Pornography poll

[freethinker44]

I know pornography has been thoroughly discussed here, but I was thinking about something and I wanted to see how the numbers added up.

Basically the question is: Assuming banning porn would stop distribution and prevent access to it, do you think pornography should be banned? If so, is it because or partially because it exploits women?

 

[Revoltingest]

I"m pro-porn!

 

[freethinker44]

I have no problem with it.

Whether or not it exploits women? Meh, what job doesn't exploit their workers? Bet they get paid more than I do.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Is pornography supposed to be banned or is this just a poll out of interest?

Also, wasn't sure what "No, exploits women" meant, but I'm pro-porn with women in it.

 

[Alceste]

It does exploit women generally, but attempting to suppress the distribution of porn will do nothing to suppress the sexual exploitation of women. Education, empowerment, improved mental health services, woman-centred economic development, a more effective mechanism for dealing with the sexual abuse of children, the elimination of poverty and other associated policies to address the underlying social problems that create a market for porn would be more effective.

We should have learned by now that making things illegal =/= getting rid of them.

 

[freethinker44]

It does exploit women generally, but attempting to suppress the distribution of porn will do nothing to suppress the sexual exploitation of women. Education, empowerment, improved mental health services, woman-centred economic development, a more effective mechanism for dealing with the sexual abuse of children, the elimination of poverty and other associated policies to address the underlying social problems that create a market for porn would be more effective.

We should have learned by now that making things illegal =/= getting rid of them.

Dang, this is what I tried to avoid. I didn't want people to vote based on what society thinks or how it is in reality. I know banning it won't do anything, that isn't what I was interested in. I should have said "Assuming banning porn will stop the distribution of it," but oh well.

Just out of curiosity, if banning porn would stop the distribution of it and prevent access to it, would you be for or against banning it?

 

[freethinker44]

Is pornography supposed to be banned or is this just a poll out of interest?

Also, wasn't sure what "No, exploits women" meant, but I'm pro-porn with women in it.

It's just out of interest, I wanted to see if the numbers related to another poll on this site concerning a similar issue.

It's a two part question so "No, exploits women" means you don't think it should be banned but believe it exploits women.

 

[Skwim]

Just out of curiosity, if banning porn would stop the distribution of it and prevent access to it, would you be for or against banning it?

I'm against banning anything simply because some people don't like it, OR when banning would be worse than not, e.g. banning liquor.

It's a two part question so "No, exploits women" means you don't think it should be banned but believe it exploits women.

Just a related note.

Exploitation goes on all around us all the time, and is almost always accepted. Many, many people let others exploit their talents in exchange for remuneration. Think; actors, muscians, artists, wrestlers, masseuses, barbers, writers, chemists, firefighters, etc. etc. People appearing in legitimate pornography do it because they want to, just as lawyers practice law because they want to.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I'm against banning anything simply because some people don't like it, OR that banning would be worse than not, e.g. banning liquor.

I agree.

 

[WyattDerp]

Meh, what job doesn't exploit their workers?

By default, originally? ALL OF THEM. There is no reason to accept the results of greed and stupidity as some kind of natural law. If you can't find anything productive to do and no way to like it, then no matter what you do instead, you're a wounded animal in a cage, excreting delusions to keep you from suicide. That this is becoming normality doesn't make it less pathological. Productive work is among other things something we need to be sane and happy.

 

[freethinker44]

By default, originally? ALL OF THEM. There is no reason to accept the results of greed and stupidity as some kind of natural law. If you can't find anything productive to do and no way to like it, then no matter what you do instead, you're a wounded animal in a cage, excreting delusions to keep you from suicide. That this is becoming normality doesn't make it less pathological. Productive work is among other things something we need to be sane and happy.

Not sure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing, so I will go ahead and comment like I know what's going on.

I was merely trying to point out that believing some work is wrong because it is exploitative is a flawed argument because all work, no matter how great the job and pay are, is exploitative.

 

[Aquitaine]

Not sure if I can honestly vote on the poll given the options.

Prawn historically has exploited Women, however who's to say the Men aren't exploited too (though to a lesser degree)?

However Prawn is changing: more and more Women are getting involved in term of direction and staffing. He'll I even know one company that is run and owned 100% by Women, featuring Women, and partially aimed at Women audiences. Of course there are still the rogue companies that treat their models like dirt, but they may gradually become a thing of the past.

Finally, there is that part of me which thinks "doesn't every industry exploit it's workers?", and considering Porn models generally earn pretty good money, part of me thinks it's not such a bad deal - if that's the direction you want to take your life.

As for the social stigma attached to working in Porn, oh boy that's another topic altogether.

 

[WyattDerp]

Not sure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing, so I will go ahead and comment like I know what's going on.

I wasn't answering to the poll either way, I was responding to something I found more important.

I was merely trying to point out that believing some work is wrong because it is exploitative is a flawed argument because all work, no matter how great the job and pay are, is exploitative.

So in other words, because you didn't understand my objection to what you just said, you'll just say it again. [insert my above post here], haha.

 

[freethinker44]

Not sure if I can honestly vote on the poll given the options.

Prawn historically has exploited Women, however who's to say the Men aren't exploited too (though to a lesser degree)?

However Prawn is changing: more and more Women are getting involved in term of direction and staffing. He'll I even know one company that is run and owned 100% by Women, featuring Women, and partially aimed at Women audiences. Of course there are still the rogue companies that treat their models like dirt, but they may gradually become a thing of the past.

Finally, there is that part of me which thinks "doesn't every industry exploit it's workers?", and considering Porn models generally earn pretty good money, part of me thinks it's not such a bad deal - if that's the direction you want to take your life.

As for the social stigma attached to working in Porn, oh boy that's another topic altogether.

The exploiting women part is really only important to me if you think porn should be banned. If you don't think it should be banned, just choose one. It is important to note that I am asking what you personally believe and not what exists in society right now. A lot of questions like this, people will vote against it being banned even if they personally believe it is wrong, they just don't feel they have the right to force their beliefs on anyone else. That's not what I am asking.

 

[Aquitaine]

The exploiting women part is really only important to me if you think porn should be banned. If you don't think it should be banned, just choose one. It is important to note that I am asking what you personally believe and not what exists in society right now. A lot of questions like this, people will vote against it being banned even if they personally believe it is wrong, they just don't feel they have the right to force their beliefs on anyone else. That's not what I am asking.

No worries, I understand. I have voted the closest possible option to my personal beliefs, and not what I think society wants etc. Hopefully that helps.

 

[Alceste]

Dang, this is what I tried to avoid. I didn't want people to vote based on what society thinks or how it is in reality. I know banning it won't do anything, that isn't what I was interested in. I should have said "Assuming banning porn will stop the distribution of it," but oh well.

Just out of curiosity, if banning porn would stop the distribution of it and prevent access to it, would you be for or against banning it?

I'd be indifferent. It's sexual exploitation I would like to see eradicated, not porn. As long as sexual exploitation is ubiquitous in our society, it's probably better that it's out in the open as oppressed to sweeping it under the rug.

 

[freethinker44]

I'd be indifferent. It's sexual exploitation I would like to see eradicated, not porn. As long as sexual exploitation is ubiquitous in our society, it's probably better that it's out in the open as oppressed to sweeping it under the rug.

How are the two separate? Porn and sexual exploitation, that is. I can see how you can have sexual exploitation without porn, but how can you have porn without sexual exploitation?

 

[Alceste]

How are the two separate? Porn and sexual exploitation, that is. I can see how you can have sexual exploitation without porn, but how can you have porn without sexual exploitation?

You can't. Porn keeps the fact of sexual exploitation out in the open. Eliminating porn would simply be pretending that the sexual exploitation it depicts isn't happening.

 

[Skwim]

I'd be indifferent. It's sexual exploitation I would like to see eradicated, not porn. As long as sexual exploitation is ubiquitous in our society, it's probably better that it's out in the open as oppressed to sweeping it under the rug.

Evidently you see sexual exploitation in the porno industry as a coercive relationship. If that's so, then I agree that it has no place in the business, or any business for that matter. I also agree that if the relationship between a porn actor and the powers that be are mutually agreeable then porn is a proper business.

 

[ChristineES]

As much as I like trying to be mature and everything, every time my husband looks at porn, I am secretly annoyed with him.
I don't think all porn exploits women, although some does. It isn't actually a black and white issue.