Shira Tarrant, PhD
Author, Professor, Social Critic
ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
01
Our Country, Which Art in Panic
Playboy, Summer Issue 2019 — On sexual politics, Title IX, and the perfect storm of moral panic on the right and purity politics on the left.
The Hidden Economics of Porn
The Atlantic — Journalist Joe Pinsker interviews California State University, Long Beach professor Shira Tarrant, PhD about porn’s financial side and research for her book, The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press).
02
Making Sense of Modern Pornography
New Yorker — While the Internet has made porn ubiquitous, it has also thrown the industry into severe decline. Katrina Forrester reviews The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press).
03
04
Porn Is Easy to See but Hard to Talk About
NPR/All Things Considered — Porn is increasingly easy to see, thanks to the Internet and free tube sites like Pornhub. But it's still hard to talk about, which can affect how people view sex. The bottom line is porn is easy to view, but it's still hard to talk about. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf went to Los Angeles to do just that - to talk about it.
05
Cosplay: Beyond the Fantasy
Entertainment Tonight — In ET's first-ever documentary, Cosplay: Beyond the Fantasy, ETonline producer Jesse Goddard follows four cosplayers as they prepare for the Comic-Con Revolution in Ontario, California. Features commentary on sex and gender by Dr. Shira Tarrant.
Pornography's Dirty Little Secret
Religion Dispatches — Utah officially declared that pornography is a public health hazard, approving a resolution that contradicts much of the current scientific research. Regardless of one’s political or moral concerns about pornography, public policy ought to rely on the most reputable evidence possible. What’s more, Utah’s declaration fails to address the high rates of porn use among the conservative and religious, despite the state being something of a poster child for the phenomenon.
06
07
The Plight of Men
CCTV/Full Frame — Gender expression has a range, and masculinity and femininity do not need to remain tied to their traditional definitions. Shira Tarrant sat down with Mike Walters to discuss men’s roles in society, and why feminism is an issue for all genders.
Slut-Shaming Hurts Every Woman - Even Mean Girls
In These Times — Slut-shaming, in which people are bullied or harassed for their supposed sexual behavior, is a pervasive part of young adult culture—and some get slammed harder by it than others. But despite its moniker, slut-shaming has little to do with actual sexual activity. Rather, it is largely a function of gossip, cliques and social control.
08
Sex Positive or Porn? Walmart Joins Two Retailers to Shield 'Cosmopolitan' Magazine from Kids
Airtalk KPCC 89.3FM, Los Angeles — Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, will put copies of Cosmopolitan magazine behind "blinders," following in the footsteps of two other retailers. Is Cosmo too racy to be displayed at retail stores?