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Citation Needed

Anthony Comstock

Citation Needed

Citation Needed Media

Comedy, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.9K Ratings

šŸ—“ļø 24 July 2024

ā±ļø 34 minutes

šŸ§¾ļø Download transcript

Summary

Anthony ComstockĀ (MarchĀ 7, 1844 – SeptemberĀ 21, 1915) was an American anti-vice activist, United States Postal Inspector, and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of ViceĀ (NYSSV), who was dedicated to upholding Christian morality. He opposed obsceneĀ literature, abortion, contraception, masturbation, gambling, prostitution, and patent medicine. The terms comstockeryĀ and comstockismĀ refer to his extensive censorshipĀ campaign of materials that he considered obscene, including birth controlĀ advertised or sent by mail. He used his positions in the U.S. Postal ServiceĀ and the NYSSV (in association with the New York police) to make numerous arrests for obscenity and gambling. Besides these pursuits, he was also involved in efforts to suppress fraudulentĀ banking schemes, mail swindles, and medical quackery.[2]

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Hello and welcome. The citation needed,

0:14.0

podcast where we choose a subject,

0:25.0

read a single article about it on Wikipedia and pretend we are experts.

0:29.0

Because this is the internet and that's how it works now. I'm Heath. I'll be hosting this

0:34.0

expose of a crazy-looking old-timey white guy and I'm joined by three men who

0:40.0

combined to form a composite sketch of our subject actually.

0:44.0

Cecil know and Eli.

0:46.0

All three of us Voltron into a celibate walrus, that track.

0:50.0

All right, yeah.

0:51.0

I was picturing the Voltron scenario.

0:52.0

I'm his cardiovascular health and I am his cardiovascular health and I am his can-do spirit

0:58.1

we all did our part yeah but also just face hair wise if you take certain parts of each you it does work. All right. Let's get right into it.

1:06.7

Noah. Who am I talking about what person place thing concept phenomenon or event are we going to be talking about today?

1:13.0

Today we're talking about Anthony Comstock.

1:15.6

All right, so who was Anthony Comstock?

1:18.8

He was the opposite of feminism, Heath.

1:21.2

He was, yeah. Fucking misogyny persona. of feminism he was yeah

1:23.0

fucking misogyny personified he was like feminism's main boss enemy

1:28.0

until Sam Alito came along

1:30.0

he used his position as a US postal inspector to carry out a lifelong war against pornography,

1:36.1

contraception, and anything else that he deemed indecent.

1:39.7

If the history of American prudery had a mascot. It would be Anthony Comstock and his

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