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‘The embodied empathy revolution … ’: pornography and the contemporary state of consumer virtual reality

Leighton Evans Orcid Logo

Porn Studies, Volume: 8, Issue: 1, Pages: 121 - 127

Swansea University Author: Leighton Evans Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1080/23268743.2020.1777894

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) has been proposed as a potentially revolutionary medium for pornography. The notion of VR as a an ‘empathy machine’ has led to predictions that VR will facilitate more empathetic relationships between pornography and the viewer, and pornographic actors and viewers. This affectiv...

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Published in: Porn Studies
ISSN: 2326-8743 2326-8751
Published: Informa UK Limited 2021
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54559
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Abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) has been proposed as a potentially revolutionary medium for pornography. The notion of VR as a an ‘empathy machine’ has led to predictions that VR will facilitate more empathetic relationships between pornography and the viewer, and pornographic actors and viewers. This affective turn in VR pornography is contingent upon the use of teledildonic technology and VR to facilitate new embodied relations for the viewer. However, the current state of VR pornography is very far from this vision. Currently, VR pornography is dominated by a variation on the point-of-view genre of pornography where the viewer is embodied in a stationary, subject position – often that of a straight, white male while a female actor submits to the desire of the actor. The promise of VR pornography is currently some way from being realised, and the material currently available recycles debates on heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity in eroticism.
Keywords: Virtual reality, empathy, embodiment, teledildonics
College: Professional Services
Issue: 1
Start Page: 121
End Page: 127

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