Pre-Proofed Version Published at: http://eitherand.org/exhibitionism/pornography-surveillance-and-objectific/ (2012) Pornography, Surveillance and Objectification (Reply to Attwood) Meagan Tyler There has undoubtedly been a paradigm shift in academic studies of pornography in the last decade. Dominant understandings of pornography within the academy now frequently “incorporate many of the theoretical perspectives and preoccupations which have become central within Cultural Studies” [1], in particular, a recognition of the polysemic nature of texts and the potential fluidity of readings. One of the problems with this approach is that it tends to focus only on the individual, and possible readings of texts by viewers, thereby obscuring dominant cultural understandings and questions about social power [2]. It is therefore not surprising that current work on pornography, originating in cultural and film studies, increasingly avoids engaging with traditional feminist debates about pornography and the status of women. Indeed, some works have begun to characterise questions about “sexual politics” as outdated [3] or largely irrelevant [4] to pursuing an understanding of pornography in the 21st Century. As a result, discussions about pornography within academia have often become inward-looking, mirroring debates commonly found within the pornography industry and among porn consumers. Instead of investigating how the increasing ubiquity of pornographic imagery may increase surveillance and promote