Pornography. What's wrong with it?

[waitasec]

its important because human life is involved.
Millions of abortions are testimony to what happens when people take sex lightly by viewing it only in terms of pleasure...they seem to forget that more then simple pleasure is involved... a lot more.

sorry... that is so way off base.

 

[ninerbuff]

Hi everyone!

It seems that the anti-porn side of the debate says that porn causes more sex, which causes abortions. The pro-porn side says that porn is for masturbation, which is an alternative to unsafe sex. I wonder if there are any studies that support either side?

Peace and blessings,
Yeshe
:flower2:

I can guarantee you without a study that just watching porn won't cause anyone to get pregnant.

 

[waitasec]

I can guarantee you without a study that just watching porn won't cause anyone to get pregnant.

whew...

 

[Yeshe Dawa]

I can guarantee you without a study that just watching porn won't cause anyone to get pregnant.

Hi Ninerbuff!

This is my understanding of how things work as well!

I guess if I had to pick sides, I am on the "pro-porn" side, but to be fair, what I think our friend Pegg is concerned about is that watching all that porn will influence people to have real live sex, producing all those other things like unwanted children and abortions. Of course, if people practice safe sex, then I guess the porn-abortion link would be pretty weak at best. We'll have to see what the anti-porn people say!

Peace and blessings,
Yeshe
:flower2:

 

[atanu]

A serious note:

Sex is sacred. It is sacrifice of fire that is man, to fire that is woman. It is joy, it is procreation, and it is the basis of universe. Pornography is merely a pale reflection and is often a waste of time.

 

[Yeshe Dawa]

Sex is sacred. It is sacrifice of fire that is man, to fire that is woman. It is joy, it is procreation, and it is the basis of universe. Pornography is merely a pale reflection and is often a waste of time.

Hi Atanu!

I like the image of sex being the sacrifice of a man's fire to the woman. I agree that no one is probably going to attain enlightenment by using porn, but there are people that think we should restrict what other people watch. I think this is dangerous because I think what will happen if hardcore porn is restricted, then softcore porn will be next, then erotica, then artistic nudes, and so on. I guess I think it's a slippery slope issue.

Peace and blessings,
Yeshe
:flower2:

 

[McBell]

its important because human life is involved.
Millions of abortions are testimony to what happens when people take sex lightly by viewing it only in terms of pleasure...they seem to forget that more then simple pleasure is involved... a lot more.

Talk about desperately grasping at straws...

 

[Meister Felix]

Pornography makes the sexes objectify each other. The rise of "reality" porn is now starting to warp the minds of young men and women.

 

[Skwim]

Pornography makes the sexes objectify each other. The rise of "reality" porn is now starting to warp the minds of young men and women.

So, when you are having sex what are you thinking of, the inner qualities of the person you're with and how he or she has so enriched your life that it's like a walk through fields of blossoming lavender and . . . blah, blah, blah? If you do you're one in a million because at that moment the rest of us are completely into physical gratification. Wholly engrossed in those aspects that lend itself to objectification: pure physical and emotional pleasure. And, of course, pornography doesn't "make" anyone do anything. However, in as much as you claim that "porn is now starting to warp the minds of young men and women' I assume you have credible evidence of this phenomenon. Please share if you would, or is this mere pulpit rhetoric?

 

[Mister Emu]

Pornography is a symptom of a diseased society...

Disregarding the morality of the sexual acts involved, pornography is degrading.

 

[waitasec]

Pornography is a symptom of a diseased society...

Disregarding the morality of the sexual acts involved, pornography is degrading.

degradation is in the eye of the beholder

 

[Skwim]

Pornography is a symptom of a diseased society...

Disregarding the morality of the sexual acts involved, pornography is degrading.

Rolls off the tongue just as if it was true. :cover:

 

[Nooj]

I stopped watching porn a month back. I don't think porn is wrong, I just know that it wasn't making me happy and I realised that I could be happy without watching porn.

That said, I wonder whether the current style of porn is healthy. Porn quite obviously emphasises sex and sexual acts. The porn usually starts the moment the sex does and ends the moment that the sex is over, although it's often only the man who gets to orgasm. But that's it. We don't see why they're having sex, who these people are or what happens after the sex is over. The video just ends after orgasm.

It's all well and good to have buses going around picking up slutty teens to get gang-banged, but that doesn't happen in real life. What would it be like for the sexual partners in real life? It's unrealistic. Now there's nothing necessarily wrong with fantasy, I like my LOTR books as well, but sex is a bit different because there's a chance that people will be influenced by what they see. Since so many people are learning about sex by watching sex, wouldn't it be awesome if we have realistic porn? Like, I donno...a plot? Characters who have feelings and emotions beyond the 'OH YEAH I'M GETTING ****** SIX WAYS FROM SUNDAY!'? Maybe a short segment showing a nice cuddle afterwards?

So I'm not opposed to porn per se, but maybe porn makers should think about being more responsible . Personally, I think amateur porn has a lot to offer in this regard. Real people and real couples, no faking.

 

[Darkness]

Pornography as it is practiced in Western society is terribly destructive. However, if you want to talk about pornography in the abstract, there is nothing morally wrong with it. I have a serious problem when money enters the equation, as it is essentially the same as prostitution (we just don't call it that). Pornography at the top end is probably not as bad as on the bottom end, where anyone who does not see exploitation has to be out of their minds.

 

[Revoltingest]

Pornography as it is practiced in Western society is terribly destructive. However, if you want to talk about pornography in the abstract, there is nothing morally wrong with it. I have a serious problem when money enters the equation, as it is essentially the same as prostitution (we just don't call it that). Pornography at the top end is probably not as bad as on the bottom end, where anyone who does not see exploitation has to be out of their minds.

What....you want the talent to work for free?
(Just so your porn is cheaper, eh?)

 

[Meister Felix]

So, when you are having sex what are you thinking of, the inner qualities of the person you're with and how he or she has so enriched your life that it's like a walk through fields of blossoming lavender and . . . blah, blah, blah? If you do you're one in a million because at that moment the rest of us are completely into physical gratification. Wholly engrossed in those aspects that lend itself to objectification: pure physical and emotional pleasure. And, of course, pornography doesn't "make" anyone do anything. However, in as much as you claim that "porn is now starting to warp the minds of young men and women' I assume you have credible evidence of this phenomenon. Please share if you would, or is this mere pulpit rhetoric?

There was an article written by Naomi Wolf and carried by many news agencies suggesting that pornography is having an erosive effect on the relations between the sexes.

Is pornography driving men crazy? - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

The act of intimacy is physical, but I am not a person who can simply be with a person for the physical thrill. A relationship or marriage should be built on a commonality of the two involved. One of those things is physical appearance, but there is more.

 

[Skwim]

Pornography as it is practiced in Western society is terribly destructive.

REALLY!!! Assuming you're not making a wry jest, care to support this claim?

However, if you want to talk about pornography in the abstract, there is nothing morally wrong with it.

Ah, so your first remark was in jest. Okay.

I have a serious problem when money enters the equation, as it is essentially the same as prostitution (we just don't call it that).

And the nature of prostitution is problematic because?

Pornography at the top end is probably not as bad as on the bottom end,

You talkin' oral (top) verses genital (bottom)sex here?

where anyone who does not see exploitation has to be out of their minds.

I can usually see exploitation when it occurs, but this isn't one of them. Who do you see exploiting whom?

 

[Skwim]

There was an article written by Naomi Wolf and carried by many news agencies suggesting that pornography is having an erosive effect on the relations between the sexes.

Is pornography driving men crazy? - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

The act of intimacy is physical, but I am not a person who can simply be with a person for the physical thrill.

Your pinning your acceptance of a supposed psychological manifestation on the opinion of a political activist and social critic? 'nuff said.

A relationship or marriage should be built on a commonality of the two involved. One of those things is physical appearance, but there is more.

Hardly relevant is it.

 

[Acim]

I stopped watching porn a month back. I don't think porn is wrong, I just know that it wasn't making me happy and I realised that I could be happy without watching porn.

I will pray for you.

That said, I wonder whether the current style of porn is healthy. Porn quite obviously emphasises sex and sexual acts. The porn usually starts the moment the sex does and ends the moment that the sex is over, although it's often only the man who gets to orgasm. But that's it. We don't see why they're having sex, who these people are or what happens after the sex is over. The video just ends after orgasm.

I would say quality of porn has gone down primarily because like all things media and the internet, it can be distributed for free, rather easily. And so, there is lots of 'teaser' stuff around to get people onto sites where big bucks are being earned. Btw, I don't know this for fact, but feel around 60% confident with what I am purporting. I would be closer to 100%, but I seriously don't know anyone anymore that pays for it.

Not too long ago (1990's) plot stuff was around, plentiful, but was also nothing to brag about with exception of a handful of directors. Andrew Blake comes to mind as one who I think was at top of the game and producing stuff that even Hollywood would be a bit enviable of. At same time, Blake's stuff was not plot driven, it was production driven, and big name driven. Nowadays, that sort of video wouldn't do well, for various reasons. And is partially the point I hear you making.

It's all well and good to have buses going around picking up slutty teens to get gang-banged, but that doesn't happen in real life.

LOL. It is like 5th time I've read this sentence and it still makes me laugh, especially the part of, "it's all well and good to have busses going around picking up slutty teens." Like, we live in a world where that is 'all well and good.' If I had such a bus, I can imagine stopping on a corner, and Chris Hanson stepping on the bus and saying, "Do you mind telling me what you're doing?" LOL.

What would it be like for the sexual partners in real life? It's unrealistic. Now there's nothing necessarily wrong with fantasy, I like my LOTR books as well

For masturbating?

but sex is a bit different because there's a chance that people will be influenced by what they see. Since so many people are learning about sex by watching sex, wouldn't it be awesome if we have realistic porn? Like, I donno...a plot? Characters who have feelings and emotions beyond the 'OH YEAH I'M GETTING ****** SIX WAYS FROM SUNDAY!'? Maybe a short segment showing a nice cuddle afterwards?

There's some of that around, and always will be. Again, this goes back to budget, production values, etc. If you really want that, find sites that deliver porn literature (a la Penthouse Forum) and you'll get your fill. For video, there are reasons that I think are obvious (budget being one) why that won't be bulk of what's around. In some ways, it has been forced to be where it is now, because when it was put together as art in the 1970's, it was not too long after that (no later than mid 80's) where segment of society said, "keep that out of the theaters" and/or "only have those sort of theaters in few places in the world." Obviously video changed that dynamic, and internet took it to a level that no one could've foreseen in the 1980's.

So I'm not opposed to porn per se, but maybe porn makers should think about being more responsible . Personally, I think amateur porn has a lot to offer in this regard. Real people and real couples, no faking.

Agreed, to a degree. But the top directors in the 80's and 90's were, IMO best in the industry to date. Distribution kinda sucked then from consumer point, but the tradeoff was since there was market for rather expensive video, directors found reason to go extra mile to make quality stuff.

Anyway, as much as I am proponent for porn, I do think in thread like this it would be nice to have a post where the pros and cons are listed, and we can agree to not go ballistic on all points being made. Part of me wants to make that list, but I could see in process of gathering it, and stopping say after 3 are listed on each side that person on either side would rip into the list they disagree with, like Tiny Tim ripping into a ham on Christmas Day.

 

[waitasec]

watching porn, like anything else, is unhealthy if it's done excessively....