porn and women

[Whateverist]

Just checking in now and I haven't read through all the responses yet. I voted yes, there are negative effects for women. But not negative for all women and not with positives for some as well.

Pornography isn't without positives but I'm not sure they outweigh the negatives for women. The negatives I'm thinking of is tendency for a woman to objectify themselves and place too much value on how they are viewed by men. Men objectifying women can go too far too; men who internalize the predatory/abusive qualities depicted in lots of porn are the worse for it.

I don't have a problem with porn per se. It is a little like alcohol. That stuff can really fuck some people up. But it doesn't have that effect on everyone.

[Mr.Obvious]

It's not just about how the women who do porn are treated and whether it is physically and mentally healthy for them.

It's about how it conditions us, as a society, to view women and sex in general. Does it make women more insecure in bed? Insecure about their bodies? Does it cause women to be seen more as objects by other people (including themselves)? Does it make them feel expected to perform a certain way? Does it make men expect more in bed? Does it make men less easily satisfied/aroused by the real women they have sex with? Does it make men more selfish and less loving in bed? Does it negatively effect men's treatment of women in the dating/bedding scene?

...those are all things that will obviously have negative effects on women, if the answers are "yes". That's what I'm curious to know from people here, whether you think any of those answers would be yes.

Those are interesting questions. And perhaps a properly performed study would yield some interesting answers.
But I think the answer would be a no at the end of such a study.

I think it's kind of like any form of escapist fiction. And the overwhelming majority of people can distuinguish between fantasy and reality.
There are always exceptions to this. If you make a child watch gore horror movies 24/7 while he's growing up, (s)he's bound to devellop some trauma and a warped view on the world. And just like someone can get obsessed with just about any franchise or genre; so too one could get obsessed or addicted to porn. But these, I imagine, would be the outliers.

I will say though, there are serious, horrible problems with the porn-industry as a whole that I would like to see get fixed.
It's kind of like prostitution in that regard. Except that prostitution has zero appeal to me; the concept itself is not one I am apposed to. If there is a market and people are willing to sell and buy these services, they should be allowed. But the abuse and crime and coersion and other horrible things that happen behind the 'spotlights', make it something worth fighting againsst.

[Amarok]

There is stuff that needs to be fixed in the business 5 things that come to mind 

1. A greater raise in the treatment of male porn stars (that's changing)

2. A greater emphasis on it being a job people want as opposed to a job people need (that's changing)

3. Dealing with it's history of racism 

4. Dealing with history of drug addiction 

5. More women in directing roles (that's changing )

[downbeatplumb]

Do you think pornography generally has harmful effects on women in our society? 

Curious to know people's opinions.

It doesn't have to be. But sex work can always be bad and good. Its complex.

[LadyForCamus]

I’m divided on the porn issue. My husband and I watch it together from time to time, which can be fun. On the other hand, I have seen some behind the scenes videos that exposed a lot of abuse toward the female during the filming of a video, so that concerns me. Another objection I have is that porn really doesn’t take any care with the woman’s pleasure. It’s all...guys slapping girls between the legs, gagging them with their dicks, and a lot of horrible overacting. I find it hard to believe many female counterparts derive any pleasure from moves that clearly only serve the purpose of visually stimulating the male viewer. It would be refreshing to watch a porno that truely focused on the pleasure of the woman for once. As far as society as a whole, I don’t think it has any overreaching negative effects.

[robvalue]

Men are in porn too. Why does no one ever worry about them being objectified?

[Little lunch]

I think porn is harmful to children, boys and girls, in our society.
It'd be nice if some adults could monitor their children on the internet instead of using it as a babysitter.

[downbeatplumb]

I’m divided on the porn issue.  My husband and I watch it together from time to time, which can be fun.  On the other hand, I have seen some behind the scenes videos that exposed a lot of abuse toward the female during the filming of a video, so that concerns me.  Another objection I have is that porn really doesn’t take any care with the woman’s pleasure.  It’s all...guys slapping girls between the legs, gagging them with their dicks, and a lot of horrible overacting.  I find it hard to believe many female counterparts derive any pleasure from moves that clearly only serve the purpose of visually stimulating the male viewer.  It would be refreshing to watch a porno that truely focused on the pleasure of the woman for once.  As far as society as a whole, I don’t think it has any overreaching negative effects.

Indeed there seems to be a lot of dark porn.

I want to see all parties enjoying themselves. I don't want to watch something that if it was happening in front of me I'd feel the need to intervene in, even if it is staged.

[Amarok]

I’m divided on the porn issue.  My husband and I watch it together from time to time, which can be fun.  On the other hand, I have seen some behind the scenes videos that exposed a lot of abuse toward the female during the filming of a video, so that concerns me.  Another objection I have is that porn really doesn’t take any care with the woman’s pleasure.  It’s all...guys slapping girls between the legs, gagging them with their dicks, and a lot of horrible overacting.  I find it hard to believe many female counterparts derive any pleasure from moves that clearly only serve the purpose of visually stimulating the male viewer.  It would be refreshing to watch a porno that truely focused on the pleasure of the woman for once.  As far as society as a whole, I don’t think it has any overreaching negative effects.

1. Treatment of actress depends on company .

2. The prn your describing sounds like male centric porn( . But plenty of the contrary . I can't list any sites of course but as the amount grows and more women in the industry there is more of it .

[robvalue]

As for porn as a whole, I'm sure there are indeed dark sides to it. I would really like it to be better regulated, less taboo, and made so that all involved are treated well with no coercion taking place. It can be hard to know what porn has been produced ethically and which hasn't. Taboo is a big problem, for example in England even adult porn channels you pay for have pretty soft core content. This is just ridiculous. It gives people no option but to look elsewhere for harder stuff (if they are intent on seeing it).

I would guess that the mistreatment of some people by the porn industry is a symptom of larger problems (such as drug abuse, sex trafficking, etc). Vulnerable people are no doubt being exploited.

It's certainly no black and white issue. I don't think trying to ban it would be either possible or beneficial in general; instead we should work together where possible to improve it.

I think porn is harmful to children, boys and girls, in our society.
It'd be nice if some adults could monitor their children on the internet instead of using it as a babysitter.

I agree with this. Inadequate sex education combined with porn for the unprepared mind clearly produces some very unrealistic expectations.