Sexuality is everywhere in America, but we don't like to talk much about it beyond "He/She is totally hot" or exclaim about how tits on the big screen are unsightly and will warp children's' minds. Yet, we are consuming a staggering amount of pornographic material and generally speaking we have not self-destructed. So what's with this disconnect and why does it matter?
The easiest part to start with is the religious part, some folks feel their religious texts make an argument for the positives of monogamy and that means you should avoid other naked people even if they're only paper or pixels. But in a strange twist parts of the Feminist Culture (not all of it) view pornography in a negative light.
Feminism is an ideal about the equality of women and men, that all people can do all jobs if they so choose. Some Feminists feel that as long as no one is forced into pornography it is a perfectly acceptable field, usually they label themselves as "sex-positive." They can see that a woman choosing to be in pornographic materials could be powerful, the woman controls the men; the virgin-whore complex is turned upside down and the ladies get to go wild without the social consequences. Taken to the extreme you see people who are professional dominatrixes, individuals making good money to sexually abuse a man without actually engaging in sex themselves.
On the flip side however there are Feminists who see pornography as inherently hurtful to the cause and to the image of womanhood and usually they're called "anti-raunch" or simply "anti-pornography." Their position is that no matter how female friendly the material happens to be, it still sexualizes and objectifies the women involved. Of course some women are happy in these roles, so their argument by default extends to a position of even if the people involved are happy it still hurts the group as a whole. Objectification is bad because it commodifies a person and in this case also sexuality; and when something is a commodity it can be bought, sold, or abused because it is no longer regarded with same level of respect as something more intrinsic. There is also blame that body image issues and unrealistic expectations come from pornography as well as fashion magazines. So this group is against what they perceive as the wrongs that this culture perpetrates.
So this brings me around to something on Reddit. There are posts called Ask Me Anything; generally a
celebrity or professional in a field does a Q&A. Recently Bill Gates
did one, also recently several different porn stars and this started
turning the sociological wheels in my head.
Various photographers have already showcased on the internet how they airbrush models for magazines. Film studios have also elaborated on their techniques to make actors/actresses look a certain way for a film or enhance "attractive" features. Apparently some porn studios have begun to do the same thing through "behind the scenes" features about their films.
This is something I find both rather amusing and supremely interesting because it has the potential to offset many of the negative complaints attributed to pornography. Anyone who's seen such a film can tell you that these actors are capable of feats us mere mortals cannot achieve without ropes and a pit crew. A short summary includes: positions are many and varied in complexity, lots of body modifications, erections that last hours, erections that ought to be awarded ribbons for good breeding, curiously romantic backdrops, enough fluids to work a lazy river, etc. There are exceptions of course but this is just a quick a dirty list. But if all the men and women watching these films were told by the participants just what went into all that fucking around, then perhaps the myth would get dispelled.
Those erections didn't last for hours, it was good editing putting scenes together or different angles of the same stuff. She can't just perform on demand and neither should you, she used a bit of lube to get started or used a vibrator. In fact he couldn't either, a whole camera crew watching you get busy is intimidating to anyone not an exhibitionist. He either worked himself up or got some help through modern medicine. They paid to film at that sunny resort or fancy house, none of the crew lives there except maybe a director/producer.
I wonder what will happen next if these behind the scenes features continue. Will transparency lead to a lessening of these supposed social problems? Will blooper reels be far behind?
When the fog of myth is eliminated and we can see how it was all done surely our opinions will change and our neuroses lessen.
My bias: I disagree with the notion of pornography being a huge social ill.
Relevant book on this topic:
Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy
