The Week in Sex: Death of Bob Guccione, Clarence Thomas' Wife Demands Apology from Anita Hill and Does dressing like a cheerleader encourage pedophilia?

I often ask myself who the new pioneers of the sex are and are going to be. We are so familiar with entrepreneurs such as Hugh Hefner  and Larry Flint who not only increased our access to sexual content but also fought against those trying to censor them. This week marks the passing of Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse. After a long battle with cancer, Guccione passed away on October 20, 2010. 

Known as a more hardcore magazine than its rivals, Penthouse  was founded in 1969. From printing nude images of Vanessa Williams in 1984, which eventually led to the removal of her Miss America crown to the investment of $17 million into the production of Caligula, the 1979 X-rated classic featuring Malcolm McDowell of Clockwork Orange fame and the Oscar award winner Helen Mirren, the Penthouse empire had been a huge part of sexual popular culture. 

Xaviera Hollander the world famous madam and author of The Happy Hooker, which sold over 16 million copies speaks about her relationship with Guccione and her time as a columnist and "lay analyst" for Penthouse: http://www.edenfantasys.com/sexis/sex-and-society/happy-hooker-remembers-bob-...
 

To learn more about Xaviera Hollander: http://www.xavierahollander.com/hooker

 The controversial 1991 sexual harassment case between Anita Hill and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been reinvigorated by a phone call from Thomas' wife demanding an apology from Hill nineteen years after the event. Thomas' ex-girlfriend and former assistant US attorney, Lillian McEven publicly supports Hills accusations and describes Thomas' " 'hobby' for scouting potential partners in the office", his commentary on coworkers breasts and his discussions on porn in a possible memoir. To learn more about the phone call:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20thomas.html?th&emc=th And for a refresher on why the the Hill/Thomas controversy changed the conversation on sexual harassment in this country: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/hill/hillframe.htm

Glee stars Lea Michele, Dianna Agron and Corey Monteith are being criticized by the Parents Television Council for posing for provocative photos dressed as cheerleaders deemed "near pornographic pedophilia" in the latest issue of GQ, While these actors portray high school age characters, they themselves are adults. Agron released a statement indicating it was never an intention to make anyone uncomfortable and pointed out "If your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there? I understand that in today’s world of advanced technology, the Internet, our kids can be subject to very adult material at the click of a button. But there are parental locks, and ways to get around this.” 

If we are to follow the premise of the Parents television Council, is every sexy cheerleader this Halloween promoting pedophilia? As adults do these actors not have a right to create images for an adult audience?