what's with porno?
June 16, 2006 11:34 PM Subscribe
is porn bad?
This post was deleted for the following reason: what the hell?
Is Chatfilter bad? No, it is good in its place. (And this isn't the place.)
posted by LarryC at 11:39 PM on June 16, 2006
posted by LarryC at 11:39 PM on June 16, 2006
We still don't have the time to hear you whine about anything.
posted by Gyan at 11:50 PM on June 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by Gyan at 11:50 PM on June 16, 2006 [1 favorite]
Do entirely subjective questions belong on metafilter?
posted by tnoetz01 at 11:50 PM on June 16, 2006
posted by tnoetz01 at 11:50 PM on June 16, 2006
Response by poster: thanks gyan, now my account is going to be disabled again...
posted by foraneagle2 at 11:51 PM on June 16, 2006
posted by foraneagle2 at 11:51 PM on June 16, 2006
thanks gyan, now my account is going to be disabled again...
That would be tragic.
posted by evariste at 11:53 PM on June 16, 2006
That would be tragic.
posted by evariste at 11:53 PM on June 16, 2006
Response by poster: oh well, $5 well spent. bye guys
posted by foraneagle2 at 11:54 PM on June 16, 2006
posted by foraneagle2 at 11:54 PM on June 16, 2006
Best answer: some porn is nice.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 12:01 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 12:01 AM on June 17, 2006
oh well, $5 well spent. bye guys
That's $5 you could've spent on bad porn.
posted by BorgLove at 12:17 AM on June 17, 2006
That's $5 you could've spent on bad porn.
posted by BorgLove at 12:17 AM on June 17, 2006
Best answer: You question is vague and nearly worthless... indeed, you don't even qualify what you mean with the word "porn" - are you referring to the film and Internet industry, the act of viewing or participating? Just what are you asking?
Despite this rotten question here goes:
Beyond the arguments of objectification of a certain sex (which is often valid only anecdotaly) I've never heard a solid SECULAR argument against viewing/using/participating in pornography.
There are serious questions of exploitation by misleading film makers (Girls Gone Wild comes to mind) which I think are pretty much covered under existing law and social mores. Of course there is always the underlying mechanics of sex which must at some level be answered (unprotected, STDs, unwanted pregnancies) but in general these are beyond the scope of porn as a media.
Beyond that the arguments against porn are often covered under an umbrella of general queasiness by religious types regarding sex of any type...
So... if you're moderate to deeply religious person then you should think twice about porn... maybe read up on what religious leaders have said about it.
If you're the least bit rational or secular then the idea of porn (it's existence, the industry, the viewing of, etc) probably doesn't come off as a bad thing.
posted by wfrgms at 12:19 AM on June 17, 2006
Despite this rotten question here goes:
Beyond the arguments of objectification of a certain sex (which is often valid only anecdotaly) I've never heard a solid SECULAR argument against viewing/using/participating in pornography.
There are serious questions of exploitation by misleading film makers (Girls Gone Wild comes to mind) which I think are pretty much covered under existing law and social mores. Of course there is always the underlying mechanics of sex which must at some level be answered (unprotected, STDs, unwanted pregnancies) but in general these are beyond the scope of porn as a media.
Beyond that the arguments against porn are often covered under an umbrella of general queasiness by religious types regarding sex of any type...
So... if you're moderate to deeply religious person then you should think twice about porn... maybe read up on what religious leaders have said about it.
If you're the least bit rational or secular then the idea of porn (it's existence, the industry, the viewing of, etc) probably doesn't come off as a bad thing.
posted by wfrgms at 12:19 AM on June 17, 2006
Heh. Rational = Secular. Don't let the President hear you say that!
posted by tnoetz01 at 12:25 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by tnoetz01 at 12:25 AM on June 17, 2006
Jesus, did you even bother to read the AskMe guidelines?
posted by Rhomboid at 12:38 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by Rhomboid at 12:38 AM on June 17, 2006
Response by poster: umm, i think Jesus has better sources of information
posted by foraneagle2 at 12:46 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by foraneagle2 at 12:46 AM on June 17, 2006
Best answer: Sometimes I am concerned that the girls are forced into it / enslaved into it in one way or another and that therefore it is bad. Generally I think it is bad, yes.
posted by Aghast. at 12:58 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by Aghast. at 12:58 AM on June 17, 2006
Response by poster: has anyone (attempted to) quit masturbation to porn and found mental/ physical results?
posted by foraneagle2 at 1:06 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by foraneagle2 at 1:06 AM on June 17, 2006
I did once and found I started posting asinine questions to AskMe. That said, I'm just sayin'.
posted by joe lisboa at 1:08 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by joe lisboa at 1:08 AM on June 17, 2006
I am concerned that the girls are forced into it / enslaved into it
People... (i.e. young women) can make poor career choices. However I think that if women were "forced" and "enslaved" into porn with any sort of frequency we'd probably hear more about it.
As things are it appears that people involved in making porn are doing it for monetary advancement which is the rational goal of any working person. Thus, I'm suspicious of any argument which claims these people (who are obviously professionals) are some how victims.
posted by wfrgms at 1:18 AM on June 17, 2006
People... (i.e. young women) can make poor career choices. However I think that if women were "forced" and "enslaved" into porn with any sort of frequency we'd probably hear more about it.
As things are it appears that people involved in making porn are doing it for monetary advancement which is the rational goal of any working person. Thus, I'm suspicious of any argument which claims these people (who are obviously professionals) are some how victims.
posted by wfrgms at 1:18 AM on June 17, 2006
Personally, I'd rather have a young lady within grabbing distance and that being said, someone I dig. But that's just me, and if pix or sounds or whatever turns someone else on I certainly won't say it's bad, as long as nobody is hurt, injured or otherwise exploited in the process.
posted by Mutant at 1:38 AM on June 17, 2006
posted by Mutant at 1:38 AM on June 17, 2006
Butthead said it best:
"When I see two girls kissing, I get a 'special' feeling".
posted by Scoo at 3:46 AM on June 17, 2006
"When I see two girls kissing, I get a 'special' feeling".
posted by Scoo at 3:46 AM on June 17, 2006
Best answer: foraneagle2, Google for "porn addiction", you will find message boards and plenty of other information about this subject.
In my opinion, if you're trying to live your life based on love, compassion and mindfulness I have to say that there's not really room for porn in that picture. Having said that, nobody is perfect and there's no sense beating yourself up about it if you have a hard time staying away from the stuff. Do your best to cultivate your passion for better things and it'll be easier. Developing your relationship with God (if that is part of your life) will make it easier as well.
posted by teleskiving at 4:37 AM on June 17, 2006
In my opinion, if you're trying to live your life based on love, compassion and mindfulness I have to say that there's not really room for porn in that picture. Having said that, nobody is perfect and there's no sense beating yourself up about it if you have a hard time staying away from the stuff. Do your best to cultivate your passion for better things and it'll be easier. Developing your relationship with God (if that is part of your life) will make it easier as well.
posted by teleskiving at 4:37 AM on June 17, 2006
One point that nobody's made yet is that porn creates false senses of reality. In pornworld, everyone is A) young, B) beautiful, C) really eager to have sex, all the time, D) instantly compatible with every partner.1 In real life ... not so much. So if you feed yourself porn, and tell yourself that it's what you should expect, you'll be sorely disappointed when you are with a real person. You'll be fucking way more than you'll be making love. And fucking ... compared with making love ... fucking sucks. Plus, those expectations can create tension and pain in your relationships, as your very real partners will likely feel inadequate, compared with contrived and very unreal scenes.
Also, note that online porn should probably be distinguished from offline porn. Offline porn is easily gettable, sure. But online porn is all over the place. Where, in the offline world, your actions have to steer you towards acquiring it (going to an adult store, buying it off a rack, etc.), the actions online that lead to porn are the same actions as the actions that get to MetaFilter. Typing, clicking links, etc., is enough a part of daily life, that typing and clicking over to pornographic sites is not that big a deal. The barrier to entry (har har) is much lower.
Here's a quote from an article from the Financial Times. (source)
1. I recognize that there are flavors of porn that feature A) not young, B) not beautiful, C) not eager [and probably D) incompatible] people. The point is the unrealistic expectations you set up, not the agents in your unrealistic expectations.
posted by Alt F4 at 5:14 AM on June 17, 2006
Also, note that online porn should probably be distinguished from offline porn. Offline porn is easily gettable, sure. But online porn is all over the place. Where, in the offline world, your actions have to steer you towards acquiring it (going to an adult store, buying it off a rack, etc.), the actions online that lead to porn are the same actions as the actions that get to MetaFilter. Typing, clicking links, etc., is enough a part of daily life, that typing and clicking over to pornographic sites is not that big a deal. The barrier to entry (har har) is much lower.
Here's a quote from an article from the Financial Times. (source)
“How many men are there here?” he asks, standing on the steps of St Martin in the Fields church. He surveys the tableau of anonymous office workers muffled against the cold. “Say there are 100, 200, 500...? How many will go home tonight and, with or without the knowledge of their partners, look at porn on the internet? You’d be surprised. Timothy Leary said about Sixties drug culture, ‘tune in and drop out’. The modern equivalent is ‘log on and get off’.”For the lazy, here's the link again to the full article. I fully believe that (internet) porn is going to create a lot of problems in the next several years.
He draws a line in the air between Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery. “You might think they don’t look the sort. Well, I don’t look the sort - but I’ve spent whole weekends with the curtains drawn, sitting in the dark apart from the blue light of the screen. It seems so creepy when it’s put like that.” He laughs and shrugs. “But everybody’s at it. Aren’t they?”
1. I recognize that there are flavors of porn that feature A) not young, B) not beautiful, C) not eager [and probably D) incompatible] people. The point is the unrealistic expectations you set up, not the agents in your unrealistic expectations.
posted by Alt F4 at 5:14 AM on June 17, 2006
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posted by fleacircus at 11:37 PM on June 16, 2006