Art, science and love.

It seems as though that over the past few days I’ve had more run-ins with pornography than what I would usually expect in a day. I watched a movie where an atheist couple’s video store is shut down in the early 90’s or some time like that because of their “adult video section”, a couple of friends and I were hunting around “porno tube” for kicks, I saw the wheelchair accidental pornography and ran into Sage’s post about porn.

I’ve always wanted to write a feminist post about my views on porn. If it increases rape, if it belittles women, if it should be for 21+, 18+ or even 16+… If certain things should be banned from porn, if porn should be sold pretty much everywhere, if sold should be in libraries… etc. But the fact of the matter is, my answer to all of these things is “I don’t know”. Truth be told, I really don’t watch porn, I always thought that maybe I’d “grow into it” but I have yet for that stage in life to happen. I have watched porn, but with friends, when we all laugh at it.

After days of contemplation I have decided that porn is speech, and people shouldn’t be afraid to let out information that they like that speech, or have been involved with that speech. I think porn stars should be able to freely list it as previous job on their resume and that people should be able to rent it without feeling ashamed when they walk up to the counter at the video store.  Sex is natural, sexual arousal is natural and needing help to become sexually aroused is completely normal. I obviously think child porn is wrong… If I lived in the States, my argument would thus be that porn is completely within the coverage of the First Amendment.

The fact that pornography strikes up debates within feminist groups, and raises issues and ideas about class, gender and race shows that pornography conveys and communicates ideas and a premise therefore it should be protected as free speech.

When someone watches porn, they may not realize it or make the connection, but they are is mediated thought. The viewer is aiming at a particular frame of mind, and the intention of having the pornography is to control the thoughts. A law that prevents shooting up heroin is protecting people from a body disabling and physically disastrous abuse, rather then preventing a person from thinking.

I don’t believe that casual induction into pornography will disable a person’s social skills. I also don’t think a husband who reads playboy is tearing apart a family, I think there are some communication issues - but if that’s where he wants his thoughts to be, that’s where they are going to be. Some of the most celebrated movies, pieces of art and compositions of music have been created out of the freedom of thought, and out of the ability to allow one to stagger into dangerous areas of the mind. Sexuality, in this same idea, can be seen as an art form to a person, and pornography is a way to lead your thoughts into areas of exploration resulting in something more enjoyable, more exciting and more interesting.

We don’t confine an artists mind from exploring the darkest corners, so why should we put shame on those who want to wander into the unknown world of sexuality and get help with being sexually aroused? We shouldn’t.

This isn’t to say that I don’t have problems with porn. I think a lot of pornography puts women in to a submissive role. It also gives false ideas about what sex is like in real life… (women don’t have an orgasm giving the guy a blow job, believe it or not.) There are also direct inflictions on racial differences and discriminations which I don’t agree with. I’ve read many papers exploring the racial discrimination in Hustler magazines… with black men looking big, mean, controlling and extremely in power, were has a white man would look small and insignificant. The black man would basically rape and pillage what appears to be a woman belonging to the white man - I don’t think stuff like this is all that appealing.

Its hard to draw a line between art - speech - racism - misogyny. It depends on context and viewer. A picture of a visible racial discrimination in a Hustler magazine is going to portray a much different meaning and understanding than a picture of a visible racial discrimination in an art gallery. So for that reason, I will recognize that pornography can be harmful.

In regards to a submissive woman, I am fully aware that pornography will also show men in a submissive position - again, fine lines and who am I to call whats right and wrong? But it is a fact that pornography industries will willfully deceive consumers - so it is up to the consumer to be conscious of what they are looking at and what sort of understanding they should/are taking from it… Which I know, is a bit much to ask of a man who is whackin’ it, he’s a little preoccupied.

But that also says a few things about our society…  and how people are raised and what not… Anyway, my point is - porn is okay - to condemn and prevent it is to condemn and prevent growth of ideas and the mind … in a way…Also, I had a really hard time finding a picture to go with this post.