Posted on 10/20/2005 4:56:55 PM PDT by wagglebee
A contributor to Time magazine says contemporary society has been misled into believing pornography is harmless entertainment. According to Pamela Paul, author of Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families (Times Books, 2005), what was once hidden in dark alleys and seedy theaters is now being glorified and mainstreamed by today's "pornified" culture.
"There's an idea that pornography is cool and that it's perfectly normal for men to look at pornography -- that they are biologically programmed to want to look at pornography," Paul says.
And, she notes, women have been "a serious target of this message in that they are told pornography is a guy thing, and that it's not their right to complain."
In fact, Paul says, the mainstreaming of pornography has taught a generation of women to believe that porn is for the independent and liberated. But that idea could not be more wrong, she asserts, because in reality porn victimizes women, poisons men, and causes children to grow up too fast.
In her book, Pornified, Paul assembles a compilation of surveys and other research as well as anecdotal evidence of the problems porn causes. Of particular concern, she points out, are stories of young children and teens accessing pornography from school computers.
The Time magazine feature writer says it is "very disturbing" that researchers are not exactly sure how exposure to porn is going to affect children down the road. "But it's clear that kids develop sexually during adolescence," she adds, "and they learn what their sexual cues are -- what's exciting, what's appealing" to them.
"If kids are looking at hardcore pornography online and learning that this is what's normal and that this is what is supposed to be exciting and this is what they're supposed to aspire to, they're learning a very scary lesson," Paul says. And her own research indicates that the damage caused by youngsters' exposure to porn could be both extensive and long term.
In a survey the author conducted herself, the overwhelming majority of respondents cited a long list of negative effects from pornography use, including poor relationship skills and serious trust and loyalty issues. Responses also indicated that porn can lead to negative body image issues in women and can distract men from their partners, detract from their sexual skills, and damage their relationships.
Paul contends that pornography is obviously a poison and that it has unfortunately seeped into many people's everyday lives. She hopes her book will help dispel contemporary society's misconceptions that pornography is in any way normal, hip or harmless.
There is now stuff being made by very straight women for very straight women. IOW, if guys here get all wiggy over beefcake and chests, they'd have cows and coronaries over what these girls are doin'...because it's created from a totally female POV.
Talk about 'TRUE' competition ;)
Actually, the Nazis banned pornography in 1933.
"No, but I also wouldn't have sex with my wife with my mother, father, or sister in the same room, either."
You gotta point there. :O>
But would you tell your parents or your adult children that you like porn and watch it? I am just saying that if you do something that you don't want your kids to do, or to know that you do ....it's your guilty conscience telling you something. (I am not using the word "you" as meaning you personally.)
I overheard a guy at the Honolulu airport trying to explain the porn his parents found when they visited his apartment. It was pretty funny. The guy was clearly embarrassed but brushed it off by saying, in effect, "hey, it's better than going out and picking up a disease from some random woman at bar".
Anyway, I think your strongest argument is to ask whether someone would want their son or daughter in porn. Stick with that and you'll win.
I like to drive a car and use power tools from time to time, but I don't want my kids doing those things. Do you suppose my conscience is telling me that cars and chainsaws are immoral?
You (wagglebee) might be right, but it's a pleasant
surprise to find a reporter for Time saying what she
has said.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
Please read this article, and there's info on the thread. Porn is not harmless; it is malignant and ruins children when they are exposed to it. Ruins them.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
And for those who argue "Well, it's the parents' job to keep kids away from porn" - it's too late. Porn has been mainstreamed to the point where the only way to keep kids away from it is to lead a life of hermitude in the woods and homeschool, and not even visit the library. And what about all the kids whose parents aren't careful? Let them all go to hell in a handbasket?
Also, evidence from Antonious that porn is indeed NOT covered by the First Amendment.
1. Ladies, how would you feel about your guy if he was getting off on porn?
I once went on a blind date with a woman for a cup of cofee at a nearby mall. As were were walking around, getting to know each other, we walked by a Victoria's Secret store, and she noticed my glancing at the storefront. She made this "tsk, tsk" sound, and began talking about the evils of porn. I asked her what her views were, and she stated flat out that "porn should be outlawed." My response was "really?" She said YES! And it needs to start with Playboy. I was surprised, as Playboy has never really seemed like a major player in the porn universe... She said that Playboy was evil, and Hefner was a tool of the devil, and that she would never be with a man who read it. So, being a smartass, my response was, "so I guess my having a subscription would count me out, huh?" She said that if I ever wanted to go out on another date, I'd have to cancel my subscription to Playboy. That was the last time I saw or spoke to her.
Mark
Interesting. Thanks.
Pornography is an idolatry of perversion where fantasy is the medium of infinitization.
Who is the prince of phantasms?
I recall reading somewhere (FR?!) about sex videos that end up with an ACTUAL murder at the end. (I was going to say "I guess that is about the height of perversion" - but quickly realized I'm probably wrong.)
Snopes says snuff films haven't been proven to exist. My gut says otherwise.
OK, anyhow, last night, I remember that one of the men I dated during the last 5 years or so admitted watching ever escalating porn to the point he 'Had imagines burned in his brain so awful he would never get them out'.
Seems he clicked on one button too many, I guess.
She had her standards, I guess. But something else I've learned is that women have the same struggles, just in a different way. Men are visual creatures, women are emotional. Men can get off on images and pictures, but women get off on romance and romantic stories. It's the same thing, really. Just in a different way. Men can fantasize about another woman visually, women fantasize about another man by reading a romance novel. I think it's a double-standard in society that has not really been addressed yet.
I agree.
One of the wildfire industries on the net are Ebook sites devoted to romantica (erotica-soft porn-romance) primarily for women. They are making a mega bucks hand over fist (OK, so I know know which stock to buy this week). These sites are begging for writers and many, many of the established writers are now getting picked up by respected 'paper' publishing houses. Jaid Black, Emma Holly, Angela Knight are the first ones to come to mind who made the transistion.
I will say this...I've seen a radical, and I mean RADICAL change from the old bodice rippers of 10 years ago to the more, erm, descriptive stories out there now. Some of it good (less purple prose, more accurate to human behaviors) and some of it just just....I mean O MY GOD! EEEK!
The women love them...there are forums everywhere devoted to this genre'.
We actually had a long discussion comparing the differences between 'guy' and 'girl' writing/etc. And they are different in just about every way, from being way----I mean, WAY more accurate in how the female anatomy works, to hitting the nail on the head about what women want in bed (I was serious when I said men need to read these things!!)
But don't get me wrong, it ain't nuthin' like what men get off on....the emotions still are the primary focus of these stories. The guy is absolutely crazy in love with the heroine from almost the first page, and it's love/lust driven sex...and there is always a happily ever after ending.
Not that I'm an expert or anything ;)
Every time I have run into porn, one of the most shocking aspects of it is its completely (and apparently purposefully) inaccurate picture of female sexuality.
One huge factor in divorces is young women playing the part their boyfriends expect until they get married, then falling back into what is a natural way for them to behave. He still has all his porn expectations and she has no interest in being his porn star anymore.
A similar thing happened to my first cousin. Her ex was so into porn, that regular sex with his wife would not turn him on.
He ended up cheating on her, and we are not 100% it wasn't with a man and a woman.
Porn, like everything else you let into your head, teaches thought patterns.
I agree 100%....women, some unknowingly, send the wrong message. Porn stars and their behaviors are about 180 from what a real woman needs and expects.
What did they used to call this? Common sense?
They're unaffected? How do you know that? Did you ask their wives? Girlfriends? What would they say?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.