The Porn Myth

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The Porn Myth-Naomi Wolf



Naomi Wolf does an interesting take on some old theories about porn and the effect of it on society. Many have contended that porn teaches you to objectify women and treat them only as sex objects.



Naomi Wolf has instead, related porn to fast food. Cheap, readily available, most of it of bad quality. Since it is "junk" it takes more of it to fill you up, and leaves even less space for real food, or outside the analogy, real women and real sex.



She contends that porn has actually deadened the male libido with regard to real women. Additionally real women can't compete with porn images and thus can barely get a man's attention.



Give it a read, toss in two cents, let me know what you think. I've personally always appreciated the different approach Naomi Wolf brings to things even though I only ever agree with about half of her views.



Nick
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 97
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Without reading it I'll give her credit for a new idea.
  • Reply 2 of 97
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Yeah, great topic, Nick. I definitely don't agree with anti-porn feminists like Andrea Dworkin. (Please note here that anti-porn feminism is only a faction- NOT representative of feminism as a whole. Whew! Had to get that disclaimer out before someone unjustifiably railed )
  • Reply 3 of 97
    brbr Posts: 8,395member
    Porn is male exploitation. It's a multi-billion dollar industry because it offers something that most men crave. It may have the results that the article describes because our stupid assbackwards society makes it WRONG for a man to appreciate the way a woman looks without first listing a whole shopping list of other quality features the woman has such as intellect and personality and blah blah blah blah.



    Porn should be something enjoyed together with a girl. Our society's refusal to allow men to appreciate women as sexual beings out in the open has driven porn underground. It's a multi-fvcking-billion dollar industry and isn't going away. The religious nuts need to realize that.
  • Reply 4 of 97
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    well, one thing she seems to forget is only with a live woman can there be coitus.
  • Reply 5 of 97
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Porn is no myth, and it's good for society too. It is becoming like junk food though, but so are 'regular' movies and just about every other kind of entertainment. It's a societal shift that I think is separate from porn.



    I liked this quote:



    Quote:

    "...pornography did breach the dike...."



  • Reply 6 of 97
    Quote:

    Originally posted by thuh Freak

    well, one thing she seems to forget is only with a live woman can there be coitus.



    NOUNt1. Coitus between humans. 2. Sexual union between humans involving genital contact other than vaginal penetration by the penis.



    The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.







    Ok. How does this work?
  • Reply 7 of 97
    rageousrageous Posts: 2,170member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Blue Shift

    NOUNt1. Coitus between humans. 2. Sexual union between humans involving genital contact other than vaginal penetration by the penis.



    The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.







    Ok. How does this work?




    Sounds like a case for anal sex.
  • Reply 8 of 97
    but anal is not genital
  • Reply 9 of 97
    rageousrageous Posts: 2,170member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Blue Shift

    but anal is not genital



    [graphic content]



    It could be if she's face down and your sac is rubbing against her genitals!



    [/graphic content]
  • Reply 10 of 97
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Blue Shift

    but anal is not genital



    I did see this picture once... no, no... it's too painful to remember!



    Definitely no women were exploited in the making of this picture.
  • Reply 11 of 97
    I like the tune of her song, but this is just one of those areas of life where I'm completely naive, so I can't really tell if I agree with it or not.



    Such is the life of an engineer.

    By the way, I'm still at work right now. (10:16PM EST)

  • Reply 12 of 97
    uh?



    gen·i·tal

    1. Of or relating to biological reproduction.
  • Reply 13 of 97
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    I have nothing against erotic material, including explicit erotic films, books etc, if they are of good quality and actually are erotic. What is wrong with depicting sex in a imaginitive, sensitive, exciting manner? Unfortunately, these criteria are met by about 0.01% of the porn industry (not that I have done a survey or anything ). Since most porn is just cheap and boring, I guess that I would agree, at least in part, with Naomi Wolf's views on this.
  • Reply 14 of 97
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Porn used to be exciting. Now it's all the same.



    Guy seduces woman.

    Woman get topless.

    Gives guy a BJ.

    Guy gives it doggy style.

    Guy gives it in position 2.

    Guy gives it in position 3.

    Guy finishes on her face.



    Not necessarily in that order.



    After 1001 times... YAWN...
  • Reply 15 of 97
    I agree with her views. Sex is fun when you explore it with your partner. If you get it stuffed in your face everyday it loses its charm. That being said, nothing like fast food for some quick hunger relief.
  • Reply 16 of 97
    carol acarol a Posts: 1,043member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman



    She contends that porn has actually deadened the male libido with regard to real women. Additionally real women can't compete with porn images and thus can barely get a man's attention.





    Hi Nick - well, it's you guys who have to say whether you think porn has deadened your libidos, right? So, what do you guys think? Has it? Maybe for some it has, and for some it hasn't.



    I had never been to a porn site until three weeks ago. At first I thought it was gross and disgusting; I think because some of the pictures/video clips made sex seem sleazy, and I don't think of it that way. But I didn't check out too many 'categories', because the 3-6 minute clips took forever to load, and I didn't have that much time or patience. (I guess I need broadband, huh?)



    I watched female orgasms from two inches away, which is something I had never seen before. (Btw, can I talk about this stuff here? If not, maybe a mod can send me a pm and I'll delete...OK?) And though I didn't get to too much of the site, I don't personally have a problem with what I saw.



    I think there can be mixed effects from porn. If it helps make guys more knowledgeable/skilled/adventurous lovers, then I say 'hooray'! That can only be good - for everyone.



    If women can't handle the competition from porn stars, maybe they need to get to the gym and get into shape. Anyone can be in good shape, with some time and effort...male and female. Getting into shape can only be for the good, right?

    And, of course, there 'are' nice things a real woman can do for a guy that a video clip or his own hand can't.



    My one concern is something I read that Ted Bundy said before he was executed. He said, just days before his execution, that porn was what caused him to abduct, rape and murder all those women. He said porn made him need greater and greater stimulation to get off, so he became a serial killer. I thought that was pretty ****ing alarming. And if those were the effects porn had on him, I imagine similar need for 'increased stimulation' could happen to others.



    What do you guys think?



    Carol
  • Reply 17 of 97
    I'm going to have to look into this... what is it, porn?
  • Reply 18 of 97
    Ted Bundy was another case of, "I need someone to blame who isn't me" In this case, he took aim at porn. Not saying that I know what is going on in the mind of a serial killer, but that's just my thoughts.



    Anyway, I don't think porn is a bad thing at all, that being said, I do believe that it is used in the wrong way. It can be an awesome thing for married couples to enjoy together, but it is abused everyday by millions of men and women too. I am an advocate of abstinence before marriage and I think that porn tends to ruin that for a lot of people. I don't want to go as far as to say that it encourages sex, but I don't know exactly how to end this thought. I believe the human body is an incredibly beautiful thing, one that should be enjoyed and cherished by everyone, but porn abuses it.
  • Reply 19 of 97
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Carol A

    If women can't handle the competition from porn stars, maybe they need to get to the gym and get into shape. Anyone can be in good shape, with some time and effort...male and female. Getting into shape can only be for the good, right?



    With all due respect, are you going to tell me that you've never felt unjustly pressured to look like a cover girl? If you are, you've got to be the exception, not the rule. I think society does have an ideal body image, and women shouldn't have to succumb to it just because they feel unjustly guilty about it. Yes, exercising is generally good. But what about the woman who exercises and still doesn't look thin, nevermind look like a movie star? That type of woman might always feel pressured and no amount of exercise could change that. So I think your conclusion is rather naïve, especially coming from a woman, the sex that probably feels the pressure of an ideal body image more than a man. Of course all of that is changing as more men are pressured to do the same. Right Nick?
  • Reply 20 of 97
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    hey, at least women can make an effort.



    guys are either born with it or they're not. nothing you can do about it if you're on the short end of the stick so to speak.



    and nothing you have to do if you aren't.
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