George Clooney Makes Me Think of Porn

When I saw this cover of Vanity Fair with George Clooney I immediately thought of porn. Sure, everyone is dressed and the moment captured is not an explicit one. However, the staging of the shot (or the moment the photographer captured) seems typical of what one sees in pornographic photography. One person is looking directly at the camera, into the eyes of whoever is viewing the photograph. The other person is a prop. You do not see their face. Usually, it is a woman who is making eye contact with the viewer and the man who is the faceless prop. The gaze of the model is a powerful one. It makes the viewer feel they share an intimacy with the model. It draws you in and you feel like you are the one they want, not the person they are posing with. It is a very common style of porn posing. Personally, I do not like to pose that way when I am doing a partnered shoot. I like to focus my attention on the person I am with. I feel like it is rude to do otherwise. I suppose for me the aim is that I share the pleasure we are experiencing with the viewer. I create a voyeuristic experience rather than one where I am dividing my attention between who I am with and who is watching me. Granted, I do see the appeal in such a scenario. It serves a powerful desire in one’s fantasy life. To have one thing and desire another. The photo need not be explicit to express this. And George can look at me that way anytime.