What, if anything, Is Demeaning About Porn?

[Sunstone]

If and when porn is demeaning, precisely what's demeaning about it?

Here's an excellent short article on some ways in which porn might be demeaning:

http://happyfeminist.typepad.com/happyfeminist/2006/11/reflections_on_.html

Do you agree or disagree with the article?

Is soft core porn any more demeaning to women than romance novels are to men?

Do you think nudity itself is demeaning to women?

Do you think a woman who poses nude for pay is demeaning herself?

Do you think a woman who poses nude for no pay is demeaning herself?

Do you think that soft core porn is inherently demeaning to women, no matter how it portrays them?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

If and when porn is demeaning, precisely what's demeaning about it?

Here's an excellent short article on some ways in which porn might be demeaning:

http://happyfeminist.typepad.com/happyfeminist/2006/11/reflections_on_.html

Do you agree or disagree with the article?

Is soft core porn any more demeaning to women than romance novels are to men?

Do you think nudity itself is demeaning to women?

Do you think a woman who poses nude for pay is demeaning herself?

Do you think a woman who poses nude for no pay is demeaning herself?

Do you think that soft core porn is inherently demeaning to women, no matter how it portrays them?

I have to agree with the article. The points it makes about women in bunny outfits fawning over "Hef" is hard to argue against. Not only is it commercialized sexuality, it's commercialized sexuality dripping in corny, cliched stereotypes.

I see no problem with porn. Humans are sexual creatures. We enjoy it. The problem is only one side of human sexuality is usually depicted, the cliched male fantasies we know all too well (yet are often unrealistic). Hence, women in bunny outfits begging to be seen naked. There's nothing wrong with fantasy, but having only one side of human fantasy endlessly depicted is not only demeaning to the other side, it gets boring.

Anyway, I'm tired, so I hope that made sense. Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

[Bishka]

Personally I see a lot with it, but this is from a religious standpoint.

My personal view is that we were given this absolutley sacred gift of procreation from God and that it is respect to use it in marriage only. Porn is demeaning this gift of procreation.

 

[Ðanisty]

Do you agree or disagree with the article?

Overall, I disagree with the article. There is nothing real about porn. The girls in porn are playing a role and if they want to play the innocent, helpless role I see nothing wrong with that. If they don't, then they need to find another role to play. I'm not going to feel bad because of a choice they made.

Is soft core porn any more demeaning to women than romance novels are to men?

No

Do you think nudity itself is demeaning to women?

No

Do you think a woman who poses nude for pay is demeaning herself?

No

Do you think a woman who poses nude for no pay is demeaning herself?

No

Do you think that soft core porn is inherently demeaning to women, no matter how it portrays them?

No

I enjoy porn at least as much as my husband does...maybe even more.

 

[nutshell]

I haven't read the article yet, but my main disagreement with porn is that it treats women as an object or tool. Last time we did that it was with a little thing called slavery. I'm sure some will disagree and say the women make the choice, but I suspect there were people during slavery times that were convinced that blacks enjoyed their work too.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Don't forget to consult Socrates' advice regarding porn..

Socrates and pornography

I think that he gets down to the heart of the matter - the wise man shouldn't have the time for such things.

“We had better go and see her,” cried Socrates; “of course what beggars description can't very well be learned by hearsay.”

“Well now,” he went on, “she already has our praise to her credit, and when we spread the news, she will profit yet more; whereas we already long to touch what we have seen, and we shall go away excited and shall miss her when we are gone. The natural consequence is that we become her adorers, she the adored.”

“Come and see me often, then.”

[16] “Ah!” said Socrates, making fun of his own leisurely habits, “it's not so easy for me to find time. For I have much business to occupy me, private and public

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I enjoy porn at least as much as my husband does...maybe even more.

:computer:




Just kidding, LOL! Yes, you enjoy porn as much as he does... but is it the same kind? :sarcastic

 

[Pardus]

I am going to soundbite a bit, saves my patience.

None are so enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.

You can't save people from themselves.

 

[Ozzie]

Its a bit of a moralising attitude to take in asking what is demeaning about it. Unless they are doing something illegal, those engaged in it are making a buck like the rest of us. As for the porn consumer, better ask them what they find redeeming about it.

 

[Zxzyx]

I would have to say that it is demeaning and fundamentally wrong but this is coming from a Christian point of view. However many things I have read and heard do back this up.
I have heard that rapists are often addicted to porn. This makes sense to be because porn lowers the status of a human from ‘person’ to ‘object’ (breasts, butt, etc). Once you see women/men as objects, their saying no to sex is not an issue for consideration any more. After that rape is a small step and finally removing the evidence afterwards is like burning a car that you might have stolen.
That is an extreme example but in my opinion everyone who uses porn will get some negative repercussions.
Jesus says in Matt 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And this sounds a little extreme but on further thought it all makes sense to me. Who genuinely likes people looking at them lustfully? It is hollow since your looks are no achievement of your own unlike your intellect or skills. While most people would like to be thought of as good at what they do or cleaver I don’t see how people liking the construction of your body or face can be that fulfilling, especially since both will fade.
None of this is to say that nudity, the human form or sex is wrong but that it has it’s place and when taken out of this place bad things happen.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I would have to say that it is demeaning and fundamentally wrong but this is coming from a Christian point of view. However many things I have read and heard do back this up.
I have heard that rapists are often addicted to porn. This makes sense to be because porn lowers the status of a human from ‘person’ to ‘object’ (breasts, butt, etc). Once you see women/men as objects, their saying no to sex is not an issue for consideration any more. After that rape is a small step and finally removing the evidence afterwards is like burning a car that you might have stolen.

Actually, it is believed that rape actually has little to do with sex; it's more about control. Still, that's a good point, and I'd be interested to see the statistics behind it. Of course, the problem could be that the percentage of rapists and non-rapists that are addicted to porn could be the same.

But you bring up a good point about objectifying sexuality. I wonder if any study has been done about the effects of porn to a potential rapist. There must be!

But the question of whether or not rapists objectify their victims should be analyzed. If rape is a control issue, then is it control over a subject or an object? It is also said that most rape victims know their attacker. I wonder how that effects the issue...

Again, good points!

 

[PureX]

I think that dishonesty is always unhealthy. And porn is fundamentally dishonest. Relationships are implied that do not exist, for money. Seductive roles are being played out for money, that will never be realized. Fantasies are being presented for money that will not be fulfilled. Pornography is all about selling lies for money. And such dishonesty is unhealthy for almost anyone who gets involved in it.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I think that dishonesty is always unhealthy. And porn is fundamentally dishonest. Relationships are implied that do not exist, for money. Seductive roles are being played out for money, that will never be realized. Fantasies are being presented for money that will not be fulfilled. Pornography is all about selling lies for money. And such dishonesty is unhealthy for almost anyone who gets involved in it.

I think the same argument could be used for any fictionalized entertainment (literature, cinema, theatre).

But your post made me wonder what the effect of having a fictionalized sexual encounter would be on a porn actor.

 

[Hema]

The body is a temple of God and should be treated with respect. Sex is not something which should be portrayed in such a manner because it is a personal act – out of love, NOT lust. Porn is very demeaning to women and to men. Ted Bundy – the serial rapist and serial murderer – said that he raped and killed all those girls because of porn. He started with soft porn and then he wanted more and more hard core stuff. I think it perpetrates the view that members of the opposite gender are sex-objects. Especially if someone is in a committed relationship, they should see other members of the opposite sex as sisters/brothers and mothers/fathers. If we wouldn’t want to see our daughters, sisters or mothers and similarly our sons, brothers and fathers acting in porno movies, then why should we attain joy from looking at another person’s daughter/sister/mother or son/brother/father in such a manner?

 

[Hacker]

The only slight problem that I have with porn is when married men get involved, well particularly if my husband got involved which I'm sure he does,lol. I wouldn't put it past any man really!But I won't snoop around and try to catch my husband in the act, I figure oh well that's his sin not mine and those girls don't upset me anyhow. It's funny, over the years I've heard tons of complaints from my friends about their boyfriend/husband particpating in pornography and my advice is "Let it go, he's going to do it no matter what and if it bothers you, leave him but be careful with your next man because this isn't a rare thing." Men will find ways to be sneaky to get away with it if they have too.:yes: It can actually be an addiction.

 

[Zxzyx]

I agree with Hema totally.
Also if a couple are in a relationship and porn it accepted, will the porn user not be thinking about the model/actor when they get physical. I imagine such thoughts like ‘why doesn’t my partner look like that’, ‘why doesn’t my partner enjoy it that much or do that’ etc arise and so you will become discontent with your partner and yourself because it is not like how the movies portray. This discontentment could then turn to resentment and the relationship could easily disintegrate. To a couple who say that porn enhances their relationship, I would imagine that there are serious issues being ignored.

 

[Hema]

I agree with Hema totally.
Also if a couple are in a relationship and porn it accepted, will the porn user not be thinking about the model/actor when they get physical. I imagine such thoughts like ‘why doesn’t my partner look like that’, ‘why doesn’t my partner enjoy it that much or do that’ etc arise and so you will become discontent with your partner and yourself because it is not like how the movies portray. This discontentment could then turn to resentment and the relationship could easily disintegrate. To a couple who say that porn enhances their relationship, I would imagine that there are serious issues being ignored.

Thank you! I agree with you also. Sex is supposed to be out of love. How can you be trulty expressing your love for someone whilst wishing he/she was someone else or looking like someone else? Frubals for you.

 

[Fluffy]

I like porn with men in it. I do not feel demeaned by that porn. Consequently I stuggle to sympathise with women who feel demeaned by porn.

There are types of pornography that focus specifically on degradation but it should be noted that male degradation is far more popular since it is more common for people to find the experience of being degraded a turn on than degrading somebody else.

That is not to say that some pornography does not attempt to give sexual gratification out of degrading women but this is a minority. Men like the pseudo-cutsieness of Playboy. Men like the exhibitionism of Girls Gone Wild (although I do agree that Girls Gone Wild takes advantage of the women filmed and consequently I do not find it to be to my tastes).

Who is demeaned by bisexual and homosexual porn? And considering the target audience, if any demeaning does happen, is this really important?

 

[Zxzyx]

Degradation is just the tip of the iceberg.
Other negative things associated with porn have been mentioned above but to add to this the industry itself is nasty.
I have no statistics but I bet for every actor/model who says that they enjoy their job in porn there are thousands who hate it. I find it hard to believe that given a choice these people would chose to do this kind of thing. As Hema said above, what kind of father would proudly show a porn video and to his friends and say ‘that my girl’? or daughter say ‘look what I did today father’.

 

[YamiB.]

Do you agree or disagree with the article?

I can't bring myself to take this article seriously. Not only is one of their two examples Playboy, but they don't even go into the massive internet industry. I also thought their analysis of Girls Gone Wild was a little crazy.

Is soft core porn any more demeaning to women than romance novels are to men?

Can't say I've ever read a romance novel, but I would guess that I don't consider either demeaning.

Do you think nudity itself is demeaning to women?

Of course not.

Do you think a woman who poses nude for pay is demeaning herself?

I'll say no, though if the answer was yes to any it would be this one.

Do you think a woman who poses nude for no pay is demeaning herself?

No

Do you think that soft core porn is inherently demeaning to women, no matter how it portrays them?

No