Book extract: Brooke Magnanti on the porn wars The excavations of Pompeii from 1748 onwards revealed the extent of the Roman Empire's fascination with erotica. Penis-shaped oil lamps and figures of Priapus, with his huge permanent erection, featured in several Pompeiian houses. In the 19th century, society grew increasingly uncomfortable with such frank depictions of genitalia. It was, some felt, a potential scandal. So in 1819 the artefacts deemed most offensive were hidden away in the Gabinetto Segreto, or Secret Museum, in Naples so as to not corrupt women, children and the working class. Admission was restricted solely to "people of mature age and respected morals." And thus was erotica consigned to dusty rooms and considered fit only for scholars and the educated rich. They, it was felt, had the mental robustness needed to avoid being corrupted by such things. The Victorian era's oversize concern with the harm it might cause was also reflected in the Obscene Publications Act of 1857. Also known as Lord Campbell's Act, it was Britain's first law making the sale of obscene material a statutory offence. The word "pornography" comes from the ancient Greek porne¯, a prostitute, and graphein, to write. Stories about hookers, in other words. But the term as we use it now did not enter the lexicon until far later. People in the 19th century became more worried about defining a line between what was art, and what was obscene. Those worries helped shape the view of what today is labelled "pornography" versus what is labelled "erotica" - even though few people, if any, can give a clear idea of the difference. You might be asking yourself, all this trouble over a bunch of fantasies? And pretty unrealistic ones, at that. Most of today's erotic pictures and films resemble everyday sex as much as Casualty does the real workings of a hospital. It's less stories about hookers, and more soap operas with boobies. And yet pornography is a lightning rod for all kinds of accusations. In general these can be divided into two types: concern about the effects on the viewer - as with Lord Campbell's Act - and concern about the effects on the participants. It is often said that porn objectifies women and promotes sexual violence. In porn people dress sluttier, act bolder, and definitely spend less time negotiating sex than any real-life equivalent (outside of prostitution). Porn is very different from the sexual experiences most of us have had. Because of this, it's an easy target. Most of us have never met anyone who's been in porn, making what they do ripe for speculation. For some people, the first time they see porn can be startling. This can colour opinions of all adult films. Read any writing that criticises the adult industry, and you'll likely encounter a depiction of pneumatic California girls. A stereotype that last had its heyday in the Nineties, but has changed drastically since. Only the critics haven't noticed, because they probably haven't bothered to update their information. These days, there is a wide variety of erotica catering to many tastes. Just because one film doesn't press your buttons doesn't make all of them terrible. Anyone who judged, say, all television shows on the basis of having once seen Baywatch would be mocked mercilessly in the media. But for some reason, it's OK to do that with porn. Like a lot of things, it all comes down to personal taste. I don't happen to like beetroot. That doesn't mean that I object to other root vegetables. I'm OK with people having beets in their salads ... unless of course they try to put them in mine. Avoiding beetroot and taking a "live and let live" stance is one thing. Pursuing total abolition of beetroot from restaurants and supermarkets? Might be a little over the top. © Brooke Magnanti, 2012