Loslyf: Difference between revisions

'''''Loslyf''''' is a South African [[Afrikaans]]-language [[pornographic magazine]]. The magazine was founded in 1995 by [[J.T. Publishing]], a South African subsidiary of the American ''[[Hustler (magazine)|Hustler]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Peffer|first=John|title=Censorship and Iconoclasm: Unsettling Moments|journal=RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics|year=2005|volume=48|issue=48|page=52|doi=10.1086/RESv48n1ms20167676 |jstor=20167676|s2cid=193679336 }}</ref> It was the first Afrikaans-language pornographic publication. Launched only one year after the end of [[apartheid]], the magazine was greatly controversial as it posed a clear opposition to the conservative [[Afrikaner]] nationalist morals that influenced the apartheid government's censorship of media<ref name ="Coombes 2003 p40" >{{cite book|last=Coombes|first=Annie|title=History After Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa|year=2003|publisher=Annie Coobes|location=United States of America|pages=40}}</ref>

During South Africa's apartheid, the ruling Afrikaner dominated [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] enacted strict censorship over media. Publications were censored or banned for raising political criticism against the party. Also, the government censored any material that contradicted their moral values.<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p54" >{{cite journal|last=Peffer|first=John|title=Censorship and Iconoclasm: Unsettling Moments|journal=RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics|year=2005|volume=48|issue=48|page=54|doi=10.1086/RESv48n1ms20167676 |jstor=20167676|s2cid=193679336 }}</ref> Conservative Afrikaner moral values derived from [[Dutch People|Dutch]] [[Calvinism]], which repressed sexual desires and advocated abstinence and chastity as forms of purity.<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p54" />

The title of the magazine itself, ''Loslyf'', clearly opposes these values, translating in Afrikaans to "loose body/morals."<ref>{{cite book|lastname ="Coombes|first=Annie|title=History After Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa|year=2003|publisher=Annie Coobes|location=Unitedp40" States of America|pages=40}}</ref> ''Loslyf''’s first editor, Ryk Hattingh, was no stranger to controversy, as he had previously worked as sub-editor under [[Max du Preez]] for the anti-apartheid newspaper ''[[Vrye Weekblad]]''.<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p53" /> Through the magazine, Hattingh wished to redefine the dominant perception of Afrikaner people and culture. He claimed, "Afrikaners have always been portrayed as khaki-klad repressed people and I wanted to show them as normal, sexual f***ing human beings!"<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p53" >{{cite journal|last=Peffer|first=John|title=Censorship and Iconoclasm: Unsettling Moments|journal=RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics|year=2005|volume=48|issue=48|page=53|doi=10.1086/RESv48n1ms20167676 |jstor=20167676|s2cid=193679336 }}</ref>

The first issue hit the shelves in June 1995<ref>{{cite news|author=Marnell Kirsten|title=Alternative to What?: The Rise of Loslyf Magazine|url=http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/86663|accessdateaccess-date=7 January 2017|publisher=Stellenbosch University|date=April 2014}}</ref> and featured the antagonistic and controversial spread "Dina at the Monument."<ref>{{cite book|last=Coombes|first=Annie|title=History After Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa|year=2003|publisher=Annie Coobes|location=United States of America|page=39}}</ref> The spread featured a model posing topless in front of the [[Voortrekker Monument]]. In 1949 the National Party dedicated the monument to the [[Voortrekkers]] who participated in the [[Great Trek]]. Scholars have argued that by photographing the nude model before a symbol of Afrikaner nationalism, ''Loslyf'' presents a direct opposition to the party and its values that gave rise to the censorship of the media.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coombes|first=Annie|title=History After Apartheid: Visual Culture and Public Memory in a Democratic South Africa|year=2003|publisher=Annie Coobes|location=United States of America|pages=41}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|lastname ="Peffer|first=John|title=Censorship and2005 Iconoclasm:p53" Unsettling Moments|journal=Anthropology and Aesthetics|year=2005|volume=48|page=53|jstor=20167676}}</ref> The issue was immensely popular, selling approximately 80,000 copies total.<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p53" />

Since its debut, ''Loslyf'' readership has levelled out to around 20,000 copies sold per issue. This has been attributed to its loss of novelty factor.<ref name ="Peffer 2005 p53" /> Also, after coming under the management of editor Karen Eloff, the magazine's first female editor, the magazine has changed direction toward a more sexually oriented magazine, dropping its critical and intellectual features. She claims that "people buy ''Loslyf'' because of the sex, and there is a place for everything, but Loslyf is just not the place for intellectual stories."<ref name ="van Noort 2005" >{{cite news|last=van Noort|first=Elvira|title='Men Can't Write About Blowjobs'|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2005-09-01-men-cant-write-about-blowjobs|accessdateaccess-date=20 March 2011|newspaper=Mail & Guardian|date=1 September 2005}}</ref> However, readership did increase by 30% following Eloff becoming editor and posing nude within the magazine in a 2005 issue.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prins|first=Gavin|title=New Loslyf Editor Bares All|url=http://www.news24.com/Entertainment/SouthAfrica/New-Loslyf-editor-bares-all-20050703|accessdateaccess-date=20 March 2011|newspaper=News 24|date=3 July 2007}}</ref>

Namibian-born Afrikaans singer [[Juanita du Plessis]] sued the magazine for "doctoring" a picture of her and including a vulgar headline insinuating that she was addicted to [[oral sex]] in the October 2004 issue. Du Plessis made a R200,000 [[defamation]] claim against the magazine. In 2007 the [[High Courts of South Africa|Pretoria High Court]] ruled in favour of Du Plessis and J.T. Publishers was forced to pay her R60,000.<ref>{{cite web|last=Venter|first=Zelda|title=Adult magazine to fork out again|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/adult-magazine-to-fork-out-again-1.356256|publisher=IOL News|accessdateaccess-date=10 May 2011}}</ref>

In December 2004, ''Loslyf'' published an image of a woman's breast and claimed it to be that of local South African singer-celebrity [[Amor Vittone]]. Inside the magazine, there also appeared six other photos of breasts with captions implying that they were Vittone's. Following the issue's publication, Vitonne denied that any of the photos were legitimate and filed a R1,000,000 lawsuit against the magazine. The publisher eventually publicly apologised, pulled fromthe issue from the shelves, and privately agreed to compensate Vitonne.<ref>{{cite news|last=Venter|first=Zelda|title=Amor Claims R1m from Loslyf|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/amor-claims-r1m-settlement-from-loslyf-1.259120|accessdateaccess-date=3 April 2011|newspaper=IOL News|date=18 November 2005}}</ref>

In 2005, a ''Loslyf'' reader was removed from a [[Nationwide Airlines (South Africa)|Nationwide Airlines]] flight for refusing to put away the magazine. After being told he was not allowed to read the magazine on the plane, businessman A.C. Hoffman bluntly refused and was eventually removed before takeoff. This raised controversy particularly because Hoffman had purchased the issue within the airport.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nel|first=Jaco|title=Loslyf Reader Thrown Off Plane|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Loslyf-reader-thrown-off-plane-20050404|accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2011|newspaper=News 24|date=4 April 2005}}</ref> The magazine abides by the rules regarding explicit content set out by the national Film and Production Board. Though, as Eloff claims, it is about sex, the magazine refrains from depicting images of [[sexual intercourse]] as well as other sexually explicit acts. This allows the magazine to be sold at cafés and airports, not only in [[sex shops]].<ref>{{cite news|lastname ="van Noort|first=Elvira|title='Men Can't Write About Blowjobs'|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2005-09-01-men-cant-write-about-blowjobs|accessdate=20" March 2011|newspaper=Mail & Guardian|date=1 September 2005}}</ref>

[[Category:SouthPornography Africanin South pornographyAfrica]]