Hyperbole, Pornography, and the Flesh. Thoughts on the Aesthetics of Porn

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Sociology - Gender Studies, , language: English, abstract: The one true thing that can be said about pornography is that it rates, at most, second place. Flesh takes first prize.

Yet, when it comes to fulfilling sexual intimacy, humans encounter what artists face daily: The ideal, lodged inside our heads and hearts, cannot be realized in paint, marble, or language. But do not panic: Pornography comes to the rescue!

Whether a person enjoys or condemns porn, a deeper understanding of its allure requires that we examine the literary trope called ¿hyperbole¿¿the least examined of tropes, often relegated to the domain of fools, liars, Dr. Seuss, Shakespeare, and Jesus.