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The Forum > Article Comments > Common misconceptions > Comments

Common misconceptions : Comments

By Antonella Gambotto-Burke, published 1/4/2008

Book Review: The P*rn Report, by Alan Mckee, Katherine Albury and Catharine Lumby, fails to debunk current misconceptions about p***ography.

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Jolanda,

Sturgeon's Law applies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeons_Law). If you think that porn cheapens the human race and drops standards, you may as well apply that to all popular culture. Evidently you also need to view some better porn; start will I Modi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Modi), and work up from there.

I notice that you also claim that "soft porn isn't nearly as dangerous or damaging as hard porn". I am aware of at least two empirical studies both of which show that it is the degree of degradation, not the level of sexual explicitness, that is dangerous and damaging. I am yet to be shown a study which shows the contrary.

"Attitudinal effects of degrading themes and sexual explicitness in video materials", Golde JA, Strassberg DS, Turner CM and Lowe K (2000), Sex Abuse, 12(3), 223-32

"Effects of long-term exposure to violent and sexually degrading depictions of women”, Linz DG, Donnerstein E and Penrod S (1988), J Pers Soc Psychol, 55(5), 758-68
Posted by Lev, Wednesday, 9 April 2008 9:26:59 PM
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Liam Mully “if you can show me in my post where I mentioned the below words or their implied meaning, that you acuse me of using I would be grateful.

"BIBLE BASHING", "PREACH", "BIGOTRY", "RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE".

Up until this point I thought I was dealing with a mature adult.

Obviously not.”

Those words are what I overlaid on your post.

They substitute for “Alcohol”, “Drink”, I added “to Bigotry” after your original words “were a slave”
And finally “Religious intolerance” substituted for pornography.

Which explains why I made the comment

“See just change a few words and I can challenge you with the same “reasoning” which you challenge me with.”

Oh except, I used UPPER case to distinguish my insertions to your original words.

As for “mature adult” consider me young at heart in contrast to your posting style of the already dead.



Jolanda “The thing is rstuart is that I think that porn cheapens the human race and drops standards. It is just my opinion of course.”

What individuals choose to enjoy in the privacy of their own home or in properly licenced premises is up to them.

What cheapens the human race and drops standards is the unwarranted interference by the state in using draconian legislation or censorship of some form to curtail individual rights to engage privately, in whatever they want either alone or with other consenting adults.

I fail to see how me looking are naked women “cheapens” the human race.

The first real life naked woman I ever saw was in an art college life drawing class and all these years later, I still enjoy seeing naked women.

I think women are inherently beautiful and far more interesting to look at than men but that is my subjective standard. My partner enjoys seeing naked men far more than I do.

As for “drops standards”

Anyone can only support a standard when they can exercise the choice to do so.

Censorship, by its very nature, drops the “standard” to zero because when all choice is denied, no one can aspire to any standard.
Posted by Col Rouge, Wednesday, 9 April 2008 9:28:27 PM
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SJF, "Who says that putting more controls on the availability of pornography is ‘shaping’ how people think?".

It's the main premise of the original article. A quote from it: "girl raped by a pornography-saturated 10-year-old boy". The argument made by article was something like "The Porn Book purports to have figures showing pornography doesn't shape behaviour, but they are so inconsequential as to be bizarre."

Every post that supports the original article has, to the man, continued with this argument alone. Yiden: "Reducing women and children to sexual objects", runner: "led to rape", bettymc: "impact of pornography on rape", Fractle: "shudder to think of the warped imprint", and on and on it goes. Its almost as if they think repeating it makes it true. And then you come along and imply no-one is making that argument. Ye Gods!

Another argument can be made: 1/2 the population dislike porn, some to the point of disgust. Ignoring their feelings on the matter is in my mind wrong, and as a practical matter impossible in a democracy like ours. Fortunately compromise is possible - restrict porn so it only visible to those that seek it out. We implement that compromise now - I think reasonably well, but I am sure an argument could be made for some place that we aren't doing it so well. It would be an argument acknowledging that 1/2 the population liked porn, 1/2 don't, and proposing some change in the compromise.

No one writing in support of the article makes an argument like that. Instead what we see are arguments for banning porn entirely, without consideration or compromise given to the other side. Since most studies show porn does no harm its a bit hard to justify this. You certainly can't with an argument based on getting the compromise right. So that argument is ignored, the science dismissed with appeals to "common sense" supported by lurid fantasy's, and porn is portrayed as destroying society or some such nonsense. Most would call this lying. The icing on the cake is while doing this they claim the moral high ground.
Posted by rstuart, Thursday, 10 April 2008 1:16:59 PM
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Rstuart

I have not once called for an outright ban on porn, nor do I tell people how to llive their lives.

I do have concerns about hardcore porn and how it stereostypes women AND the impact of these images has on younger people who are still understanding their sexuality.

I can't help but notice that those who believe porn is harmless are all hetero and mostly male.

Some have even argued that porn reduces rape. I have to ask what kind of person thinks seeing people being raped has a healthy attitude to sex and the people upon whom the rape is conducted?

Please also see my post at: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1644&page=0#32203
Which compares stereotypes in advertising and in porn.

Also, if you believe that the sex-industry is a healthy and worthy career would you encourage your children into it? If yes, please tell me why.

My issue is that porn is based on a very narrow aspect of hetero male sexuality (not all men find hardcore all that enthralling either) - there is little in it for women that is particularly of sexual interest/arousal. Once you've seen one dick going in and out of a vagina/anus/mouth....

I want quality, I don't watch trash TV or trashy movies and I would like to see porn that actually presents women in a positive way rather than as objects. There is some, but not much that caters to female sexuality.

What I find particularly worrisome is that ANY criticism of porn is seen as an attack by the "boys club" here. It is not. Women like to have fun too, our sexuality is never presented in anything but as serving males. BORING.

Also disturbing, is the lack of comment on the need for comprehensive education of our children to ensure that they grow up with respect for their bodies and those of others. Yet porn is available at the touch of a keyboard. Absurd and sad.
Posted by Fractelle, Thursday, 10 April 2008 1:47:46 PM
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Fractelle,

- "those who believe porn is harmless are all hetero"

That's plain wrong.

- "and mostly male."

Yes, and the other side is mostly female. Is this significant? Are you saying more weight should be put on one sides opinions because of their gender?

- "what person seeing people being raped has a healthy attitude to sex"

A male person, usually. Perhaps Japanese. Japanese men like porn depicting fantasy rape - more so than any other race on the planet. They are also the least likely to perpetrate violence on women.

- "compares stereotypes in advertising and in porn"

And the relevance to porn being harmful would be?

- "would you encourage your children into it"

No. But I wouldn't be upset over it either. Its not like they are going to do themselves permanent harm by working in it. They are after all free to leave at any time. Commuting on a motor bike, working in a physically dangerous industry (eq journalist in a war zone) - that would scare me. But I don't to get say in whether they do those things either. That is how it should be, I think. Not stepping aside for the younger generation would be far more unhealthy for our society than them not allowing them the freedom to look at inappropriate pictures.

- "What I find particularly worrisome is that ANY criticism ..."

Descriptions of bleeding vagina's and pornography soaked teenage rape goes beyond ANY criticism, doesn't it?

- "BORING."

Is that your only criticism of it? And merely being boring warrants you spending this many words on it? Admit it. It does more than just bore you.

- "Also disturbing, is the .. respect ..."

Actually some of the figures from The Porn Book that Antonella dismissed as "inconsequential" showed that women were in control of the sex that occurred, had normal bodies, and in general were treated with respect. Maybe we should use them as educational videos? NO, I hear you say? Then the issue can't be respect, can it? What is it you don't like about them?
Posted by rstuart, Thursday, 10 April 2008 3:33:24 PM
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I am so bored of reading the same thing from the pro-pornography fellas. Stop trying to justify your perverted actions with meaningless words.

Goodbye!
Posted by NUGSY, Thursday, 10 April 2008 3:51:14 PM
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