Romantic love, in pornography as in life, is the mythic celebration of female negation. For a woman, love is defined as her willingness to submit to her own annihilation. The proof of love is that she is willing to be destroyed by the one whom she loves, for his sake. For the woman, love is always self-sacrifice, the sacrifice of identity, will, and bodily integrity, in order to fulfill and redeem the masculinity of her lover.

Summary

This quote suggests that romantic love, both in real life and in pornography, perpetuates the idea of women willingly negating themselves for the sake of love. Love, from a woman's perspective, is defined by her willingness to submit and even sacrifice her own identity, will, and physical well-being to please her male partner. The measure of love is seen as the woman's ability to be destroyed by the man she loves, thus fulfilling and rescuing his masculinity. Overall, the quote portrays a problematic narrative that positions women in a subservient role within romantic relationships.

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