The Porn Studies Forum is a regular section of Porn Studies providing a space for timely responses to issues and developments within the academic study of pornography. We encourage provocative and open-ended short pieces of 500-1,500 words (including notes).

CFP: “This is not a love song.” Some Thoughts on Pornography and Music

In this era of onscenity, porn and (popular) music have a complex and multifaceted relationship.

Music has always been part of the audio-visual structure of pornographic materials, whether narrative/fictional or (pseudo)documentarian/wall-to-wall. Porn soundtracks are generally considered to be poorly produced and absolutely ancillary to the (supposed) main purpose of the films; nevertheless some “infamous” porn o.s.t. are notorious among music connoisseurs, either for the cult status of the movie they were created for – as in the anonymous “cheeky” album composed for Deep Throat (Gerard Damiano, 1972), or for the productive and inspired collaboration between some directors and cutting-edge musicians: in films like New Wave Hookers (Gregory Dark, 1985), or its digital-age remake Neu Wave Hookers (Eon McKai, 2006).

Other moments of overlapping can be observed, for instance when pop icons like Madonna and Lady Gaga – and more recently Miley Cyrus – deploy sexually explicit imagery, or when a world famous porn star like Sasha Grey attempts a career as a DJ. At the same time, even outside the “mainstream,” pornographic imaginaries have frequently influenced (and have been influenced by) several subcultural formations and productions, from punk, new wave and No Wave (sexual) transgressions, to the contemporary hip-hop scene and its explicit and impudent aesthetics of excess.

Submissions on the following topics are welcome:

• Music and the pornographic image: how music works in porn
• Original porn soundtracks, their styles, their production context and/or history: general overview and single case studies
• Different porn sub-genres and different uses of music: feature vs. gonzo vs. alternative
• Collaborations between porn producers and musicians
• Porn and different musical genres: influences and exchanges
• Porn and different musical subcultures: mutual influence and community belonging
• Porn and the pop (or rock) star
• Porn stars in the musical industry
• Transmigration of imaginaries from pornography to music and vice versa
• Music and beyond: the role of sound and sonics in pornography

Articles due on: July 31st 2014

Forum Section submissions should be sent to: forumpstudies@gmail.com