History of the Canadian National Railways

(Re)locating pleasure in media studies: toward an erotics of reading

“…22 Based on their verbal and nonverbal responses to open-ended questions about the episode, Condit contends there is a "disproportional pleasure for oppositional and dominant readers" in which oppositional reading imposes "oppressive quantities of work." 23 Condit concludes, therefore, that one of the key factors constraining audiences from shaping "their own readings, and hence their social life" is "the ratio between the work required and pleasure produced in decoding a text." 24 Condit's conclusion is flawed, however, because it is based on a one-dimensional conception of pleasure that devalues "the pleasure of oppositional reading" by coding it as "work."…”

“…25 Given that plaisir is linked to a comfortable practice of reading, it comes as no surprise that, "Jill indicated she enjoyed the episode of Cagney & Lacey very much … and her nonverbal responses indicated a restful, enjoyable experience." 26 Plaisir is a conservative pleasure not because it always (re)produces a conservative ideology, but because it is comfortable and comforting. Jill experiences pleasure (specifically plaisir) because she is effectively interpellated by the (liberal) discourse of the episode.…”