Here are some blog options for this week:
1. Blog on LULUs, NIMBYs, or BANANAs of any type (does not have to be related to SOBs).
2. Blog on the viewpoint that pornography is degrading to women and should, thus, be heavily regulated or banned. Be sure to address how to deal with the First Amendment issue.
3. Blog on the viewpoint that pornography is empowering to women. How? Why? How do you respond to the claim that it hurts women individually and women as a group?
4. Find a current newstory about pornography or SOBs and discuss it in your comment. Please provide the link so we can all take a look at the story.
5. Becca wanted to have a competition in class of who could name the most porn stars. I told her to take it to the blog. So, if there's interest in so doing, go ahead, but it does NOT count toward your blog grade (obviously!).
Saturday, January 13, 2007
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26 comments:
I could have looked some up to make my list longer but these are the only ones I could think of off the top of my head:
Jenna Jameson (Female)
Tabitha Stevens (Female)
Friday (Female)
Lexington Steele (Male)
Voodoo (Male)
Wow, that was a short list. I guess that just goes to show how unimportant their names really are.
I just wanted to throw this out there and see what everyone thinks. Does anyone consider Playboy a porno mag? Is it even soft core porn? Playboy seems to me to be more like nude modeling instead of porn. At the very least can we all agree that it is probably the most tasteful adult magazine on the market.
Cameron
3. I have put a lot of thought into my stance on pornography, but I will take this question regardless. I like the pro-sex point of view because it points out something very important in our culture- women are not really allowed to embrace their sexuality. Those that do are "sluts" etc., and I also agree that it is important (to a certain extent) as far as education goes. I do not think that there is anything wrong with pornography. There is a stigma attached to it that makes it so taboo. And I do not mean education like "hey kids, today in class we will be watching Hot Squats 4". I mean for adults who want to embrace that and be sexual. Sex is a part of who we are, and women should not be afraid of embracing that.
Now as for whether or not is hurts women as a group- I am unsure. I can see the argument that it would only because no matter how pro-sex I am, the culture as a whole still does not see it that way. Sexism is still an issue, and the only way pornography can become more empowering to women as a group is if ALL women stand back and think about what would happen if there were a "sexual revolution" of sorts. If women were no longer afraid of being called "whores" because they enjoy sex or watch porn. But this is a long time coming. However, for the women who participate in making actual pornography, many times they do it more than once. If this were an issue, I doubt they would do it again. Besides, they have every right to express themselves as they see fit and do what they will with their own bodies. It is a personal decision.
Like I said, I do have an issue with the pro-sex argument only in that it can POTENTIALLY harm women as a group, and this is the way we are brought up to think about our sexuality. Not to mention after watching the "American Porn" video and seeing the Extreme Associates type of pornography, that kind of worries me. I cannot believe there is a market for that (I guess there obviously is, but still).
5. Well the ones I can think of right now are:
Brooke Ashley
Ron Jeremy
Seymour Butts
Shyla Foxxx
Bambi Woods (Debbie Does Dallas)
Are we including those who are NOT still working, or are deceased?
If so:
John Holmes (Johnny Wad)
Linda Lovelace
Also Cameron, I would not consider Playboy pornography. Like you, I would consider nude modeling. I think I would define porn as has to include penetration. Or for softcore, the simulation of penetration. Could playboy be considered erotica maybe?
~Ashley Farmer
According to a recent article (03.28.07) in USA Today, police in Beijing, China are now on the lookout to both arrest and fine people who are caught transmitting pornography (including both pictures and movies) via their cell phone. Police recently arrested 19 cell phone dealers who were selling memory chips with this pornographic content on them. More so, the article notes that China has “the world’s largest population of mobile users” and that the country “bans sexually explicit material.”
Is this a big business here in America? I’m illiterate/oblivious when it comes to what goes on in this industry, thus the exchange of such materials could be going on in my classes and I’d never suspect a thing. I’d never thought about cell phones being another means to distribute pornography, but it makes sense because we can send email, text messages, take pictures, get news updates and now even watch television and movies via our cell phone.
Take a look at the article: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2007-03-28-beijing-porn-ban_n.htm
Pornography is definitely degrading toward women, but you have to remember that most porn stars are women. I think a lot of time, women bring it on theirselves. Women that are actually porn stars probably obviously don't feel degrated because they are the ones making the movies and what not. They choose their own profession. No one makes them be a porn star. I think the women that are not in the buisness might feel degrading or even embarrassed. I know a girl that actually goes to Eastern and her cousin is a porn star named Raven Riley which isn't her real name that loves her job. She showed me some of her videos and I was thinking that a nice pretty girl that I was sitting next to has actually done the stuff that I was watching her do on the television. It was unbelieveable and totally shocked me. She said that it paid well and she enjoyed it. She said that she is getting paid for something she loves to do. I also came up with the conclusion that moststrippers and hookers have been known to be women, so if women are feeling degrading, than maybe they should do something about it.
I completely forgot to show the ad that Angela asked me to show to the class. Here is the link.
http://www.adcritic.com/interactive/view.php?id=5927
Here's an email I just received from the Women's Studies Director. I believe someone in class is doing a paper on this issue - Andrew?
The Women's Studies Program is begining collaboration with the disciplines of Science, Math and Technology in order to recruit and retain women in these fields. The dept. of Earth Sciences is a very engaged partner in this effort. If you are female and are interested in learning more about our new initiative to help women succeed in these traditionally male dominated fields please contact the director of women's studies marta.miranda@eku.edu.
Please consider announcing and attending this presentation sponsored by The Dept of Earth Sciences:
Dr. Danita Sue Brandt from the Association of Women Geoscientists at Michigan State University.
The Geologic Record of Storms on Monday April 23, at 4:40 p.m in Library room #108. Refreshments will be served before the presentation.
for more information about the presentation please contact the chair of the dept. of Earth Sciences Dr. Melissa Dierkmann at 622-1273.
http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=6357361&nav=2FH5
I came upon this news article and it really caught my eye. The title was Pornography Addiction is a Treatable Problem. I thought I would post my comments but also leave this open to see what the rest of the class thought. Is looking at pornography really an addiction? I don’t think so; in fact, I believe that this is an excuse to engage in an activity that you are embarrassed to engage in. This article begins to tell about how treatable it is, but it never shows examples of how to treat it. How do you treat porn addiction? The article says it is similar to treating substance abuse, does that mean you can put on a patch to wean yourself off of porn? I think this whole idea is simply ridiculous, which leads to my other thought… If America is supposedly so obsessed with porn, why are we so embarrassed to let people know? Why are we looking for excuses to look at porn? Why are we debating about something that people are so terribly embarrassed to be doing?
On a different note… I want to ask what people think about porn in general. I wonder if there were people in class that didn’t voice their opinion aloud, take me for example, but have a strong opinion on the issue? My opinion is that pornography is wrong. I am glad that we are becoming more accepting of sex and sexuality. However, I do not think that becoming more accepting means that we should be more accepting of the viewing of that sexuality anytime we want. It really grosses me out to think about people loving porn! I don’t think it is empowering to women at all. I agree with Ben, I believe it only serves to further the idea or stereotype that women are sexual objects and not human beings. It seems so silly to me that women are fighting this un-winnable fight for equality but we ignore huge areas where inequality thrives. How can we expect to be treated equally when we still allow the porn industry to exist? Honestly how many porns are there that showcase men the way most showcase women? I am willing to bet that women have a monopoly on the porn industry… which further my point, women are made to be sexual objects for the pleasure of men. My conclusion is that porn should be made illegal.
Ok, so I'm watching CNN right now and Anderson Cooper is asking Rev. Jesse Jackson about his feelings on the Duke Lacrosse players having all charges against them dropped in the rape case. Cooper asked Jackson about how he criticized the lacrosse players for having misdemeanors on their criminal records before these allegations and denounced them because they were visiting strip clubs in the first place but said nothing about the alleged victims past record and activities. Jackson responded that these unrelated misdemeanors were relevant along with the fact that the lacrosse players had often visited strip clubs because these were not virtuous activities. First, our court systems have rules of evidence that protect people from being judged on past actions in court if it is entered to show action in conformity there with the particular action---meaning because a person acted a certain way in the past they would act that way on a separate occasion. Jackson's criticism of the players for visiting strip clubs is unwarranted, especially considering he did not take into account that by these standards he was creating, the stripper didn't exactly have the most virtuous of professions. Jackson also said something to the effect that a man going to strip clubs was the beginning of domestic violence. This just reminded me of our class discussion about whether or not people who watch violent pornography are more likely to abuse women or if people who abuse women are just more likely to watch violent porn. I think the same argument can be applied to this situation especially since Jackson did not explain the reasoning behind his statement. Perhaps men who engage in domestic violence are just more likely to visit a strip club rather than strip clubs causing men to be violent.
-on to a new topic:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/11/65772
This is the link I found on pornography. The link discusses a senate hearing where sMary Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Therapy proposes that pornography can be linked to addiction just as much as abuse of drugs and alcohol can be. Furthermore, because pornography is an addiction and this particular addiction could be linked to the deterioration of the family, this Doctor and others proposed that it should be regulated in the same manner that other addictive substances are. I think that linking pornography to addiction and the deterioration of the family may in fact be the best way for "anti-pornography" advocates to get regulations enforced. I think a somewhat valid argument can be made that if pornography is just as addictive to some people as tobacco and as harmful in reference to the affect it can have on families as alcohol abuse then regulations should be placed on it. I agree that you probably aren't going to be able to stop consenting adults from buying or viewing porn but just like in the case of tobacco consumption, "vendors" should be held to strict guidelines in enforcing policies like checking IDs to make sure customers are of the lawful age to view porn. I also think that raising the age of actors to 21 would be another reasonable regulation. To me this is similar to the fact that you can't bartend until you are 21 or sell cigarettes until you are 18. Once a person is of the age where they can be seen as adults (to me this would be closer to 21 than to 18) we cant do much to stop them from viewing porn or going to strip clubs but until then we can place regulations on it to show that strip clubs and porn are things that can be addictive. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I hear males in my classes talking about heading up to Lexington to go to "The Voo" when half of them were not even 18. If we are going to call pornography and strip clubs "adult activities" then "vendors" should be required to limit sales to adults.
Kristeena Winkler
http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=businessreview&tableId=137905&pubDate=4/9/2007
This news article link concerns China threatening jail time to merchants caught selling cell phones with memory chips containing pornography either pictures or up to 60 minute movie clips. We already had a hard enough time with the internet and pornography, but to add to it by portable devices becoming more popular will only add to the problems. The jail time in China to Merchants selling it is 3 years if caught, how sad. For users it can be $400 or two weeks detention. What like that isn't easy to fix. Problems like this in the United States are on the rise as well. While searching for a recent article on pornography, I passed up several articles on child pornography crimes. Some of these crimes involved ipods, cell phones, mp3 devices, psp's. Currently we have problems with predators and these devices, before long it will be teenagers. My Space became very popular with high school students and they not only placed pictures of themselves, but many times very graphic pictures, until Fox bought em out. It wouldn't be hard for them to sell these pics to adults without accessing the internet and making fast money. All they would have to do is take a pic of themselves or someone they know and then send via media message or trade a memory card for money.
As we have cell phones that progress with tv channels to view for sports or the news, before long people will be able to watch porn anywhere they go, not just wait to find an internet access or hotel room with porn channels available.
I just think the more we restrict sexual knowledge the worse the knowledge will likely be available.
Imus got fired - not just MSNBC, but also from his radio show - FYI since we talked about this in class today.
I personally have to say that I don't find pornography degrading to women. If a woman takes it upon herself to the sexual acts that pornography consists of then that is her own right. Alot of women are comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality and chose to do porn or magazines as a source of extra income. I couldn't personally go open my legs for all of the world to view, but who am I to judge someone who is comfortable doing so. Now as far as the teeny bopper porn goes, I am completely against that in all ways, shapes and forms. I don't beleive that a girl should be able to expose her body even if she wants to until the age of 21. I know that 18 is legal but I still find that a little too young.
Let's take Anna Nicole Smith for example. Born in Texas, dropped out of high school to get married at the age of 17, later becomes playmate of the year and then before you know it she is married to a oil tycoon and worth millions. Some women use porn as a way to get ahead in life. I mean where do you think Anna would be now, if it weren't for playboy?
I agree with you Cameron. Playboy really isn't hardcore porn. It's more of the nude modeling. I can't say it's the most tasteful magazine on the market because I don't read it. However, compared to others I would say it is a little less nasty we will say.
Believe it or not, I don’t have a really strong opinion on pornography. I feel that it can be degrading to women, but I also see that it could possibly be liberating/empowering for women as well. I don’t feel that pornography should be banned, but I do feel strongly that there should be restrictions. There should be age restrictions and I believe that some pornography is crossing the line and should be regulated or banned. Child pornography goes without saying. The one I was extremely uncomfortable with was the rape pornography especially with the woman being murdered at the end. I am not sure how that could possibly be seen in a positive light. Though I do feel that pornography is degrading to women I don’t agree on complete censorship of pornography. If we started to censor everything that was degrading to women there wouldn’t be much left to watch on television and there wouldn’t be very many magazines to read. There is a choice that a man and a woman can make to participate in or purchase pornography. However, it is very hard to avoid the degrading commercials, television shows, magazines, and other media that is degrading to women. Women, and increasingly men, are bombarded with negative messages through all kinds of media outlets day after day after day. This is directly from the current issue of Ms. Magazine: “A landmark American Psychological Association (APA) report says that the media’s rampant sexualization of women causes negative self-image in girls, which in turn leads to shame and anxiety, eating disorders and depression. ‘As a society, we need to replace all of these sexual images with ones…that show the uniqueness and competence of girls,’ said Eileen L. Zurbriggen, Ph.D., chair of the APA Task Force.” Here is a link to the entire report: http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualizationrep.pdf . Basically, I am for personal choice over governmental intervention. I think that as long as pornography is not forced on anyone we should have the choice of whether to view it or not. However, I believe that the government should intervene when pornography has gone too far and I think that is with child pornography and pornography that is explicitly violent such as “rape pornography”. I think that there is a huge difference between two people having sex and a scene where a woman is violently forced to have sex. It is especially bad when they show the woman being murdered after being raped. I know that the research is split on whether that leads to real acts of violence, but I don’t see how it could not have some form of negative impact on women as a whole and men who watch it.
The only porn star I know of is Jenna Jameson. I had a boyfriend who was obsessed with her so that is how I know who she is. I haven't been a real avid porn watcher though I have been to several strip clubs. For the most part they really weren't that bad and the dancers that I met were really nice and down to earth. I think I always assumed there was something different about them but they are just like you and me trying to make a living. By the way, I learned last semester that there is feminist porn out there. Here is an article on it:
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/
issue_06.01.06/arts/artsweek.html
Janice Clayton
I thought this was kinda interesting and since we were talking about him in class on Thursday I thought I would share!
Don Imus was fired for calling the Rutgers University basketball team "nappy headed hos". Sure, that was inappropriate, but did the punishment fit the crime? Maybe we should look at the two guys who pushed this issue until Imus was fired.
Jesse Jackson says it's a question of morality, and what's right and what's wrong.
Just so we're clear:
Imus Calling Black Women "nappy headed hos": Wrong.
Jesse Jackson calling Jews "Hymies" and referring to New York as "Hymietown" : Right. (Washington Post, 1984)
Imus Calling Black Women "nappy headed hos": Wrong.
Jesse Jackson having an affair and Impregnating Karin Stanford, then using rainbow coalition funds to pay her $40,000 and purchasing a $365,000 house to keep her quiet: Right
Jesse Jackson not paying child support for this child, and not visiting her: Right
Jesse Jackson Saying Duke La Crosse Rape Suspects who have been aquitted "deserved the negative attention" because they weren't acting morally by hiring a stripper: Right
I'm glad we have someone with strong moral values like Jesse Jackson to make sure nobody makes racist jokes on radio stations!
Thanks for showing us what's right and what's wrong Jesse.
And who can forget Al Sharpton, another strong moral figure who knows the power of words:
After District Attorney Steven Pagones failed to prosecute white suspects for raping a black girl (because evidence showed the story was fabricated) Al Sharpton accused Pagones Himself of raping the girl. Pagones successfully sued him for Defamation. Right
But it gets better:
Imus Calling Black Women "nappy headed hos": Wrong.
In 1995, Sharpton led a protest in Harlem against the plans of Freddy's Fashion Mart, a Jewish-owned clothing store, to expand into a black neighborhood. Sharpton told the protesters, "We will not stand by and allow them to move this brother so that some white interloper can expand his business." Three months later, an armed protester forcibly entered the store and burned it down, killing himself and seven others. Right
Thanks Jesse and Al for showing us what's right and wrong. I'm glad we can finally see the light now. I'm glad you guys stopped this guy, and all his charities for sick and homeless children, that will now dry up. Thanks guys!
Pornography degrading to women?
The problem with this question is that the term Pornography applies to too many different things. I asked the question in my pornstar list if anyone thought Playboy was porn. Most people said no but I would bet that if you did a survey and asked people what the most popular porn mag is they would say Playboy. I have been a long time subscriber to Playboy myself but recently let it run out so I could afford to get Nintendo Power instead. Who needs a paper copy of Playboy when you have a high speed internet connection right?
Anyway steering back on track. Playboy in my opinion is not degrading to women. Many very popular actresses appear in Playboy and many up and coming stars appear in playboy as well. It certainly doesn't seem to degrade them, if anything it is used to upgrade them. Do you think Jenny McCarthy would be where she is today without Playboy? Well maybe not where she is today, I really don't know where she is today, but she was somewhere once and Playboy helped her get there. What about Pamela Anderson? She is free to fight for PETA all day long and never have to pick up a part time job because once upon a time in LA she took off her clothes for Hugh Hefner, oh and she got to marry Tommy Lee, a stud if I ever seen one.
Now, the Extreme Associates video that was featured in the PBS special where the woman was beaten and killed (simulated of course), arguably that was degrading to women.
My point is that the spectrum of pornography is very broad. Something that I wouldn't even consider porn, Playboy for instance, is probably on somebody else's degrading-list. Some pornography is degrading to women, some is probably even degrading to men and that may very well be wrong and horrible and down right sad, but we don't need the government to tell us this, it's your choice to make it, it's your choice to watch it.
Oh and Imus getting fired really irks me. What the guy said was wrong but the suspension was enough. I mean this is nothing but a move to pacify those who were making such a big stink over the whole ordeal. But really it doesn't matter, it won't be long until no body listens to crappy radio anyway, soon there will be a satellite radio in every car and subscriber based radio will rule the world. Mark my words if XM/Sirius fail to pick up Don Imus they are passing up a gold mine.
By the way, Red State Update did an Imus Report, check it out at Youtube.com if your interested.
Cameron
I thought that Dean Schoolmaster’s discussion on NIMBYS and BANANAS was really fascinating but I didn’t really think about it as pertaining directly to me. I mean, what really came to mind throughout the whole discussion was Lexington, KY and the Hustler Hollywood Store. However, there was an incident today that made me think how close to home this issue really hits too many of us. And of course, this does not obtain to porn, but I can’t tie everything in. As I was driving my friend Nathan home from the movies in Corbin KY, today, I saw that they are building a elementary school right in his front yard. He made a comment about how it was “going to be a pain the ass to drive home when this thing goes up,” and I immediately said out loud to him, “that’s a NIMBY.” I didn’t even read the blog posts until today, so it was neat that this issue hits home so thoroughly. I believe that NIMBYS and BANANAS are really more pertinent issues to peoples’ lives than porn. When I think of the chaos and inconvenience that Nathan will have to deal with over the next couple of years it makes my head spin. Around 7:00am every day he will have to deal with hundreds of cars jamming up the road that leads to his house and he will probably have to leave at least and hour earlier for work just to be on time. Not to mention, the noise level will surely to elevated and the quiet countryside area he lives in will be transformed into a busy, high traffic area. This is a LEGAL action in which there are many victims. It is debatable whether there are victims in the porn industry, but there is not arguing that many people in that area of the NIMBY will be suffering because of the school. Property value will decrease heavily, and many people who moved to the country will soon find themselves smack dab in the middle of high-traffic city life (or as much as a city life as Corbin Kentucky can offer). The point I am making is this, I believe issues such as NIMBYS where there are clear victims should be more important factors in political decision making than moral issues like pornography. If someone does not like porn, then no one is going to twist their arm to make them watch it. However, it is invasive to try to take other people’s ability to watch it away if that is what they so choose to do. But, how can Nathan and the many others that live near the new school get away from the hassle and devaluing effects that NIMBY has on them? They can’t. That is why NIMBYS and BANANAS are more important to our everyday life. On another note, I was sad to see Dean Schoolmaster leave. He really was an engaging speaker.
Porn Stars:
Ron Jeremy – no list would be complete without him!
Peter North
Chasey Lain
Linda Lovelace
Nikki Cox
Nikki Tyler
The Milton Twins
John Holmes
Marey Carey
Tera Patrick
Jenna Jameson
Sylvester Stallone (he started in porn)
Kobe Tai
Christy Canyon
Devon
Seka
Nicki Sterling
Ps. I know a lot of real actors names too so don’t judge me!
I found Dr. Schoolmaster’s discussion of lulus and nimbys rather intriguing, not just within the context of SOB’s, but in many other social facets as well, like Rob said (by the way, did anyone else notice the e-mail sent out a few days ago that announced Dr. Schoolmaster has accepted a position at another school? It’s quite a shame that we’re losing such an excellent and engaging speaker, as well as an obviously very intelligent man.). Lulus and nimbys have implications that spark some of the best political debate there is – eminent domain disputes. At first I thought that I’ve never been a personal victim of a lulu or a nimby, but then it occurred to me that I-75 runs almost literally through my backyard back home, a busy and fairly noisy railroad runs a few blocks away, and never mind that every fifteen minutes or so a commercial jet goes overhead as it takes off or lands at the Cincinnati international airport a few miles away.
Of course, all of these things were in place before I was born, much less before my family purchased the house I speak of (as an interesting side effect, I’m nearly immune to background noise!). Still, I imagine that the original owner who had the house built in 1953 prior to the interstate and airport was probably a bit ticked when the powers that be decided to run the interstate less than 300 yards from his house, and was probably equally ticked when it was decided that an airport would be built in, what was at the time, rural farmland about five miles west from there. Ultimately, these things resulted in drastically increased noise levels, and, I suppose, a loss in property value (although being close to major transportation routes could be viewed as a perk). However, no one would argue that it was a bad choice to build these things. The interstate highway system is viewed as one of the smartest government investments in American history, and the airport, which became a major hub for Delta, brings millions of tax dollars and economic growth to the northern Kentucky area. This is the great conundrum of eminent domain. Does progress for the greater good make it okay to interfere with one person’s right to own property (or at least not have that property’s value completely depleted)? I guess the legal answer is yes, but it still gets people riled up, which is what makes it such a fun debate to listen to.
There is an enormous world of sexual experiences that society discourages women from discovering. This is a world that for some or even many women has enormous potential for pleasure, and could be liberating in ways they could have never dreamed. In this way, pornography serves to empower women by helping them to explore their sexuality "safely" and to some degree more broadly than they could have conceivably done within the confines the norms of societal propriety.
However, pornography and the nature of the monsterous machine that has become the porn industry no doubt perpetuate the objectification of women, perpetuating the latent but deep seeded notion that a woman's function is to serve the sexual appetites of a man. It is often violent, even in the most seemingly unnoticable ways.
But we can't ban it, for two reasons: the unregulated and far more oppresive form it would take on in its life after the ban, and the slippery slope the invasion on civil liberties is by its very nature, opening the door for all sorts of "moral legislation" that would likely serve as an oppresive tool of the Christian majority to impose their Puritanical, backward ass, archaic religious views on the rest of society (ie gay marriage, roe v wade, abortion, ten commandments in school, etc) not to mention the hypocracy of all the other terrible things people do that are unregulated (drink/smoke, drink/smoke while pregnant, watch/listen to pat roberston speak, etc.) that the government does nothing about. All those things negatively affect either the personal health of the individual, the personal health of others, the greater wellbeing of society, or some combination of the above. And there's the obvious problem with how to regulate the internet. Although I hear China's making leaps and freakin bounds in that department.
But there WOULD be some obvious benefit to not having the industry at all, sonsidering the dirth of negative affects it has for the societal view of women and the way women are objectified/treated in the films--regardless of whether it's their choice to participate, it's hard to make the argument that there are no negative affects of pornography. But to place that in the context of modern society, it would continue even if it was banned because society and sexuality have not reconciled with one another, and sexuality has not taken on a healthy form of any sort in our society. There must be a balance. We either have Puritanical condemnation, or hedonistic indulgence in even the most degrading images. It seems that society's appetite for degrading or underaged or violent pornography is indicative of a more deeply rooted set of problems dealing with both the societal conception of sexuality and the personal conception of sexuality. Until we evolve individually and as a society as a whole, we cannot expect that the banning of all pornographic images would have anything short of a catestrophic effect on the industry, as it would not cease to exist but would morph into the most base and oppressive machines, devoid of any sort of regulation or protection for the women it would "employ." Likely the term employ would rapidly degrade into "enslave," and we would see similar patterns as we have with prostitution.
And as for the argument that women are sexually oppressed by society and that this offers them a way to maintain their "virtue" while exploring sexuality "safely" or without fear of disease or pregnancy, I argue that there are probably other, less degrading ways for women to achieve this good. One, changing societal norms that demand women be these chaste objects of lust that a man must conquer and deflower would be a starting place. Challenging the patriarchal hold society has over sex and empowering women through education and art and the evolution of the societal conception of sex, and educating women about contraceptives and encouraging their use, and moving away from the Puritanical fear of the vagina and womanhood and the demonization of the feminine body and sexuality would all be ways to address this.
Then maybe the industry would simply become obsolete.
Child
Urination
Rape
Beastiality
Homicide
Fisting
Pain
Was anything missed? The guidelines are there. The laws are there. We heard these guidelines in the American Porn video. To me, they exclude anything that I would find degrading to women. Yes, as the extreme company we saw exists, the guidelines are not enforced. But they should be enforced. Once they are, I feel that pornography is educational, liberating, and well entertaining. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your body or someone else's body. As girls, women are often taught to be ashamed of their sexuality. We're told to repress it. It is something sacred for our future husbands. It is perfectly okay to have and promote that view. But when that's all the information you're given, you don't even know what to do with your body when you do give it to your future husband. Most women I've met that are saving themselves are downright fearful of sex. I think pornography gives women a resource to further enjoy themselves and give their lover pleasure.
I feel I must address the 18/21 issue. Where should we draw the line? To me, there's no real significant difference between 18 and 21. Even if there is, I have a clear opinion on this issue. By law, we are considered adults at 18. This is the age that men have to register for the draft. This is the age that we are no longer considered the responsibility of our parents. This is the age we are considered adults. I don't see why sex is such a huge issue it has to be different than the law. Are we to believe that a man can die for his country, but not watch or participate in a porno? This just doesn't make sense. And by the way, I'm not a hypocrite, I feel the same way about alcohol. If the consensus of the population and the government is that you're not a mature adult until 21, then everything (military, prison, etc) should be 21.
ps
female only, because let's face it, they're the only ones that matter.
:D
Porn stars:
aurora snow
nikki tyler
nikki anderson
nikki cox
talor hayes
taylor rain
jenna haze
sophie evans
teagan
sylvia saint
katja kassin
belladonna
jordan capri
savannah samson
kobe tai
azlea
briana banks
sky lopez
to name a few.
nearly all of them are from the latest influx and got in the business very young. some are just good 'ol gals that have been at it for years and have since retired. :D
i don't know the guys, because my debate i was having with one of my friends was only about women in the porn industry these days, and he speculated that there were fewer than there had been in the 60s, that the sexual revolution was over.
i wiki'd this (so scholarly, i know) and discovered he was so ridiculously far from correct. not only is there an influx of young, pre-pubescent-looking 18-20 year olds, but what they're doing to stay in the business and be competitive is becoming outrageous. they have to go so far above and beyond what they're predecessors had to do that it's becoming ridiculous and even in some cases a danger to health.
woot for porn.
I recently had come across this article and thought that it would fit in here. Since we have been on the topic of porn and we could either blog on whether it is degrading or not, or a current issue on porn, I thought that I would take the easy way out. This way I will not get smack by anybody. The article that I read pertains to all of the e-mail complaints that the FTC was receiving about porn spam. This particular complaint was in reference to a particular spam operator located in Missouri. The FTC had received over 46,000 copies of the emails that this operator had sent out. The FTC has asked the court to order a halt in the deceptive spam and a permanent injunction will be sought once it goes to trial. I think the reason that I wanted to cite this article is because for some damn reason I have been the target of these annoying emails. At one point I was receiving about 10 of these porn spams a week and I have absolutely no idea as to why I was getting them (I know that if any of you are reading this you are probably saying because I had been on porn website). I really honestly can say that was not the reason. I seriously avoid porn on the Internet. As you have said before Dr. Patton, you can type in the wrong website and be off to a completely different Whitehouse! Plus there is also the fun off being swept away in a pornado, that domino effect of a constant barrage of pop-ups related to porn. I hate that crap. Somehow I have noticed that I got completely off the topic of my article. Anyways, it is handy to have the FTC’s email complaint mailbox. It is uce@ftc.gov. Just thought I would throw that in more everyone. The website for the article is http://www.netsmartz.org/news/index.htm. As long as the link is still active it is under the pornography/illegal images topic.
I think if a woman is going to be in a pornographic film, she should at least know what she is getting herself into. If a woman enjoys being a porn star more power to her. I don’t think its degrading to women, I mean sex is sex, it’s a way of life and it’s a natural thing. I don’t really see the uproar that comes along with the pornography industry. Yes I believe that children under 18 shouldn’t see it and child porn is disgusting and there are other things that I find disturbing. But besides all that, it’s just another business like the rest of them. I was actually in an adult store this weekend and I talked to the managers and they told me that the religious people that come out and picket outside of their stores are the same people that come in and buy things. People are seriously a bunch of hypocrites. People should just fess up, that they like porn. I mean someone out there has to like it, I mean what did we learn in class? It’s a 34 billon dollar a year industry, SOMEONE is buying it and a lot of them are LYING. I know people are ashamed to admit that they watch porn but it shouldn’t be like this, its just sex.
I got something somewhat related to Playboy. I thoroughly enjoy the show “The Girls Next Door” starring Hefner’s live-in girlfriends. And how does an old man like Hefner get gorgeous women like that?
Oh well that’s my guilty pleasure!
Sorry this is late! I've had mounds of computer troubles that haven't seemed to end lately!
I'm going to go with 3.
I believe Pornogrophy is very empowering to women. Moreso than many give credit for. Pornography practically idolizes and worships the female body; even if it is for sexual use; whilst the male body is treated like a sack of meat. Rarely do you see the male's face in porn (unless its one where they act out a skit) but during the sex, all cameras are focused on the women. She has the power in any Porno.
In the Pornography industry, one of the highest-selling products is Lesbian Pornography, followed by Guy on Girl, followed then by Male Homosexual Pornography. Practically nobody is interested in the male aspect of pornography. The only thing they do is "dirty talk"; and honestly? I think that's the worst part about porn right there.
So really, yes, I believe it is empowering to women. Unfortunately, it can also create a false idolization for women as well. My fiancée's roomate can't get a girlfriend but always watches porn, especially that of the Hustler variety, and it has seriously skewed the way he views women in general. I believe it has seriously skewed his vision of reality, and the way women should be treated in general; mostly in terms of what kind of girl he could get, or how he would treat them. Not a good thing.
That doesn't mean that I don't support Porn, because I do. However, it is very unhealthy when taken in large doses, just like anything else.
Ahhh.. This pornography stuff can be a bit tricky. A part of me wants to say it’s degrading to women, and the other half thinks it has the potential to be empowering. I guess it all comes down to the types of pornography that is watched. I have had some experience with pornos, and some of them have left me with a sickening feeling and others have done just the opposite, but I don’t think that having a widespread ban on pornography is right, nor will it be possible.
Pornography can be a great teaching tool for women who want to spice up their love life. Not everyone can talk to their peers and adults about new sex positions or new ways to “please” themselves or their man. Once women become comfortable in the bedroom, it does have an empowering effect that ripples into other aspects of life.
On the other hand, violent and kiddy porn just isn’t right- morally and legally. It seems to me that men who watch this type of porn get the impression that there is nothing wrong with ‘donkey punching’ a chick and spitting in her face.
But to each their own, and whether you’re for it or against it, it’s going to be here. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children the right and wrong way to treat others.
I feel that I would agree most with the pro-sex pornography argument. It seems that boys have much more of an avenue to explore their sexuality as opposed to girls. I was thinking about sex education the other day. for class. i wasn't just randomly thinking about sex ed. But I was thinking about how many sex ed programs are abstinence only and how those programs just add more to the lack of sexuality development within girls.
OK...side note: I just happened to look up and some guy in the lab is looking at a half naked girl on myspace. wow. how fitting.
Anyways. Honestly, I don't really care that much for pornography myself. I find the ones I've seen kind of cheesey and silly and they kind of just make me laugh. But overall, I see pornography as a good thing. Many girls I know watch pornography and enjoy it. It tends to benefit them.
As a response to the ones who say its degrading to women, I would point out the fact that women are not forced into making porn and no one is being forced to watch it. You don't really unexpectadly just see porn while walking down the street. Its not offending your sensibilities by being watched in the privacy of someones home. I know there's problems with trying to argue this. Honestly, I think that even if I found women who felt they had benefitted from pornography, I'm sure the other side could find women who feel degraded.
It all comes down to censorship. I really find censoring pornography ridiculous. If you were just walking down the street and *bam* there's porn on some giant tv screen, then yeah, ok, I kind of see your point. But arguing that its offensive when its being watched in some person's home?
One more side note: I was watching the video with my boyfriend and we were talking about how certain politicians are so anti-porn and such and I was thinking, I seriously bet at some point in time, those guys have picked up a penthouse. Just saying.
Ok. I have to go to class.
Jenny Holly
Pornography is degrading to women. Most progressive thinking women I have encountered often complain about the portrayal of women through various media. Magazine covers, every commercial, etc. use women's bodies as a means to push a product and it works. I do not understand the distinction some are making between women being negatively framed in the media as an obvious deteriment to the advancement of all women but, pornography is liberating and allows them to embrace their sexuality. Sure, the women who make lots of money and gain lots of notoriety making pornography think they are awesome but they do not realize the harm they are doing to all women. It is my opinion that pornography severely reduces the likelihood that women will ever overcome being viewed as anything but objects of sex. If you are enraged that women are viewed by men as meat and you support pornography then you need to do one of two things. You can A. accept the fact the women, as a whole, will forever be prevented from true advancement and equality or B. re-evaluate your stance on pornograpghy. I dont know, perhaps I am in the minority, especially amongst males but I do believe that women are more than a hole in their body. Additioally, pornography only perpetuates the idea that women are only good when they are utilizing their sex organs. I am pretty stubborn but this one seems like a no brainer. You can't tell but after I typed that I pondered for nearly two minutes, trying to "see the light." I thought...maybe this is a liberating experience for women, maybe it is an advancement for women's rights and equality, maybe making a film of a woman getting pounded by some dude, reduced to nothing more than a hole (or two or three), is good for women but in all sincerity and honesty, I cannot reconcile one idea with the other. They are not compatible streams of thought. Even though I do not regularly contribute to the blog, I do, on occasion, read it and what do I see? I see a post with the words, "I agree with Ben." Amazing.
Holla.
I've been stewing the thoughts of this argument in my head for about a week now and I've come up with the same conclusion almost every time I think about it. Pornography empowers women, however; pornography degrades women at the same time. It's almost a cost/benefit analysis problem. If you want to have power as a woman in the adult entertainment industry how much are you willing to be degraded. Obviously, if you aren't willing to go as far as a counterpart you won't be as empowered as that counterpart but I don't think you'll be degraded as much either. A friend and I talked about the issues of strip clubs, and it settled down when I said "Listen, I'm for strip clubs not because they provide places for men to go see naked women. That is not why I'm in favor of them. I'm in favor of them, because I'm pro-business and I think if the government could eventually shut down strip clubs where do you draw the line?" To which my friend responded "Well... yeah... that's true". It's not a "clean" argument and it's a little touch and go on my strong moral conservative fiber (hahaha), but it is the truth, and I'll stand by it.
I am a capitalist pig.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_porn_stars
Go there for a list of porn stars... categorized by the types of films they do.
You're welcome. Pervs ;)
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