Oh come on Antiseptic, are you suggesting there is anything 'natural' about the sex involved in porno movies?

Of course I wouldn't throw my daughter out if she 'took this path', but I sure as hell would make a huge noise about this choice, and I would wonder why she had to make this choice too.

Most women in the porno industry also have drug and alcohol problems, and sexually transmitted diseases and violence are rife.
I wouldn't want that for anyone's daughter.

By trying to deflect your apparent appreciation of the 'profession' of pornography by having a go at the profession of nursing and your false perception of my sex life says a lot about you.
There is nothing wrong with my back...

RObert, there are huge amounts of 'harm' done to all active participants in the pornography world, as I have said above.
The mental health issues alone would be enormous.
You would be hard pressed to find a more harmful job, except perhaps a terrorist...

>> If my daughter (or my son, for that matter, why didn't Ammonite mention him, I wonder?) was to make a quid out of doing it then I really can't see a problem, any more than I'd be able to see a problem if they chose to work as nurses even though I reckon that'd be a waste of their talents as well. <<

Anti

If I had been absolutely sure you had a son as well as a daughter - do you think I would've wasted the opportunity to ask whether you would have concerns about your boy working in porn? I am not going to suggest that you are trying to portray me as being only concerned about the welfare of women (although I do believe you are so doing), I'm not and have already expressed concern for my nephew watching extreme porn.

Given your answer regarding your daughter, I assume that you'd have no problems for your son working in the porn industry (as long as he was paid of course). However, I wish to clarify the porn I object is of the extreme variety such as degradation, bestiality not just sex.

My next question is do you see porn as a good career choice for your children as compared to nursing? Your appear to think that nursing is not worthy of their "talents" which is a very low opinion of the nursing profession - where would any of us be without it?

Anti - why not just admit you will say anything as long as it supports your interests - you like porn, fine.

However, I posit you are not at all concerned about the effect EXTREME porn has on anyone including your children. Disturbing. Please correct me if I am wrong.

PS

Could not reply until now due to posting limitations.

You guys are funny.

Suze, if my kids want to do a trade like nursing, I'll support them all the way. It's an honest enough way to earn a living. Shame that it seems to attract so many Mother Grundy types, but such is life. I'd encourage them to move to one of the more challenging parts of the industry like theatre or critical care.

Ammonite, I've already said I'd be uncomfortable, just as I'd be uncomfortable with other choices, but I'd learn to live with them. Over the years I've had to learn to live with all sorts of things I find unpalatable or that make me uncomfortable. I'm sure you've had to do the same.

If it makes you feel better then I'll happily say that I find some of the stuff depicted in porn a long way from titillating, but obviously some like it or it wouldn't get made. We've come a long way from French postcards.

What about prostitution? gambling etc.

Should everyone have the right to sue everyone else for the decisions they made as adults and later regretted?

The law assumes that people over the age of 18 are adults and that they are responsible for the decisions they made. The state is not there to protect people against stupid decisions, only to prevent them being forced into something they don't want.

If someone takes the ready cash that comes from pornography or prostitution, then as adults they have to accept the consequences. Freedom includes the freedom to make mistakes.

@suze

I think it is a difficult question, and depends entirely on the reasoning and thought process of the child in question. I would be proud to have a daughter like Bobbi Starr or a son like Danny Wylde. If you read some of the things they have written about why they do pornography, what they gave up to enter the business and what they hoped to get out of it, and what they actually get out of it, then you can only conclude that they are smart, healthy people fully in control of their own lives. More power to them. I think both are examples of well brought up people.

On the other hand, someone pushed into anything due to drug dependency or lack of options is obviously not a proud moment, regardless of the business in question. There is a real problem with the way that resources are distributed that can make sex work seem a good option. We have to be able to answer the question, 'what will the least privileged people be doing instead if we take away the "least bad" option?' Why not instead ensure there are better options, so that only those who really want to be there are?

I should also say that the 'all are on drugs' stereotype of pornographers isn't as true as you imply. While it certainly happens (just like in all other avenues of life), those who are on drugs, nobody wants to work with. They're difficult, don't turn up on time, and don't have energy or presence. People who are on drugs often do try to enter the industry because they assume they'll be accommodated, but they typically don't last long, and soon move on to claim that they were hardly done by by the industry.

SilverinCanberra

I like your reply to Suzeonline. I am sure that there a few people, just as in prostitution, who make a good living for a time as porn actors. Good on them.

I can think of better ways to make a living (I do mainstream acting when I can) and don't have to worry if my face winds up on in the news - can't say I'd feel the same if my face was associated with porn or prostitution - because society loves a label. Have you noticed how once a person does either prostitution or porn they are labelled as such, losing any other identity. For example, if a woman works as a librarian and is assaulted she is not forever labelled a 'librarian' in news reports, but if she worked as a prostitute, that is the label that will be used.

Of course all the above indicates the difficulties our society has with sex. However, to claim one must be religious to find some forms of porn abhorrent is spurious as you did:

>> It is hard to believe the "I'm not a religious nut and I hate porn" position. <<

Let me be very clear, I am an atheist. That doesn't mean I find all forms of porn acceptable. For other people who are not necessarily religious, full on porn is very confronting - even the relatively tame stuff like coming over a woman's face or anal.

And what does one write on one's CV? Porn acting is not for the long term, especially if you are female. Would like to see some studies into the self esteem and well being of the average porn actor - not just the successful ones.

And I still don't want my niece or nephew winding up in the industry - they have abilities to be engineers or veterinarians (as is the current preference) or any career that will carry them through life far better than the contacts one would make in the porn industry.