Thousands have run afoul of Britain's Obscene Publications Act--from Victorian erotica presses to 21st-century dominatrices. At a time when the internet has made sexually explicit material ubiquitous, why are British traditional media still regulated by a vaguely worded law from 1857?

This comprehensive analysis of obscenity in British culture explores what is considered obscene, who gets to decide, and how class, race and gender inform laws regarding adult content. The author describes how obscenity laws disproportionately affect the BDSM subculture, the LGBT community and feminist porn performers.

“A consistently witty yet thoughtful analysis of law and culture...a convincing argument with fascinating implications”—H-Net Reviews
“Scott’s breadth of knowledge is astonishing, and her prose is immensely readable (and, at times, very funny indeed): she’s achieved that rare goal of scholarly writing that doesn’t snare the reader at every turn in theoretical thickets of academic jargon.”—Professor Emma Rees, Director, Institute of Gender Studies, University of Chester
“superb, erudite, well-written and interesting.”—Neil Brown, technology lawyer.

The late Catherine Scott was a freelance writer from Great Britain. She wrote for Ms. magazine, the Daily Telegraph and the Times Literary Supplement.