I don't think it's demeaning to women, and I don't think it's harming society. I think it's a red herring issue. Porn isn't the problem, violence against women is. It's one that needs to be dealt with--directly. Not indirectly in hopes of gaining some points with the moral guardians who think they know what's best for adults.
If anything I think our attitudes toward porn and sex in general are too negative. Prostitution is still illegal, and adult stars are often limited in what they do with their lives either after porn or during. Nevermind that the stars are people outside of their career. I used to work as a stripper, and when people find that out a lot of them tend to look at me differently. I say fuck them, but I don't think it's porn that makes them look at me differently. It's our attitudes toward sex in the public sphere. We have this idea that women should be pure. And I think that's a major driving force behind attitudes toward women.
A woman has sex with 10 different men, and she's considered a slut.
A man has sex with 10 different women, and he's considered a playa.
Slut has a negative connotation, while playa has a positive one. There seems to be this idea that women don't and shouldn't enjoy sex, only men do. And that is, on the whole, entirely untrue. Yes, porn can give people unrealistic expectations of relationships. But... let's not forget that television can also give us unrealistic expectations of relationships. And so can movies, and books. It's an entertainment medium. There's going to be some unrealistic expectations. Which is why we need comprehensive sex education in schools, and not the "ABSTINENCE ONLY" bullshit and leaving it up to the puritanical parents.
If anything I think our attitudes toward porn and sex in general are too negative. Prostitution is still illegal, and adult stars are often limited in what they do with their lives either after porn or during. Nevermind that the stars are people outside of their career. I used to work as a stripper, and when people find that out a lot of them tend to look at me differently. I say fuck them, but I don't think it's porn that makes them look at me differently. It's our attitudes toward sex in the public sphere. We have this idea that women should be pure. And I think that's a major driving force behind attitudes toward women.
A woman has sex with 10 different men, and she's considered a slut.
A man has sex with 10 different women, and he's considered a playa.
Slut has a negative connotation, while playa has a positive one. There seems to be this idea that women don't and shouldn't enjoy sex, only men do. And that is, on the whole, entirely untrue. Yes, porn can give people unrealistic expectations of relationships. But... let's not forget that television can also give us unrealistic expectations of relationships. And so can movies, and books. It's an entertainment medium. There's going to be some unrealistic expectations. Which is why we need comprehensive sex education in schools, and not the "ABSTINENCE ONLY" bullshit and leaving it up to the puritanical parents.
