In class, we started talking about one of the most interesting, yet awkward subjects to talk about: Pornography. And I don't just say "interesting," because it involves nudity and sex. I say interesting, because its something that is considered so taboo, so shameful, yet so normal at the same time. In the film we watched in class, it was stated that the porn industry makes an estimated ten to fourteen BILLION dollars a year. That's a lot of money. More then any other form of media combined. But why? Is it because of it's availability? The majority of Porn that people look at nowadays is internet porn. Websites make their money from advertising and you can't go onto a single website without seeing some from of advertising. Ever notice how the more popular Youtube became, the more advertisements it became laced with? Sex sells, period. Whether its literal sex or suggestive sex, or a product that promises to get you sex. Whether we like it or not, we all at some point or another have bought something for that reason. And lets face it, Old Spice has definitely got it right.
The other element to why Porn sells so well is the sexual
fantasy it promises to fulfill. We all read books and watch movies to
get inside fictional character's minds. To feel like we're witches,
wizards, superheros, rock stars, or whatever. We can't all be these
things, however. And lets face it, not everyone can get the kind of sex
they want. If we did, the porn industry wouldn't be making so much
money. It's not that we can't get sex. We can. But it's hard to
find people who are interested in the same things you are and willing to
do certain "favors." Also, for most, it takes a significant amount of
work in order to get sex. With Porn, you can skip past flirting, dating
and the hard work of a relationship. Its just a click away. Of course,
you'll still be alone.
The Porn industry's fan base is almost all, not shockingly, men. But what I find interesting is that studies have been done that women actually have a stronger sex drive then men. Just one that is not as frequent. The stereotype is that men just want sex. Plain, simple sex. No commitment, no emotional attachment, no strings attached. And it might be true and some cases, that men look more towards the physical, pleasurable aspects of sex rather then the emotions that come along with it. And God forbid, love. But we've seen on shows like Sex and the City, that women enjoy having sex this way too. The entire pilot episode of the show was all about casual sex. Sure, more then often they are ridiculed for it, by being called "sluts" and "whores." But if they weren't so often criticized, would we still view things this way?
I've actually asked people questions about this. Most women say that they prefer something with a plot. Just plain sex is not a turn on. It's also because the people who make porn are almost all men, so what they film is biased towards heterosexual men. I am sure that no women wants to watch something that makes her feel bad about herself. Or rather, if the actress doesn't look like they're enjoying it, then it can't be good. Most women who actually do watch, or have watched porn, watch Erotica. Erotica, also known as soft-core porn is simply porn without the penis. Most Erotica involves a plot, often a parody of another film. Most men don't like Erotica because it doesn't show enough. It's considered boring. Wait, more heterosexual men want to see male genitalia then women? Sounds a bit off to me. The thing about most Erotica, however, is that it is not as degrading to women.
Herein, lies the problem with porn. Something that could be relatively harmless becomes offensive and degrading. There is nothing wrong with sex. We all know that. But an industry that the media likes to glamorize, that seems like such a good way for young women (and men) to make money becomes much darker and honestly, sad, then we need to do something about it. Yes, its good money, but its often short lived and the processes that women go through in order to get into it are sickening.
Personally, if the actors and actresses don't look like they're enjoying it, then its not something that I want to see.
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