Image by artsy_j.
The other risk with porn is that you may end up in anger management classes while waiting for your skintube video to buffer. Other than that, when you find hot porn, no one gets hurt unless they’ve carefully negotiated the scene beforehand and then asked the lady with the whip very nicely. Still, the alleged dangers of porn are not only overhyped but made of myths largely made up by people with no supporting data (and stereotypically, propaganda-fueled agendas that do not seek facts). No, really. Just ask people who make statements about porn causing pathological and/or harmful behavior where they got the hard data for their ‘facts’. It’s fun. I do it all the time.
New research suggests porn is overly demonized
(…) But new research out of the University of Montreal suggests that pornography is so widely digested, and with such a seemingly low correlation to “pathological” behavior, that it is grossly over-demonized. The research is funded by the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Family Violence and Violence Against Women.
Simon Louis Lajeunesse, a postdoctoral student and professor at the School of Social Work, set out to examine the effects of pornography on men, which would involve studying men in their 20s who’ve never consumed pornography. “We couldn’t find any,” he says.
Still at an early stage of the study, Lajeunesse has so far recruited 20 heterosexual male university students who, as consumers of pornography, are representative of, well, heterosexual male university students. The objective of the study, he says, “is to observe the impact of pornography on the sexuality of men, and how it shapes their perception of men and women.”
Subjects shared their sexual history, beginning with their first experience with pornography, which for most boys happens by the age of 10. The research so far shows that 90 percent of pornography is consumed online and 10 percent through video stores. On average, men who are single watch porn about three times a week for about 40 minutes, while men who are in relationships watch about 1.7 times a week for about 20 minutes.
All test subjects report that they support gender equality, and that they feel victimized by rhetoric that demonizes pornography.
“Pornography hasn’t changed their perception of women or their relationship which they all want as harmonious and fulfilling as possible,” Lajeunesse says. “Those who could not live out their fantasy in real life with their partner simply set aside the fantasy. The fantasy is broken in the real world and men don’t want their partner to look like a porn star.” (Naomi Wolf has famously argued the opposite.)
Even though he has only interviewed 20 men so far, Lajeunesse says his work is already refuting pornography’s role in changing sexual behavior. “If pornography had the impact that many claim it has, you would just have to show heterosexual films to a homosexual to change his sexual orientation.” (…read more, news.cnet.com)
Update 12.02.09: Wow, the cNet writer left out the best part of that last quote. How unfortunate. Lajeunesse actually said, “Aggressors don’t need pornography to be violent and addicts can be addicted to drugs, alcohol, gaming and asocial cases are pathological. If pornography had the impact that many claim it has, you would just have to show heterosexual films to a homosexual to change his sexual orientation.” Here is great writeup on PsychCentral today with better quotes (more complete) and additional fun information on the study: Pornography’s Effect on Men Under Study:
(…) The research concluded that 90 percent of pornography is consumed on the Internet, while 10 percent comes from video stores. On average, single men watch pornography three times a week for 40 minutes. Those who are in committed relationships watch it on average 1.7 times a week for 20 minutes.
Lajeunesse found most boys seek out pornographic material by the age of 10, when they are most sexually curious. However, they quickly discard what they don’t like and find offensive. As adults, they will continue to look for content in tune with their image of sexuality. They also rarely consume pornography as a couple and always choose what they watch. (…read more, psychcentral.com, via Viviane)
If men don’t want their women to look like porn stars, why do porn stars have to look like porn stars?
“Porn stars’ starts to sound funny if you say it too many times.
Re, the Lajeunesse study: it was a survey of 20 men, from one university I think, which is an awfully low sample size to base any broad sociological conclusions on, I’m afraid.
“…beginning with their first experience with pornography, which for most boys happens by the age of 10.”
When I was in college, I discovered that virtually all of my male friends had some variation on this story: “When I was {10, 11, 12} I discovered my {father’s, uncle’s, older brother’s} stash of old Playboys…”
For me, it was around age 12, on the upper shelf of my father’s closet. Mind you, this was all before the internet; I imagine things play out differently these days.
Oh, Playboy. You were the go-to wank material for entire generations of boys; how far hast thou fallen?
Wow. I could stare at that photo all day. Thank you!
(And yes, the article is cool, but I suspect most of your readers already agree with it… ;) )
The results seem to be the same for marijuana use. The fact is, that if porn was dangerous, it would be easier to prove. Likewise if marijuana was addictive and dangerous it would not be so hard to find evidence.