Miss Bartlett Gives Lecture On Porn. (Press, 16 June 1976)

Miss Patricia Bartlett, the national secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, addressed a forum on pornography at the University of Canterbury on 15 June 1976, where she faced a lively and noisy crowd of students. Despite the raucous reception, which included cat-calls and comments on her marital status, Bartlett expressed her opinions on the impact of pornography on society. She confidently asserted that while the students may disagree with her views now, they would understand them in ten years as "proud parents." Throughout her address, she relied heavily on expert opinions, prompting students to challenge her when she shared her own thoughts. Bartlett’s main argument was that pornography depersonalises sex, replacing genuine feelings of love with a "brutal disregard for the person." This assertion was met with interruptions and jibes from the audience, leading to a combative atmosphere. Nevertheless, she continued to argue that the rise of pornography was linked to negative social values such as lust, greed, and violence while eroding concepts like kindness and modesty. Bartlett described the enjoyment derived from pornography as "infantile and autoerotic," suggesting that it fosters self-reinforcing neuroses that threaten civilisation. She claimed that portraying sexual perversions as normal behaviour is a regression to primitive instincts. She defended the notion that a healthy democracy requires a public life grounded in high moral standards and pointed out that past democratic societies had censored pornography instead of allowing it to proliferate. She highlighted the failure of societies to outgrow pornography, noting that its accessibility commonly leads to widespread acceptance of associated values among viewers, regardless of their intent. Bartlett specifically mentioned "Playboy" magazine, critiquing it for capitalising on fears surrounding masculine involvement with women and for promoting a lifestyle of non-involvement. She claimed that its readership declines significantly after age 30, indicating that men are ultimately compelled to engage with real relationships instead of fantasy-driven content. Despite the challenges from students during her speech, Bartlett maintained her stance on the dangers of pornography and its implications for societal values and individual relationships, illustrating a divide between her perspectives and those of the younger generation present at the forum.

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