Laughing in the face of the law: humour as a thermostat activating social change for porn workersNocella, R. R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7859-6081 and Chiaro, D. (2023) Laughing in the face of the law: humour as a thermostat activating social change for porn workers. Law, Culture and the Humanities. ISSN 1743-9752
It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing. To link to this item DOI: 10.1177/17438721221124470 Abstract/SummaryThe vulnerability of sex workers in the porn industry is a heated debate within feminism. The UK 2014 Audiovisual Media Services Regulations and 2017 Digital Economy Act, which burden the production of online pornography, provoked sex workers’ Face-Sitting and Kink Olympixxx protests. This paper investigates how throughout these protests, humour communicates sex workers’ discomfort on this legislation. Arguing that humour is a thermostat that senses public uneasiness and slowly activates social change, this paper examines the two protests highlighting how sex workers employed unrefined bawdy humour to unearth their neglected rights and move towards more adequate rights.
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Table of Legislation
Case Law
R v Brown [1993] UKHL 19
R v Stanley [1965] 2 QB 327, [1965] 1 All ER 1035
DPP v Whyte [1972] 3 All ER 12.
R v Coutts [2005] EWCA Crim 52.
Legal Instruments
Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive).
Online Harms Whitepaper
The 1861 Offences Against the Person Act
The 1959 Obscene Publication Act
The 1981 Indecency Displays
The 2008 Criminal Justice and Immigration Act
The 2010 Equality Act
The 2014 Audiovisual Media Services Regulations, Amendment of section 368B of the 2003 Communication Act (supply of information).
The 2003 Communication Act
UNGA, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (15 November 2000). University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record |