In Defence of Pornography

I used to feel as though I was a traitor to all women if I didn't hate the pornography industry. It's not that I particularly like it; it's just that I don't understand why so much time and energy has been spent restricting pornography sales and distribution when the negative themes present in some pornography occur in most of regular television.

According to numerous research findings, the simple act of viewing sex doesn't seem to cause any negative repercussions apart from unfulfilled sexual arousal or maybe a couple stains on a blanket. It's not sex, but violence (which is only present in an estimated 10 percent of all pornographic material) that has been shown to be harmful.

Given these discoveries, I'm pretty confused as to why people continue to dwell on the horrors of pornography. Have they not watched television? Gratuitous violence is present not only in prime-time "adult" shows, but in cartoons as well. And this is to say nothing of the narrowly defined roles to which television and movie women are confined. Even if pornography was proportionately as violent and sexist as television, the fraction of the population exposed to television is much greater.

Aside from those with a satellite dish or those who discovered mommy and daddy's secret box in the attic, viewing pornography is limited to adults over 18. Pornography just isn't a part of our daily life like television and movies are. I know that my family didn't go out on Sundays for "dinner and a porn," and as open as my parents were about sex, I can't recall my mother ever saying to me, "Amber, no porn till you finish your homework." Television, on the other hand, has become not only a favorite American pass time, but also a reliable babysitter.

Not only are people more widely exposed to television, but they also take the messages in television more seriously. "Good" entertainment means feasible plot lines. Characters are written so that the audience can identify with them, take an interest in their lives, and justify their actions. When sexism and violence are present in this type of entertainment, they have the power to affect the audience's views and values because the audience respects and sympathizes with the character supporting these views.

As fascinating as repair men and hot tubs can be, I'd be willing to bet that most people don't watch pornographic videos to be intellectually stimulated. Pornography is defined as material intended to sexually arouse, not material with a thrilling plot. We tend not to identify with the characters outside of "I wish I were getting laid right now," or "I remember in fifth grade when I had a haircut that was almost that bad, and because we don't see the plots as realistic or the characters as role models, we are very aware that any messages present in pornography should be taken with a grain of salt. Violence, rape, and degradation to women are not only most often viewed in TV and movies, but the messages there are also more insidious because they are being absorbed in an environment that is "real."

Nonetheless, we continue to denigrate pornography and porn stars, while all the while admiring Bruce Willis and Vin Diesel. Parents would have an aneurysm if Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck started getting it on in the middle of Saturday morning cartoons, and yet they laugh when Wiley Coyote gets an anvil dropped on his head.

We are willing to blame sex for having negative effects on our society because it is neatly quadrooned off in the form of the commonly disrespected pornography industry. We're not willing to blame violence, however, because that would involve attacking every respected media giant in the country.

If we are a society plagued by the sexually perverse, it is because of the beliefs and values that slipped discreetly into our subconscious when we weren't paying attention: after school one day when we were vegging in front of the TV, or while we were waiting for the dentist and flipping through a magazine. It's not because of pornography; those messages are too blatant. If we want to protect women from sexual violence, low self esteem, and bad body image, let's concentrate on the mass media. Only when that problem is solved does it make sense to go after pornography.