Here’s the story, Female adult film director runs for parliament with Lib Dems, which presumably earned its place in the Torygraph thanks to the titillating headline it teed-up:
Anna Arrowsmith, managing director of adult film company Easy on the Eye, will stand for the party in Gravesham, Kent. Under her pseudonym Anna Span the 38-year-old has produced around 300 pornographic films. She has specialised in “women friendly” films, with titles like Where’s the Rent Boys aimed at female erotica enthusiasts.
Mrs Arrowsmith asked the people of Gravesend not to judge her on the sins of her industry and pointed to her background as a campaigner for women’s rights. The Lib Dems finished third in Gravesham in 2005 with just 4,851 votes.
She said: “I have gone into the industry with a view to changing it and making it more female friendly. In this day and age people who live in a democratic society should be able to choose what they want to watch.”
She added: “I have spent years campaigning for equal opportunities for female workers and I think this has given me an excellent experience for the coming campaign.”
Named best director in the 2008 and 2009 UK Adult Film and Television Awards, Mrs Arrowsmith, who also has a degree in fine arts and a Masters in Philosophy, is becoming involved in politics for the first time. …
A Liberal Democrats Party spokesperson said: “We are proud to have candidates throughout the country with a great diversity of backgrounds and life experiences. Anna will be a strong candidate for Gravesham and with her family links to the area we believe she is the best person to bring fairness to local people.”
Anyone bothered by this? Thought not. As Lib Dem blogger Alex Wilcock once proposed – with tongue only slightly suggestively in cheek – perhaps the party should adopt the slogan, ‘Liberal Democrats: the party that says sex is all right’.
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18 Comments
Most pornography is a form of exploitation. That does bother me.
On the other hand if it shows men and women enjoying having sex with each other, then no problem.
Well done Gravesend LibDems.
The Lib Dems have historically been on their knees in this seat, but so have Labour. If Ms Arrowsmith is ever to come second here it is likely to be because she has come from behind to beat Labour. Consequently, it is Labour wards and voters that must be the focus of her energies. Once she has switched positions with Labour she can then contemplate finishing on top in Gravesham. In Chatham the roles are reversed- it is Tory wards and voters the Lib Dems must pursue. As a by-product, these tactics mean either ‘big’ party is more likely to be empty-handed with regards to getting a majority of members in the Commons.
The only thing Anna Arrowsmith is guilty of exploiting is a gap in the market. As long as it is carried out in accordance
with the law and everyone partakes willingly and in full knowledge, porn is no more exploitation than any other employment for pay.
Anna Arrowsmith sounds like exactly the kind of person who has made their own life and refused to be constricted by convention that we need in this party – and in this country. Good on her.
Agree with all here that this isnt a big deal.
Very funny Hugh… 😉
I see that her own website says that she supports the Labour Party:
http://www.easyote.co.uk/erotic_home/about.html
As I blogged the other day, I think this is excellent news.
but why does her website say she is a Labour supported. How long has she been a party member?
There are some questions for whoever approves people to be candidates to answer!
The page where Anna is said to be a Labour supporter is
here.
This is a bio followed by a list of media appearances… which stops in January 2004. Also it gives her age as 32 (she is 38 years old). In other words, this page, and site, are woefully out of date. Indeed the front page of the site has a link to her new site. There’s a more up to date version of her bio at http://www.easyote.co.uk/about.html, which gives her age as 37, and doesn’t mention membership of any political party.
Anna has been a Lib Dem party member for a year, according to this article:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7059208.ece
No questions for candidate approval: just a candidate who’s been a little careless leaving old web pages lying around and reachable.
Good for Gravesend LDs – sounds like she’ll be a great candidate! Hope she’ll update her website soon though, not that there’s anything wrong with previously supporting another party – we have plenty of converts from both Labour and the Tories, but if she leaves her personal site unedited it gives a bad impression.
As for “exploitative porn”, she says she has taken pride in making the porn industry more female-friendly and campaigning for equal opps for women. Sounds good to me. Porn doesn’t have to be a big male chauvenist trip – women enjoy it too.
So, let me see if I understand this correctly….her works are acceptable to the Liberal Democrats as long as the images of the consenting women are not photoshopped, as that would give a misleading impression of women’s bodies?
David – no, it is advertising images we are concerned about – eg companies selling anti-wrinkle cream that use photos of models with the wrinkles airbrushed out.
Thanks, Neil. Can I conclude, then, that pornography is more socially acceptable to us than doctored adverts? Remember, it’s the damage that images are supposed to do to young women that is supposed to be the problem.
(Memo to self: must re-read Milton’s Areopagitica again, and remind myself what he had to say about a free press.)
David, whilst I can understand the argument that some porn is damaging to women, I don’t buy the argument that ALL porn is automatically damaging to women, particularly not Anna’s brand, which (although very explicit) is full of strong and empowered women taking matters into their own hands. I have much less of a problem with her films than I do with the current crop of sexist shite coming out of Mainstream hollywood.
strong and empowered women taking matters into their own hands
That’s an even worse play on words than Hugh’s… 🙂
I’m looking forward to the new-style party politicals – featuring Nick Clegg and not more than 30 female “supporters” …
Am I the only person who is cynical enough to think that this has worked out very well for Anna Arrowsmith? She has managed to get coverage in several national newspapers for her company (which presumably would not normally be allowed to advertise there) and across the blogosphere.
I am not doubting her motives but hope she uses some of the influx of cash to support the local party!
I think the main problem is that Anna said in an interview that “her industry would like internet paywalls used to prevent under-16s from seeing pornography.” However her own website requires nothing more than a click to “verify you are over 18” to access free sample videos of hardcore porn.
Does no one else see the hypocrisy in this?
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