December 3, 2003
Diane Does Britney (Or Is It The Other Way Around?): Our 4th Favorite Piece Of Media Porn — November 2003
The fact that the media exploits sexual situations and images for commercial ends is obvious to anyone who watches television. What is less apparent is the relative sucess or failure to do it effectively.
Our 4th best example of Media Pornography from last month is Diane Sawyer’s interview with Britney Spears on the program Prime Time Live. If the motive is to “work” the guest to achieve the most salacious effect, heaven help ABC. Diane Sawyer might have been out for dirt, but Britney (who is brilliant at playing in the dirt and, at the same time, disavowing any knowledge of it) came out looking more wholesome then ever.
Of course, she confirmed she was no longer an innocent. But, that was old news. (ABC uncovered that dish in an interview with Justin Timberlake on the “20/20″ program earlier in the year.) In fact, Spears actually turned the tables on Sawyer, giving a speech about how sexual relations are only appropriate if one has been in a long term, committed relationship–like the one she and Justin had.
As seductive content becomes more sophisticated and encoded (often intertwined with wholesome symbols the way Britney does it), it seems that porn can just as easily be used to manipulate (or disarm) the manipulators.
