fox & Bailenson, 2009; Fox, Ralston, Cooper, & Jones, in press). Thus, the model in Figure 1 predicts that those in context appropriate clothing will be perceived to be dressed appropriately, and perceptions of appropriate dress will predict credibility.
Sexism and Objectification of Virtual Others
Synthesizing the predictions of CASA and objectification theory, the model in Figure 1 predicts that virtual women are likely to be objectified based on their appearance, particularly by sexist people. Previous studies have shown that virtual representations of women and femininity can trigger sexist reactions (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2009; Fox & Bailenson, 2009; Lee, 2004, 2008) as well as objectification-related processes (Fox et al., 2013, in press). Given that CASA predicts that people use similar cognitive processes and biases to judge virtual representations and their levels of social potential, the same individual differences that predict person perception and objectification should influence how people process virtual representations and their messages.
Anthropomorphism is the perception of humanness of the other, whereas objectification is a process of dehumanizing the other (Loughnan et al., 2010; Vaes et al., 2011; Waytz et al., 2010). Human images are generally perceived as the most anthropomorphic, followed by animals, with objects generally perceived as the least anthropomorphic (Nowak & Rauh, 2005, 2008). If a perceiver objectifies a virtual woman, she will be dehumanized and seen as less anthropomorphic; in turn, finding the virtual woman less anthropomorphic would diminish perceptions of social potential and credibility. These predictions are illustrated in the model portrayed in Figure 1.
Individual traits and biases such as sexism lead people to interpret the same stimuli in unique ways and reach different conclusions about the credibility of the source and the value of associated messages (Hamilton & Nowak, 2010; Hamilton & Sherman, 1994; Nowak et al.,2009; Nowak & Rauh, 2008). Sexist individuals are overall more likely to objectify women regardless of other factors (Cikara, Eberhardt, & Fiske, 2011; Rudman & Mescher, 2012; Vaes et al., 2011), and women are generally less sexist than men (Swami et al., 2010; Swim, Aikin, Hall, & Hunter, 1995), explaining the predicted path from female sex to sexism. The model predicts that sexism will explain some of the variance in the perception of the image, with more sexist individuals being more likely to objectify and dehumanize the virtual representations of women than less sexist individuals. This means that sexist people will rate the women as less human and less credible, as shown in negative direct paths from sexism to both anthropomorphism and credibility, and this will influence the remaining judgments.
Anthropomorphism increases perceptions of social potential, and more anthropomorphic images are generally perceived to be more realistic (Bailenson et al., 2006; McGloin, Nowak, & Watt, 2014; Nowak et. al., 2009), explaining the predicted path from anthropomorphism to realism. Although there are different dimensions of realism, the one considered here is realism as typical, probable, or likely to exist offline (Busselle & Greenberg, 2000; Hall, 2003; Nowak et. al., 2009). This dimension of realism is also likely to influence perception of appropriate dress, as one would typically expect more realistic avatars and virtual images to be dressed appropriately for the interaction goals. Thus, images perceived to be more realistic are predicted to be rated as more appropriately dressed.
A common emotional theme in the porn actresses I have interviewed is a love of exhibitionism. Yet if such a woman declares her enjoyment in flaunting her body, anti-porn feminists claim she is not merely a unique human being who reacts from a different background or personality. She is psychologically damaged and no longer responsible for her actions. In essence, this is a denial of a woman's right to choose anything outside the narrow corridor of choices offered by political/sexual correctness. The right to choose hinges on the right to make a 'wrong' choice, just as freedom of religion entails the right to be an atheist. After all, no one will prevent a woman from doing what they think she should do.
A Pro-Sex Defense of Pornography
As a 'pro-sex' feminist, I contend: Pornography benefits women, both personally and politically. It benefits them personally in several ways:
1. It provides sexual information on at least three levels:
a. it gives a panoramic view of the world's sexual possibilities. This is true even of basic sexual information such as masturbation, which seems to come less naturally to women than to men. It is not uncommon for women to reach adulthood without knowing how to give themselves pleasure.
b. it allows women to 'safely' experience sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity. The world is a dangerous place. By contrast, pornography can be a source of solitary enlightenment. Pornography allows women to experiment in the privacy of their own bedrooms, on a television set that can be turned off whenever she has had enough.
c. it provides a different form of information than textbooks or discussion. It offers the emotional information that comes only from experiencing something either directly or vicariously. It provides us with a sense how it would 'feel' to do something.
2. Pornography strips away the emotional confusion that so often surrounds real world sex. Pornography allows women to enjoy scenes and situations that would be anathema to them in real life. Take, for example, one of the most common fantasies reported by women -- the fantasy of 'being taken', of being raped.The first thing to understand is that a rape fantasy does not represent a desire for the real thing. It is a fantasy. The woman is in control of the smallest detail of every act.
Why would a healthy woman daydream about being raped?
There are dozens of reasons. Perhaps by losing control, she also sheds all sense of responsibility for and guilt over sex. Perhaps it is the exact opposite of the polite, gentle sex she has now. Perhaps it is flattering to imagine a particular man being so overwhelmed by her that he must have her. Perhaps she is curious. Perhaps she has some masochistic feelings that are vented through the fantasy. Is it better to bottle them up?
3. Pornography breaks cultural and political stereotypes, so that each woman can interpret sex for herself. Anti-feminists tell women to be ashamed of their appetites and urges. Pornography tells them to accept and enjoy them. Pornography provides reassurance and eliminates shame. It says to women 'you are not alone in your fantasies and deepest darkest desires. Right there, on the screen are others who feel the same urges and are so confident that they flaunt them.'
4. Pornography can be good therapy. Pornography provides a sexual outlet for those who -- for whatever reason -- have no sexual partner. Perhaps they are away from home, recently widowed, isolated because of infirmity. Perhaps they simply choose to be alone. Sometimes, masturbation and vicarious sex are the only alternatives to celibacy. Couples also use pornography to enhance their relationship. Sometimes they do so on their own, watching videos and exploring their reactions together. Sometimes, the couples go to a sex therapist who advises them to use pornography as a way of opening up communication on sex. By sharing pornography, the couples are able to experience variety in their sex lives without having to commit adultery.
Pornography benefits women politically in many ways, including the following:
1. Historically, pornography and feminism have been fellow travelers and natural allies. Both have risen and flourished during the same periods of sexual freedom; both have been attacked by the same political forces, usually conservatives. Laws directed against pornography or obscenity, such as the Comstock Law in the late 1880's, have always been used to hinder women's rights, such as birth control. Although it is not possible to draw a cause-and-effect relationship between the rise of pornography and that of feminism, they both demand the same social conditions -- namely, sexual freedom.
2. Pornography is free speech applied to the sexual realm. Freedom of speech is the ally of those who seek change: it is the enemy of those who seek to maintain control. Pornography, along with all other forms of sexual heresy, such as homosexuality, should have the same legal protection as political heresy. This protection is especially important to women, whose sexuality has been controlled by censorship through the centuries.
3. Viewing pornography may well have a cathartic effect on men who have violent urges toward women. If this is true, restricting pornography removes a protective barrier between women and abuse.
4. Legitimizing pornography would protect women sex work- ers, who are stigmatized by our society. Anti-pornography femi- nists are actually undermining the safety of sex workers when they treat them as 'indoctrinated women'. Dr. Leonore Tiefer, a professor of psychology observed in her essay "On Censorship and Women":
"These women have appealed to feminists for support, not rejection...Sex industry workers, like all women, are striving for economic survival and a decent life, and if feminism means anything it means sisterhood and solidarity with these women."
The law cannot eliminate pornography, any more than it has been able to stamp out prostitution. But making pornography illegal will further alienate and endanger women sex workers.
The Purpose of Law
The porn debate is underscored by two fundamentally antago- nistic views of the purpose of law in society.
The first view, to which pro-sex feminists subscribe, is that law should protect choice. 'A woman's body, a woman's right' applies to every peaceful activity a woman chooses to engage in. The law should come into play only when a woman initiates force or has force initiated against her. The second view, to which both conservatives and anti-porn feminists subscribe, is that law should protect virtue. Law should enforce proper behavior. It should come into play whenever there has been a breach of public morality, or a breach of 'women's class interests.'
This is old whine in new battles. The issue at stake in pornography debate is nothing less than the age-old conflict between individual freedom and social control.
3RD WAVE
Third-wave feminist writings promote personal, individualized views on the gender-related issues focused on during the feminist sex wars, such as prostitution, pornography and sadomasochism. In particular, the third-wave view of pornography is that there is no greater meaning other than which the actor or consumer gives it.[citation needed] Items such as sex objects and porn, identified by some second-wave feminists as instruments of oppression are now no longer being exclusively used by men but also by women.[36] Feminist critic Teresa de Lauretis sees the sex wars not in terms of polarized sides but as reflecting a third wave feminism inherently embodying difference, which may include conflicting and competing drives.[37][38] Meanwhile, critic Jana Sawicki rejects both the polarised positions, seeking a third way that is neither morally dogmatic or uncritically libertarian
TITLE OF EXHIBITION- what is the first sex war?
The feminist sex wars, also known as the lesbian sex wars, or simply the sex wars or porn wars, are terms used to refer to collective debates amongst feminists regarding a number of issues broadly relating to sexuality and sexual activity. Differences of opinion on matters of sexuality deeply polarized the feminist movement, particularly leading feminist thinkers, in the late 1970s and early 1980s and continue to influence debate amongst feminist to this day.[1] The sides were characterized by anti-porn feminist andsex-positive feminist groups with disagreements regarding sexuality, including pornography, erotica, prostitution, lesbian sexual practices, the role of trans women in the lesbian community, sadomasochism and other sexual issues. The feminist movement was deeply divided as a result of these debates
VIRTUAL REALITY RAPE
The convergence of technologies such as virtual reality, haptic feedback and wireless connectivity raises the prospect of virtual sexual assault, two noted futurologists have warned.
These new forms of violation could arise by combining emerging devices, such as suits that provide wearers with physical sensations through haptic feedback, with existing virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift.
What is transhumanism?
Transhumanism is a movement that aims to use technology to enhance human intellectual, physical and psychological capabilities. This can be achieved through anything from brain implants and bionic eyes to stem cell technology and exoskeleton body suits.
The convergence of technologies such as virtual reality, haptic feedback and wireless connectivity raises the prospect of virtual sexual assault, two noted futurologists have warned.
These new forms of violation could arise by combining emerging devices, such as suits that provide wearers with physical sensations through haptic feedback, with existing virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift.
"If you have a haptic suit on, and someone tapped into it and made you do things you didn't want to do, I would consider that a violation and probably equivalent to assault," Zoltan Istvan, author and 2016 US presidential candidate for the Transhumanist Party, told Australian publicationVertigo.
"This is one of the very strange issues with transhumanism.
Bristol-based start-up Ultrahaptics has developed tactile technology that allows users to "feel in mid-air" by using an array of ultrasound speakers capable of invisibly replicating textures.
"We'll never create this complete immersion without this physical feedback," Tom Carter, co-founder of Ultrahaptics, told IBTimes UK in February. "If you don't have the sense of touch it will really break down the virtual reality experience.
"My big hope is you'll be able to put on a VR headset and reach out and touch and feel. I think this is going to be one of the most useful things for virtual reality in the future."
If such technology was integrated into virtual reality systems capable of mapping experiences through sensors, it would conceivably pave the way for people to interact physically within a virtual environment.
At present there are no legal protections against such incidents as the technology does not yet exist, however Istvan believes that society should already begin to consider the implications of its development.
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More than just sex
Turning pornography from a passive viewing experience into an interactive one qualitatively changes the nature of the game. It is now possible to make the experience not only about sex, but about feeling close another human being, even if that person isn’t real.
Japan in particular has a tradition of creating “dating simulators”, some of which have explicit content and some which do not. These involve wooing one of several romantic possibility and (depending on the type of game) you may be rewarded with the opportunity to be intimate with that character if you make the right choices.
These sorts of deeper interaction take on a whole new dimension when applied to virtual reality. Sony’s Playstation VR HMD was announced along with a number of software titles. One of them, Summer Lesson, puts you in the role of a tutor that must spend time with a number of girls in their bedrooms. The game isn’t explicit, but it shows the potential of virtual reality to craft intense experiences that are about more than just sex.
In fact, virtual reality experiences may eventually serve as a substitute for human contact. Something which is a legitimate concern, voiced by media commentators and academics. Technologies such as virtual reality pornography may have a profound effect on the society of the future.
The future impact of virtual reality pornography
Technologies change society and sex is always a fundamental part of any society. So it stands to reason that a technology that changes sex itself could have a double impact. It’s not only virtual reality, but related technology such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence and robotics that are set to change how humans conduct their sex lives in the future. Already some ethicists are calling for a pre-emptive ban on sex robots. The same argument against sex robots would hold true for virtual entities.
Even today some people are highly susceptible to fantasy, getting lost in virtual worlds to the detriment of their health and quality of life. There are also a whole host of ethical questions that come to mind. For instance, if you have teledildonic sex with a stranger over the internet, does that count as infidelity? What if it is with a recording, or an AI character? How emotionally invested will people become in fantasies that can literally touch them so intimately?
We don’t have the answers to such questions yet, but new technologies that drive new ways to express our sexuality are emerging at the same time as major attitude changes to sex, gender identity and the bounds of what is permissible are happening. Only time will tell the consequences of these events, but there is almost no doubt that virtual reality will continue to play a central role in them.'
'Virtual Reality and the Adult Industry' - VRS.org
http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-adult/
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Sex, as they say, sells.
Some people argue that our interest in sex and sex-related things drives much of human behavior. Early psychologists such as Sigmund Freud were convinced of that and modern understanding of evolutionary processes explain why it is that we care so much about sex.
While we may see a sexy woman or man in an advertisement selling anything from a boat to detergent, it is pornography that most directly exemplifies sex as a commodity. Globally the pornographic industry is a $97bn behemoth. Thanks to the rise of the internet and the ubiquity of computers, smartphones and tablets getting access to pornography is easier than ever.
Shifts in 21st century values also seems to be de-stigmatizing pornography and the adult industry as a whole. Adult film stars now have their own award shows and in the United States and globally there are adult industry expos that enjoy strong attendance. Adult products are big business and as long as human beings are interested in sex it’s unlikely to go away.
Pornography and technology
In the protracted war between Betamax and VHS, two of the first home video standard, there is a pervasive story that pornography was a major factor in deciding the outcome. The story goes that Sony, which was one of the main sponsors of Betamax, was skittish about associating Betamax with pornography and so the less prudish gatekeepers of VHS got a boost that put the final nail in Betamax’s coffin. While it is true that Sony refused to let pornography be published on its format, there’s no evidence this was a decisive factor in that particular format war.
It is however true that the adult industry and pornographers in particular have been quick to capitalize on new technological innovations. Whether it’s webcams, 3D technology or HD video, pornography has grasped onto it firmly with both hands. It works the other way as well, this industry has driven the development of new technologies that have found applications outside adult entertainment. Innovations in internet commerce security,privacy and anti-piracy legislation are but three examples.
In the future there is no reason to think that the adult entertainment world will not continue to push certain technologies. As we speak, for example, Realdoll (a manufacturer high-end sex dolls) has begun to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) development. The development of sex robots, in other words. Clearly any advancement in AI will have application beyond adult entertainment. So what about the adult industry and virtual reality?
Pornography and virtual reality
Virtual reality is no different in this regard. Already we have several products that aim to bring sexually themed experiences to head mounted displays and other virtual reality peripherals. In fact, when it comes to haptic technology, the technology of simulating touch, the adult industry is a key innovator. You may have never encountered the term “teledildonics”, but it is one of the ways in which touch has been transmitted electronically over a distance between two people. These internet-enabled toys allow two people to have “sex” from any location in the world with internet access. Lovense is one pioneering company in the interactive teledildonics industry that has been around since 2009. The company produces toys for both male and female users. Some current virtual reality pornographic content already includes compatibility with Lovense products.
Of course, the “person” in control of the teledildonic device doesn’t have to be real. It could be a virtual 3D avatar, which is another area where the adult entertainment industry had already provided.
Pornography is driven by novelty, and in a world where massive volumes of pornographic material is available at the click of a button anything new or exciting has immense value. Virtual reality is just such a development. At this very moment there is virtual reality content available for HMDs as basic as the Google Cardboard. First-person video shot in 180 or 360 degree stereoscopic video where the viewer get to see the experience from the perspective of one of the participants. There’s no editing here and one can choose what to focus on, looking at any part of the scene that takes your fancy.
Non-interactive virtual reality content is relatively easy to produce with the right equipment and when the slew of consumer HMDs slated for release in 2016 finally hit the market we can expect to see much more content become available.
PornHub has recently announced a virtual reality product known as the “twerking butt”. It’s a simulated female posterior (including genitalia) that comes with an HMD and companion mobile application. The idea is that this combination of devices will create the illusion of sex for the user. The privilege doesn’t come cheap either. The deluxe version of the product will set you back a cool $1000 and that doesn’t include the required smartphone.
Even more impressive than this is a specialised robot known as the VR Tenga. Combined with the Oculus Rift HMD and the right software, the Tenga lets users interact and have sex with a virtual character.