As I was leaving class last night, Professor Smaldone made a comment to someone else about Don Giovani and the pervertedness of the 18th century. This prompted me to respond that operas such as Don Giovani could be characterized as the pornography of the 18th century. It seems like Don Giovani is catering to the desires of the public for some clean, visual representation of a sexual theme. People say how the olden days were better, more proper, and wholesome. Sex was much more taboo, cursing was considered improper, women wore more clothing, etc. I think it’s important to keep in mind that even the older generations had a desire for the same stuff that a large part of today’s society desires. Just because they acted less salaciously doesn’t mean they didn’t have the same physical desires that we have. Back then, they had Don Giovani. Now, we have porn.
The Arts in NYC, Professor Smaldone, Fall 2011
Queens College
Human appetites of all kinds have not changed very much in the past 1,000 years. It is also important to keep in mind that history does not move in a straight line, so social conventions may seem to have gotten progressively more “loose,” but the fact is that prior to the Victorian era (a famously repressed era) social conventions were not always so buttoned up, so to speak.
I agree with Professor Smaldone that “human appetites” haven’t changed much in the past millennium. Sex is sex, and has been one of the most basic needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human needs since it was created, and long before it too. Jon, I do like the way you call Don Giovanni the “porn” of the 18th century, though, that seems moderately accurate. At the same time, however, it is important to note that profanity, sacrilege, and sex existed at the explicit level it does now, it was just not as easily seen, and certainly not as frequently recorded. I see what you’re saying, though, and it reminds me of how art in general has changed over time. A crazy painting by De Kooning would be considered highly obscene by an art viewer in the 17th century- essentially, the “eye porn” of the time. It makes me wonder what the next generation of “porn” will be, because already the art world is so incredibly liberal.