Iraqi porn as a litmus for social change

You might remember that absurd Los Angeles Times editorial advocating Israeli-Palestinian peace through porn. If not, read it, and then click here to read about how the prevalence of porn in Iraq has tracked with the reconstruction effort:

The nude women on the DVD cover in a Baghdad street stall say it all: Change, whether you like it or not, is afoot in Iraq.

(skip)

The porn, in an odd way, has told the story of Iraq’s security and political situation since Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003. It emerged in the anything-goes atmosphere that erupted in the vacuum immediately following the U.S. invasion — then went back into hiding amid the anarchy when armed militias roamed the capital through 2008, targeting those they saw as immoral.

Its reemergence since then reflects how security has improved but also how the fragile government is busy with more pressing issues than spicy videos.

That story is from the Associated Press. And my GetReligion colleague Sarah Pulliam Bailey goes media critic on it here.