Houellebecq,
When I said < Even “healthy” families are bound to succumb in a society devoted to peeling away the ideological layers in order to tap the (im)pure, incoherent desire within> I used inverted commas to indicate the “dubious” nature of “healthy” families—that is that their uprightness illustrates their credulous subscription to mores that are pure mythology. No family evolves its own morality, it partakes of “social” norms and morality, generally whether it complies or transgresses. Morality isn’t based on universals, but on cooperation and mutual benefits dressed-up as universals. Most of us don’t think this through because compliance is maintained and propagated much more effectively by fostering norms and taboos as God-givens—couching them in terms of “God’s law” and shrouding them in ritual. We don’t think them through, not because we can’t, but from force of habit, and because we dare not, more from existential than reverential fear, though we all suspend disbelief more or less. Earnest compliance is a marker of the subject’s naïve enthralment with all this, but it can’t be maintained, the personal battle between good and evil, if the family’s dissolute. Neither can Brady Bunch type families maintain the pretence if society’s dissolute, and this is what I meant, though I don’t use terms like dissolute and evil credulously. Libertarians will flatter themselves that porn is “freedom”, but the danger is that society requires ideology, not just for the sake of cooperation, but to maintain illusions of innocence, love, purpose etc.
As for the ladies the author here seeks to defend, with their laced-up moralities, inhibitions and sheer credulousness, they can’t possibly compete with porn-stars for the attentions of their men, who use sex as an outlet from stifling social convention. To this extent I agree that porn’s freedom, but really it’s just another order of compliance, commodified freedom based on exploitation.

Tony Lavis,
I don't believe paedophiles are a rare aberration; disturbingly, I think like rape it's potential in all men, it just wants the right circumstances and "freedom".

Mychoice,

Perhaps we could improve society further by getting rid of more legal, but unhealthy choices.

Ban
All alchohol, incl wine, beer etc,
non decaffeinated Coffee,
Fatty foods,
mobile phones,
Gambling.
Ban all the above from TV programs and only screen "uplifting programs"

Make prostitution, one night stands, and extra marital affairs illegal.
close all establishments after 10pm as lack of sleep is distressing.

I am not pro pornography, I AM against interfering busybodies trying to micro manage every aspect of human behaviour. There are lots of things that we do that are not ideal, but provide, entertainment, etc.

Live with it.

'disturbingly, I think like rape it's potential in all men, it just wants the right circumstances and "freedom".'

That's pretty creepy squeers. Speaking for myself I have absolutely no attraction to sexually immature females, and I can think of no circumstances where I could.

'credulous subscription to mores that are pure mythology.'

I don't subscribe to any mythology, I'm not even married, I just love my partner, and have decided I want. You can say what I want is influenced by conditioning, but it's basically just an intelligent cause and effect observation. I just value the relationship with my partner over lustful desires with other people. I value not seeing her hurt. She stacks up pretty well against most of the which helps I suppose.

In summary it's nothing to do with morality, just me knowing what's in my best interests. I also indulge in romancing my partner as I enjoy the dance. Not everything is mandated by some kind of morality. Humans enjoy intimate connections.

'they can’t possibly compete with porn-stars for the attentions of their men, who use sex as an outlet from stifling social convention.'

I agree to some extent some are escaping, as women escape into romance novels. Whether they're escaping some enforced morality I would argue against. Probably escaping their own emotional vulnerability more like it.

Anyway it's not always so complicated. Men like to see beautiful naked woman. Simple story really.

David G what page are you on man. 'Porn = good! Anti-porn = bad'. How did you go in comprehension at school?

'Humans are such pathetic creatures.'

Are you human? Self deprecating much?

Tony,

'Ms. Bueskens' rather desperate attempt to conflate it with regular porn consumption'

It's par for the course in feminist discourse. See they hate the stereotyping but all feminists deep down are with squeers and think all men are rapists.

mychoice,

'Pornography depicts sexual scenerios that simply are not real'

That's what I've been arguing. It's fantasy.

'yet it creates an expectation that reality should comply with these outrageous scenes.'

Like Wuthering Heights?

I believe there's not too much wrong with porn; always providing it reflects real life and educates, on how to please a partner. Speaking as an adult mature male; let me say that sex with the woman of your dreams and the love of your life is a truly beautiful delightful experience, magnified a million fold, when you know that it includes a mind-blowing orgasm in and for your partner.
This is always made more probable, when the woman is on top and taking the active role. WOW!
Tired and overstressed partners usually just want to go to bed and sleep; and this is so, even when a man is turned on, standing to attention and ready.
If you men folk would like to see less frustration and more "physical" activity, greet your partner with a really nice meal you have personally prepared with your own hands. Run a nice warm bath for her replete with bath oils, a nice gentle neck massage and perhaps a glass of bubbly. You might even be very pleasantly surprised where that leads?
Make sure you are shaved and showered and smell nice; rather than say reeking of BO, alcohol or tobacco. Women are all too often entirely turned off by foul language, which empathises and underlines disrespect and for the most part is simply learned behaviour, which can just as easily be unlearned.
Nothing is too good for that special love of your life!
Finally let me add; there is something wrong with men who masturbate, when a normal heterosexual relationship is possible. And the divorce rates would be a lot lower, if we just concentrated on acts of kindness, instead of the usual bellyaching or endless control freak criticality.
Finally, and this is aimed at you single men, who are all alone without a real woman to hold in your arms. Sob!
There is nothing really wrong with pornography as a how to education tool.
I just wish they'd reintroduce the pussy, put back the pubes and much more natural representation of normal arousal and climaxing. Rhrosty.

Squeers,

I was just thinking about how it wasn't a rare aberration for women to sink to any lengths of depravity in order to exercise power over men. I was thinking that while men have a natural sense of justice and are unwilling to cross some lines in the pursuit of power, women don't enjoy the same natural restraints. For women, there is nothing sacred, they go in for the kill, they want to destroy to very soul. Then I read your post:

"I don't believe paedophiles are a rare aberration; disturbingly, I think like rape it's potential in all men, it just wants the right circumstances and "freedom"."

It just shows what a mistake it was for men to assume that women could be equal to men. Like children, they don't know when to stop - when to draw the line. As for you, what a wretched and pathetic creature you are.

There's also the issue of people becoming mesmerised by Pornography and online activity generally, it's the same effect that poker machines have on some people, they'll sit for hours unable to move from the screen, a lot of depressed people spend much of their lives online.
I don't have any experience with people who've become obsessed with porn to that extent , but a few people I know have become addicted to gambling, Facebook or online games and the behaviour is usually a manifestation of depresssion or anxiety, the "zoning out" keeps the real world and it's pain away.
I don't really know where this article is going if it fails to include this perspective on the use of pornography, presumably it's over use by men is seen as the real problem and I'd argue that the high rates of depression among men would be the most significant factor at play here.
The pursuit of ever harder and more degrading content is as far as I understand it usually a matter of "how low can I go", how much can I validate my feelings of worthlessness and self hatred through plumbing the depths of depravity.
This is one explanation of the rise in females (and I suspect many males) being caught with child exploitation material, it's a downward spiral caused by chronic mental problems and lowered inhibitions due to the drug and alchohol abuse which all too often accompanies depression, not so much related to sexuality at a basic level.