now screening

NAUGHTY
NORTHERN

Starring
Nani Quezada
Natalya Jarvis
Julia Hoelzer Let’s begin!
Fernando Gonzalez
01 CULTURAL
CONTEXT 04 CONTROVERSY

02 05
CULTURAL
COMMONPLACE
SHIFTS

03 SPONSORED
BY NIU 06 CONCLUSION
CULTURAL the sexual revolution of the
CONTEXT 1960s and 1970s
The 1960s and 1970s witnessed a “sexual revolution” marked by new
forms of sexual expression and new visions for sexual relations,
ethics, and social organization. Central to the sexual revolution was

CULTURAL CONTEXT
the concept of sexual liberation, which held that repressed sexual
desires and practices ought to be freed from their previous
constraints. Sexual liberation was viewed as particularly important
for marginalized sexual subjects, including women.
1960: The first birth control pill went on the market. New method
allowed women to manage their contraceptives without the consent
or knowledge of her partner.

CULTURAL CONTEXT
1965: Helen Gurley Brown becomes the editor-in-chief at
Cosmopolitan. She changed the face of the magazine form a
women’s magazine written by men to one of the most widely sold
women’s magazine. The New York times described the Cosmo Girl
that Brown described in her magazine as “self-made, sexual and
supremely ambitious… she looked great, wore fabulous clothes and
had an unabashedly good time when those clothes came off.”
1969: Blue Movie, directed by Andy Warhol becomes the first adult
erotic film to be released in the United States. This kick started
what is called the Golden Age of Porn. During this time celebrities
talked about porn openly and the films were taken serious by
critics.

CULTURAL CONTEXT
1973: As a result of the Supreme Court Case Miller v. california, a
three-part test for defining obscenity, known as the “Miller
Standard” is established. Under this benchmark, most pornographic
material is not considered obscne, which allows the pornography
industry to continue growing.

1980s: Pornography is made available for consumption on

pay-per-view channels in hotel and motel rooms
COMMON
PLACE
the sexual revolution reached
college campuses
 “Students today seem more
responsible than we were...Whether
their sex lives are truly different from
those of earlier generations remain
“The revolution was unknown, although I suspect they are
not just about sex: It not.
was about the freedom
to challenge parents’ The difference is that so called.

COMMONPLACE
expectations.” Campus sexual revolution of the 1960s
and 1970s was more “ in your face”
and part of a much broader social
revolution that served to breakdown
some of the gender, class and racial
barriers that had stood for
generations.”
Porn in the late 60s was associated
with college students and
implicitly linked with radical
change. “Most colleges these days
are full of film freaks.” Some
became filmmakers, some became
pornographers
Schaefer, Eric. Sex Scene (pp. 413-414). Duke University
Press. Kindle Edition.
Porn joins the curriculumr, Eric. Sex
Scene (pp. 407-408). Duke University Press. Kindle
Edition.
“The New School for Social
Research in New York, offered the
first porn movie course ever
offered at an American university.
Academy’s confirmation of the
cultural significance of porn”

COMMONPLACE
“By January 1973, Deep Throat had been
pulling in money for more than six
months and breaking box-office records
for a hardcore feature. Moreover, its
success opened the turnstiles for The
Devil in Miss Jones and Behind the Green
Door to reap financial windfalls.”

(“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)

 $1,000-$2,000 a weekend.
Penn State was acquiring a new, nationwide nickname: Porn State.

HRS discontinued the showings in 1988. By the mid-eighties, the VHS boomed in
popularity and porn became more accessible through cable TV.

“Undergraduate Student Porn theaters encouraged the

Government Porn development of social
Resolution.” This was

COMMONPLACE
relationships crossing lines of
run of the mill in the
class, race, and sexual
80s, when sexual
orientation and conveyed a
liberation was enjoying
the end of its peak, and sense of community.
pornographic films were
shown in Forum” Schaefer, Eric. Sex Scene (pp. 326-327). Duke
University Press. Kindle Edition.
(“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)
03
SPONSORED
BY NIU
porn screenings not only
occurred on college
campuses, they were often
sponsored by them
“
“The Holmes Center Board’s (now Campus
Activities Board) Erotic Film Festival started
in 1973 and ran through 1985.

The festival’s featured guest speakers, such as

Harry Reems, star of the classic porn flick
“Deep Throat,” and Playboy writer Arthur
Knight.
(Knutson & Leshock, 2003)
(“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)
“ “For a measly 75 cents, an 18-year-old student could see three
pornographic movies of different varieties.

The first movie was referred to as a “legitimate movie,” in which

the plot of the movie was not centered solely around sex.

The second type of film was labeled “softcore,” in which full

frontal nudity could be shown without penetration.

The third type, “hardcore,” was the graphic, anything-goes type

of pornographic material that today features stars such as
Jenna Jameson.”
(Knutson & Leshock, 2003)
 “The very first night was
Debbie Does Dallas, and they
ran porn every night for 5
nights, all week.”
-NIU 1984 Graduate

SPONSORED BY NIU
Porn week was advertised
all over campus and by
The Northern Star

Was part of a series of

themed movie weeks in the
The first Sony VHS player was student center
brought to the US in 1977, and
cost nearly $771 by 1980 Showcased in the large
auditorium and often not
It was only a $1 or less to watch a seat left
porn in the student center
(“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)
(J. Hoelzer, personal communication, September 30, 2021)
 “
“I think they pulled it off because they treated
us like adults, and they were celebrating all film.
And really, they did it because they could.
Maybe it was a little bit controversial, but, we’re
a college campus, so let’s do this in large
groups.
(“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)

It was like, screw it, we’re gonna watch porn.”

Jill Hoelzer attended NIU from 1980-1984

(J. Hoelzer, personal communication, September 30, 2021)

“
“Perhaps the most unusual event I ever attended at
NIU was the Erotic Film Festival in the mid 1970's. I
remember seeing "Deep Throat" there.
Unfortunately, it was with my brother, who attended
NIU at the time.

It was quite a controversial event for its time. I

remember waking up the next morning with a sore (“Porn’s golden era”, 2021)
throat. I ate footlong hot dogs for a week after that.
It had a deep effect on my life and helped make me
the person I am today.inspired.”
(Dog Fan, 2014)
CONTROVERSY

some schools did not wish to

associate with the practice of
screening porn
(“BOR cuts salary”, 1980)
● “Pornographic films apparently will
be shown on the [NIU] campus
here next spring”
● “We are going to go with the
movies”
● “Erotic Week…has become a spring
tradition at NIU.”
● “...[the ban] followed an editorial on
a Chicago television station in April
that condemned [the event]”
● Changed ban to “advisory”

(“NIU board lifts”, 1980)

Article from UNCG’s student newspaper, The
Carolinian

After the advisory, it was up to university

presidents.

Pres. Monat banned the festival in 1981

However, the possibility of more x-rated films

being shown on campus remained and would be
dealt with on “a case-by-case pattern”.
(“Erotic film festival”, 1981)
(“Erotic film festival”, 1981)
● Holmes Center Board (now CAB) filed an
official appeal to the decision.
● “Over the years, we have built our film
program into one of the best in the country…
● The erotic week has been part of our film
programming since 1972, and has consistently
been the most popular film festival we have
run, and one of the most popular single
events on campus.”
● “We are committed to making the series
educational as well as entertaining, and the
scope of the week has been enhanced by
[the inclusion of] groups like the NIU History
Club, Campus Crusade for Christ, Intervarsity
Christian Fellowship, and the Women’s
studies Center.”
CULTURAL
SHIFTS
various shifts between lack of
censorship to full censorship
and back
MOVE TO
CENSORSHIP
- Bans on X-rated films
- Ban streaming porn on
college networks
ALLEVIATING
CENSORSHIP
- No longer a punishable

CULTURAL SHIFTS
DEFINING offense to stream porn on
OBSCENITY college networks
- Supreme Court's
ruling in Miller v. BACK TO
California
CENSORSHIP
- Defining
obscenity Pirate II: Stagnetti’s Revenge
- Northwestern
 Credits Rolling
BOR cuts salary proposal, calls for catch-up program. (1980, Jul. 31). The Vidette,
p. 1.

Dog Fan. (2014, July 30). Re. Cool events attended at NIU. NIU Dog Pound.
https://csnbbs.com/thread-696697-post-10948265.html#pid10948265‘

Erotic film festival’ creates controversy at NIU. (1981, Apr. 2). The Carolinian, p. 1

Knutson, M., & Leshock, M. (2003, Dec. 4). NIU was notorious for showing some
of the raunchiest films ever at the Holmes student center. The Northern Star.
https://northernstar.info/70589/news/campus/niu-was-notorious-for-showing-some-
of-the-raunchiest-films-ever-at-the-holmes-student-center/

NIU board lifts X-rated film ban. (1980, Sep. 26). Chicago Tribune, p. 3.

Porn’s golden era: 50 creative posters from the biggest erotic films of the ’60s &
’70s. (2021). Indiewire.
https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-porn-posters-art-erotica-film/1000-convicts-
and-a-woman-1971/

Student-hosted porn screening threatens college funding. (2009, Dec. 24). Fox
News.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/student-hosted-porn-screening-threatens-college
-funding

special thanks to Julia’s mom for giving us the story that started it all