Editing Meese Commission

{{Infobox committee
| name             = Attorney General's Commission on Pornography
| image            = 
| caption          = The "Meese Report" was published in July 1986.
| alternate_names  = The Meese Commission
| dates            = 1985–1986
| chair            = [[Henry Hudson]]
| appointed_by     = [[Ronald Reagan]]
| overseen_by      = [[Edwin Meese]] (Attorney General)
| size             = 1,960 pages (Final Report)
}}

== Overview ==
The '''Meese Commission''' was a federal commission charged with investigating the nature, extent, and impact of pornography on American society. Named after Attorney General '''[[Edwin Meese]]''', the commission was a direct response to the "[[Porno Chic]]" movement of the 1970s and the rise of the home video market.

Unlike the 1970 [[President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography]] (which recommended decriminalization), the Meese Commission concluded that pornography was linked to sexual violence and recommended a massive law enforcement crackdown.

== Formation and Goals ==
By 1985, social conservatives and certain wings of the feminist movement (led by [[Andrea Dworkin]] and [[Catharine MacKinnon]]) had become increasingly concerned about the mainstreaming of explicit material. The commission was established with a $500,000 budget to:
* Determine the link between pornography and anti-social behavior.
* Analyze the involvement of organized crime in the industry.
* Recommend new federal and local legislation to contain the spread of obscenity.

== Key Findings ==
The commission divided pornography into four categories, assigning different levels of "harm" to each:
# '''Sexually Violent Material:''' The commission found a "causal relationship" between exposure to violent pornography and increased aggression toward women.
# '''Non-violent but Degrading Material:''' Found to contribute to the "subjugation" of women and the distortion of sexual reality.
# '''Non-violent/Non-degrading Material:''' Largely considered "victimless," though still viewed as a moral concern.
# '''Child Pornography:''' Unanimously condemned as a criminal enterprise involving the physical abuse of minors.

== Notable Testimony ==
=== Linda Lovelace ===
Perhaps the most famous moment of the hearings was the testimony of '''[[Linda Lovelace]]''' (Linda Boreman). She told the commission:
<blockquote>"Virtually every time someone watches that movie [''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]''], they're watching me being raped."</blockquote>
Her testimony provided the moral weight the commission needed to frame the adult industry as an industry of coercion rather than "sexual liberation."

== Impact on the Industry ==
The commission's 92 recommendations led to immediate and long-term changes:
* '''Retail Pressure:''' The commission sent letters to major convenience store chains (like 7-Eleven) warning them they might be listed as "pornography distributors." This led to the widespread removal of magazines like ''Playboy'' and ''Penthouse'' from mainstream retail shelves.
* '''Task Forces:''' The creation of the **National Obscenity Enforcement Unit** (now the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the DOJ), which began "multiple-district prosecutions" to bankrupt adult film distributors through legal costs.
* '''RICO Statutes:''' The commission recommended using anti-racketeering laws to seize the assets of adult film companies.

== Criticism ==
The "Meese Report" was heavily criticized by civil libertarians and scientists:
* '''Bad Science:''' Critics argued the commission ignored existing