Posted on 12/18/2010 8:01:19 AM PST by IbJensen
Pornography has invaded the world’s imagination. It is everywhere: On the Internet, in films, in movies, in rap music videos. Five-year-old girls dress and are taught to behave like pornography stars in order to win beauty contests. Ten- to twelve-year-old girls both dress and behave like the pornographic images that surround them—and they provide sexual services to young boys.
Opera—high culture—has also been increasingly “sexed up.” I have seen productions of “Carmen” and “Lulu” in which the lead diva was half-naked and in which she, too, sang the role as if she was a contemporary pornography star and prostitute.
No, I do not like any of this.
Yes, I take it all very seriously—as many Second Wave feminists and our Christian and conservative allies once did.
No, I do not think that hiding women beneath burqas is, therefore, any kind of solution. In fact, both pornography and prostitution are booming businesses in most Muslim countries.
Before we go any further, let’s play twenty questions. I really want your answers.
1. Is pornography “work” or is it a violent crime?
2. Is pornography “free speech” in action or is it a violent, often murderous crime?
3. Is pornography really a “victimless” crime?
4. Are pimps, johns, traffickers, and landlords being victimized? If so, why are they not complaining?
5. Are the people, mainly men, who buy and watch pornography being victimized? If so, why are they not complaining? Is anyone forcing them to consume pornography?
6. Are the seductive, taunting, smiling, naked girls and women who are being paid “good” money–victims? If so, why don’t they complain, leave, find some other job?
7. Isn’t working in pornography a job just like any other job–like any other acting job?
8. Aren’t pornography actors there of their own free will—for the easy money, the attention, the “stardom?”
9. Isn’t our right to see and read whatever interests us essential to our fundamental liberty?
10. Doesn’t the First Amendment guarantee us this right? If we criminalize one kind of “free speech,” where will it end? Who will decide what information or images we are allowed to see? Won’t state or religious censorship chill our rights, even our very thoughts?
11. On behalf of “free speech,” and privacy rights, didn’t Second Wave feminists avidly collaborate with pornographers to ensure that pornography remained a civil right?
12. Didn’t Second Wave feminists launch the battle against violence against women, which included sexual harassment, rape, incest, domestic battering—as well as the most serious battle against pornography and prostitution? Weren’t they vilified for collaborating with Christians and conservatives on the issue of pornography and prostitution?
13. How many women from wealthy and prominent families, or with advanced educations, “choose” to work in pornography or as prostitutes?
14. Did you know that, by definition, pornography is that which has to do with “prostitutes.” “Porne” in Greek is a “prostitute.” The so-called actresses in pornography are treated as if they are–and usually soon are–also “working” as prostitutes.
15. How different is being a prostitute from being a stripper, massage therapist, or a nurse?
16. How many prostituted girls and women are actually free to leave, walk out, give it all up?
17. Where might they go? Where might they call “home?” Who will help them get off drugs and alcohol, restore their ravaged health, support them as they deal with the sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, with which johns have infected them?
18. Do you have any idea of what the average age of a pornography actress/prostitute is?
19. How long a shelf-life does a “working girl” (prostitute, pornography actress) actually have?
20. Why does pornography “turn” people on?
I lived through the great feminist Sex Wars. I was both a participant and an eye-witness, as well as a confidante to feminists who were on both sides of this War. But before I share memories and analysis, I really want to hear from you. Your answers will help me understand how to share a vast body of knowledge and history with you in the most productive way. Here’s a hint to help you think through these questions.
Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry, right up there with guns and drugs. It is enormously profitable but not to the “workers,” most of whom are girls and women who have been sold by their parents, captured in war, kidnapped off the street, forced by their husbands, or who have been driven by poverty, racism, incest, and the most violent sexism into the arms of pimps, traffickers, landlords, advertisers, law enforcement officers, and johns.
Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D is an Emerita Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at City University of New York. She is an author, psychotherapist and an expert courtroom witness. She has lectured and organized political, legal, religious and human rights campaigns in the United States and in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. A popular guest on campuses and in national and international print, television, radio and online media, she has been an expert commentator on the major events of our time. She has lived in Kabul, Afghanistan, and in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. She currently resides in Manhattan.
It’s only “God, family, country” on FR until it isn’t.
It’s been that way a long time here.
This Stasi stuff just started happening recently, but even that is capriciously applied.
In every endeavor, hypocrisy will destroy your cause.
“Non-coercion would mean the use of persuasion to get people to voluntarily stop.”
I presume you are in favour of government regulation? As far as I can see, there is nothing compelling a jurisdiction to permit the sale, distribution and operation of pornography should the people choose to bar it.
The same way there is nothing compelling a jurisdiction to permit the sale of alcohol.
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This statement tells me all I need to know about saleman.
And that would be?
Cable is very recent, your left wing gains started well before cable, think the 1960s, the Warren Court, Rove V Wade, the feminist movement, Hollywood, the ACLU the growth of the entire anti-American, anti-Christian movement.
You guys have had great success in the last 60 years or so.
Did I say to stone and whip the horrible women? The thing I hate about many women is the jumping to conclusions part.
These girls are getting something from doing this and its not money. What is it? Its perceived affection, and love. Its attention, and we all know that any attention is good. Kids exhibit this behavior by behaving badly when they don’t get good attention because they know that they will get attention when they behave badly.
While I believe that men behave badly when they look at porn, its the girls who have the most power in that situation. But they crave attention good or bad, and bad attention is always easiest to achieve.
Cable television has been regulated by the government since 1949. It became huge in the early 70’s. TBS started in 1976.
I would also like to say that no matter what the males do its the girls who are hurt the most. I would like to see those girls become healthy and in turn they would not choose to participate.
Just like many other things in this world it is easiest to cut off or reduce the supply rather than jail the users. We need healthy women in this world, and that is a call out to parents.
Your argument is simply liberalism, you guys have made HUGE gains since the 1960s, you, Hollywood, commies, the ACLU have just about erased the American culture, and the American peoples cultural conservatism.
Is she part of the test? If she is a porn star, that would be a crime.
The success of your pro-porn movement, whether text or pictures, was delivered by the left and the leftwing courts, and is a part of the total package of the anti-American agenda.
Think about it some more. Lets take our most basic law: that against murder. Before the law came the morality - in our case the Ten Commandments and the 1000 years of Christian European culture that developed around that. As a result the morality was turned into law.
Other cultures have had very different morality, for instance Vikings saw nothing wrong with killing people from other races and taking their women, gold, and possessions. Headhunters in Borneo kill for religious purposes.
So, I will stick by my claim that all laws are based on morality. What would your example of a morally neutral law be?
Cheers!
“This is my rifle, this is my gun....”
Let me show another example: Raycpa, in post #84, pointed out that he has a "law" that his sons must take out the garbage. The underlying moral principle to this is that garbage, if left unchecked, can lead to rodent infestations and disease, and therefore, for the health and welfare of the family, must be removed. How the garbage goes out is a morally neutral decision, but that it must go out is not.
That is what I mean about all laws having a moral component.
War is Peace
Thats a nice lookin machine
>>>It has been around since mankind has.<<<
Got to agree with this one. What was the first thing my son’s right hand went to after taking off his diaper?
And you’re right about the use of visual imagery of naked women and depictions of sex to stimulate men. I ust saw this about 45 minutes ago on the Fox news channel as they were selling Pajamagrams and the associated lingerie what went along with the order.
I think anyone would be hard pressed to prove that women’s participation in making themselves look sexually attractive is not biological.
Having said that...
It’s also true that civilization and human progress are accompanied by the control and harnessing of our instincts toward bettering ourselves and our society. Yeah, my son’s hand wandered, but he’s not doing it on the streets, either. Yes, women dress sexy and show themselves off to selected men, but they’re not waiting for the men to line up like the chimps at Gombe, either. Porn is normal - as is keeping it private, behind closed doors, and beneath cultural norms which are more dignified, to use a Victorian term.
So the author is pointed in the right direction, but her perspective is colored by her ideology. IMHO
Well lets see when porn (no scare quotes needed) was illegal throughout America were we more, or less, Maxist? Hmmm? The Citizens United case was about political speech, which is clearly what the founders were protecting with the first ammendment. It's amazing how limits on political speech are now accepted as normal and necessary while limits on porn is considered intollerable. People who think this way aren't really conservatives. They have accepted 90% of the liberal thought process and will find that they will be forced to surrender on the other 10% over time. Using your arguments you must support Don't Ask, Don't Tell's repeal. After all who are we to restrict the freedom of homosexuals to be who they are and openly espress their desires. Free Speech demands it. If I have to choose between the Constitution and morality it will be a very, very easy choice. No matter how brilliant the Constitution is merely a man-created document. It has been used and abused by generations, used to permit slavery, and then to abolish it. Used to forbid abortion, and then to protect it. Used to defeat racism, and then to promote it. It is not a reliable guide, it is merely a tool of imperfect humans valuable when used by skilled craftsmen with honorable intentions, destructive when used by amoral retards intent on glorifying their perversions and sickness.
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