Hyperreal Obscenities - Baudrillard on Cybersex

Johannes Lenhard

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Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Sociology - Gender Studies, grade: Distinction, London School of Economics, language: Eng...

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Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Sociology - Gender Studies, grade: Distinction, London School of Economics, language: English, abstract: Baudrillard was not concerned as much about pornography and particularly not about cybersex, as he was about the more general concepts of 'hyperreality' and the 'obscene'. But nevertheless, it seems that his ideas might be relevant in today's 'mediated' forms of sexual pleasure. This paper therefore tries to apply his theory towards the notion of cybersex. Two questions seem of highest importance: Is cybersex 'real'? What is it that actually takes place in cybersex? The first question can be framed with Baudrillard's notion of 'hyperreality' and 'virtual', whereas the 'obscene' is most fruitful in describing the content of cybersex. In the following, this essay will in the first paragraph deal predominantly with the definition of cybersex before the second and third part will introduce Baudrillard's ideas and critically apply them towards the question of the 'realness of cybersex' as well as the 'content' of it. Before the conclusion will try to give the analysis a wider perspective, a section of general critique will follow the development of the argument and reflect on the applicability of Baudrillard towards cybersex. First, however, it is necessary to come to a common understanding of the notion of cybersex.