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Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
We have to do a debate paper in my English class as a final paper so I thought why not get a start on it. So here is my topic. Porn is it good or bad? So I would love if you all told me what you think. Goods the bads and links to read plus sites to look at and what not.
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GWC
Posts: 1407
Baltimore, Maryland, US
I think that u should do u're own homework.
GWC!
Model
dpretty
Posts: 8108
Ashland, Alabama, US
Photographer
Chris Macan
Posts: 13019
HAVERTOWN, Pennsylvania, US
I think it's....
Porn, Good and Bad.
Like everything else in life it's got both.
So is this really a school assignment or are you just fishin for some really "Slammin" porn links?
Photographer
Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
Chris Macan wrote:
I think it's....
Porn, Good and Bad.
Like everything else in life it's got both So what are some of the goods and some of the bads?
Photographer
Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
GWC wrote:
I think that u should do u're own homework.
GWC! I am I'm asking this then taking all the info I gather and putting it into a 2 page paper.
Photographer
Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
DreamPretty wrote:
http://porno.dreampretty.com
Enjoy!
Porn is good ;;D Thank you 
Photographer
GWC
Posts: 1407
Baltimore, Maryland, US
My favorite porno BS factoid is that if you look at the DOJ's own rape statistics, the rate of rape in the population has been going down sharply since the mid 1990s -- around the time that internet porn became widely available. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/rape.htm Andrea Dworkin can blow me. GWC!
Photographer
Chris Macan
Posts: 13019
HAVERTOWN, Pennsylvania, US
Jeremy B wrote:
So what are some of the goods and some of the bads? Good,
It's a cash cow of a business,
It can be use to get you hot with the one you love,
It can empower the actors/actresses,
Bad
The money in it often attracts the worst people into the industry,
It can come between you and the one you love,
Actors/actresses are used and tossed ot with the trash,
Photographer
Ellis-photo
Posts: 33
Rossford, Ohio, US
Some people don't know how to handle their porn and it becomes a gateway for more serious things. That's what I've heard debated about why it's bad. It can be like alcohol as a drug. Someone starts drinking than that's not enough so they graduate to harder chemicals etc. There's got be documentation somewhere on this line of research and why pschychologists say this sort of thing about pornography . . .
Model
dpretty
Posts: 8108
Ashland, Alabama, US
Ellis-photo wrote:
Some people don't know how to handle their porn and it becomes a gateway for more serious things. That's what I've heard debated about why it's bad. It can be like alcohol as a drug. Someone starts drinking than that's not enough so they graduate to harder chemicals etc. There's got be documentation somewhere on this line of research and why pschychologists say this sort of thing about pornography . . . I think this is just like the Drug War: bullsh*t propaganda. Every person is curious. Every man is doubly curious about sex. If they become addicted to pornography it is for a reason. Either they are lonely or horny or the reason becomes obvious. It's the same with drugs. Your average Dick and Jane don't have crack dealers or shoot up heroin regularly. But if you've had a tough life, or have other challenges to face like emotional instability or even a chemical imbalance like ADD, you might be more attracted to drugs. You can't blame the drug, and you can't blame the porn. And you can't blame the male and female porn stars for making a living at what they do best.
In sex, just like drugs, there's legal and illegal. Often the rules don't make sense when you consider that one sixteen year old girl may be more sexually active than a 25 year old woman who thinks she's going through menopause already. Do you think the sixteen year old cares that her behavior is illegal? Similarly, many legal drugs are addictive and have terrible side-effects and withdrawal symptoms. But marijuana is a medicine that is only habit-forming and has little or no withdrawal symptoms and only temporary memory loss. Nonetheless, it is illegal.
Beware of propaganda. The truth shall set you free.
Model
dpretty
Posts: 8108
Ashland, Alabama, US
GWC wrote:
My favorite porno BS factoid is that if you look at the DOJ's own rape statistics, the rate of rape in the population has been going down sharply since the mid 1990s -- around the time that internet porn became widely available.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/rape.htm
Andrea Dworkin can blow me.
GWC! This is my feeling on the subject. People who are open-minded about sex and watch porn and masturbate are less likely to commit violent sex crimes than those who are frustrated and confused about their sexuality. Men in particular NEED porn and were we to eliminate it from our culture and society, women would regret it as much as men. Besides, where would women discover their sexuality and earn that much-needed extra cash?
Photographer
Merlinpix
Posts: 7118
Farmingdale, New York, US
Chris Macan wrote:
It's a cash cow of a business,
It can be use to get you hot with the one you love,
It can empower the actors/actresses,
Bad
The money in it often attracts the worst people into the industry,
It can come between you and the one you love,
Actors/actresses are used and tossed ot with the trash, Chris sums it up nicely. Being a pornographer I can tell you I've met and worked with some absolutely fantastic people both as artists and as human beings.
Like everything else: you bring your trunk load of life experieces and apply them to what your currently doing.
You allow yourself to be used and spit out, or you drown in a sea of porn to the exclusion of the real world those would be your personal pitfalls not the direct result of viewing porn.
Paul
Model
dpretty
Posts: 8108
Ashland, Alabama, US
JJD Productions wrote:
Jeremy - you need to start your paper with a definition of porn. Otherwise you cannot conclude anything. Porn is not easily defined (I don't have a definition for you). Perhaps as you explore the good and bad aspects of the adult entertainment industry you will arrive at a definition of good porn and bad porn. Good luck - its not an easy assignment that you have selected.
Jim :-) [The anti-pornography movement is best considered from the Political Process Model, in which âsocial movement is held to be above all else a political rather than a psychological phenomenon,â? (McAdam 1997: 172) because the theory makes it possible to discuss the unique circumstances in which the movement arose. The movement arose in the 1970s because of the presence of feminist organizations and vocal theorists like Catharine MacKinnon who believed that men were responding to the increase in power among women by turning towards violent and child pornography. To feminists, pornography constituted âa massive hate crime against women as a gender,â? (Russell 1999: 15).]
http://porno.dreampretty.com
How's that for a definition? If you read my article, you might be surprised to learn that pornography has never been adequately defined, and yet it has been regulated and legislated against nonetheless. I believe the lack of a true definition is more exciting than trying to define it in a new way. An individual's interpretation of what is pornographic or obscene is dependent upon the individual's "standard of decency," which is itself dependent on upbringing and community standards. Although my mother calls herself a liberal, she grew up in the 60's and 70's and has some very outdated notions regarding pornography. So even age can effect your standard of decency. I am sure that I am willing to tolerate much more hard-core material than she is.
Model
dpretty
Posts: 8108
Ashland, Alabama, US
Jeremy B wrote:
Thank you No, thank you. I had nothing better to do this morning ;;D
Model
Claire Elizabeth
Posts: 1550
Exton, Pennsylvania, US
I did a report on this around Christmas and here is the gist of what I learned from my professor:
If it didn't serve a purpose it would cease to exist. Since it is still around, it is serving a purpose whether or not you think its good or bad. An example my professor gave me was "The Uses of Poverty" by Gans. Obviously everyone says poverty is bad but this guy came up with 15 reasons why it serves a purpose and benefits the country. It sounds crazy but its true. I'm not saying I think porn or poverty is good or bad I am just saying you should look at all of the angles.
Photographer
Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
Claire Elizabeth wrote:
I did a report on this around Christmas and here is the gist of what I learned from my professor:
If it didn't serve a purpose it would cease to exist. Since it is still around, it is serving a purpose whether or not you think its good or bad. An example my professor gave me was "The Uses of Poverty" by Gans. Obviously everyone says poverty is bad but this guy came up with 15 reasons why it serves a purpose and benefits the country. It sounds crazy but its true. I'm not saying I think porn or poverty is good or bad I am just saying you should look at all of the angles. And that's exacly what I'm hoping to be able to do after all the research I put into this paper.
Model
NC17
Posts: 1739
Baltimore, Maryland, US
I think you're going to need to rework your topic. Porn being good or bad really is a pretty weak argument over all. You can't really accurately argue whether something is "good" or "bad." What is good vs bad? That comes down to opinion. Finding a stronger arguement that has REAL facts will get you a better grade. Trust me, your debate teacher won't let you get away with that one!
Other people here have given you lots of good things to think about. The governments involvement in porn is something that would be nice to shed light on. They are pretty much 100% anit porn right now, and are cracking down on it left and right under the guise of "looking for child porn." The truth is they are going after anything that they don't like, for whatever reason. And really, there is no one to stop them. Try looking up information on the 2257 laws, or even the court case involving Extreme Associates vs The Supreme Court (don't quote me on that... It happened a while ago, and I just remember Extreme Associates was involved).
You might also try looking up Adult Video News or AVN online (probably avn.com) and trying to get in touch with someone there. They are pretty much the industry news information source.
The only way this is going to work for you is if you get credible sources. Otherwise, you're going to end up looking like you were only trying to wank off and write a paper at the same time. Which won't do your grade a bit of good.
Photographer
Jeremy Brotherton
Posts: 217
Dayton, Ohio, US
NC17 wrote:
I think you're going to need to rework your topic. Porn being good or bad really is a pretty weak argument over all. You can't really accurately argue whether something is "good" or "bad." What is good vs bad? That comes down to opinion. Finding a stronger arguement that has REAL facts will get you a better grade. Trust me, your debate teacher won't let you get away with that one!
Other people here have given you lots of good things to think about. The governments involvement in porn is something that would be nice to shed light on. They are pretty much 100% anit porn right now, and are cracking down on it left and right under the guise of "looking for child porn." The truth is they are going after anything that they don't like, for whatever reason. And really, there is no one to stop them. Try looking up information on the 2257 laws, or even the court case involving Extreme Associates vs The Supreme Court (don't quote me on that... It happened a while ago, and I just remember Extreme Associates was involved).
You might also try looking up Adult Video News or AVN online (probably avn.com) and trying to get in touch with someone there. They are pretty much the industry news information source.
The only way this is going to work for you is if you get credible sources. Otherwise, you're going to end up looking like you were only trying to wank off and write a paper at the same time. Which won't do your grade a bit of good. Way good points and I thank you for bringing them up. Hum...
Photographer
J A Y S E N
Posts: 684
Los Angeles, California, US
NC17 wrote:
I think you're going to need to rework your topic. Porn being good or bad really is a pretty weak argument over all. You can't really accurately argue whether something is "good" or "bad." What is good vs bad? That comes down to opinion. Finding a stronger arguement that has REAL facts will get you a better grade. Trust me, your debate teacher won't let you get away with that one!
Other people here have given you lots of good things to think about. The governments involvement in porn is something that would be nice to shed light on. They are pretty much 100% anit porn right now, and are cracking down on it left and right under the guise of "looking for child porn." The truth is they are going after anything that they don't like, for whatever reason. And really, there is no one to stop them. Try looking up information on the 2257 laws, or even the court case involving Extreme Associates vs The Supreme Court (don't quote me on that... It happened a while ago, and I just remember Extreme Associates was involved).
You might also try looking up Adult Video News or AVN online (probably avn.com) and trying to get in touch with someone there. They are pretty much the industry news information source.
The only way this is going to work for you is if you get credible sources. Otherwise, you're going to end up looking like you were only trying to wank off and write a paper at the same time. Which won't do your grade a bit of good.
Photographer
J A Y S E N
Posts: 684
Los Angeles, California, US
NC17 wrote:
I think you're going to need to rework your topic. Porn being good or bad really is a pretty weak argument over all. You can't really accurately argue whether something is "good" or "bad." I agree. That is too weak of a topic. Also, I agree with the guy who suggested defining porn right off the bat. Perhaps right before you state your argument at the beginning of your piece.
Photographer
The Exotic Matrix
Posts: 47
Irmo, South Carolina, US
Here is a quote by Larry Walters, one of the top First Amendment attorneys in the country:
Pornography is 100% Legal in all 50 States.
The 1st amendment gives you the freedom to view:
Porn, Porno, Pornography, dirty pictures, nudies, filthy pictures, and
any other name you can come up with.
However Obscene material is not legal. So how do you know the difference?
Is a naked woman obscene - NO
Is a naked man obscene - NO
Is a naked woman and a naked man having consensual sex (oral, anal or vaginal etc.) obscene - NO
Is a group of people having consensual sex obscene - NO
Is Hardcore Porn obscene - NO
Is a girl using a dildo obscene - NO
The list can go on and on.....
Ok, so what would probably be considered obscene?
Recent obscenity charges have been filed for one site that
specialized in women defecating (Bowel movement). So that might be considered obscene.
Obscenity charges have also been filed against people who deal in pictures containing
Actual Rape
Torture
Sex with Animals
Are these things mentioned above obscene? Well, no one knows until a 12 panel jury says yes or no.
Please take the time to check out these links, educate youself and your friends and be sure you know your rights,
because if you don't stand up for them and fight for them, the rights you enjoy might not be there in the future.
Lawrence G. Walters, Esq
Internet Freedom Association
Ynot Legal Department
The Adult Webmaster
Photographer
C R Photography
Posts: 3594
Pleasanton, California, US
DreamPretty wrote:
But marijuana is a medicine and only temporary memory loss. I always forget that part about gett'n high 
Ellis-photo wrote:
Some people don't know how to handle their porn and it becomes a gateway for more serious things. That's what I've heard debated about why it's bad. But there is a fine definition of porn and art and a huge difference in its context.
I think it was Supreme Court Judge Reinquist who said, âI canât describe porn to you, but if I see it I know what it isâ?.
Photographer
Creative Image
Posts: 1417
Avon, Connecticut, US
I think it should be said that DreamPretty is one fantastic researcher, and writes as well or better than anyone I've read on this site.
Photographer
Fotticelli
Posts: 12252
Rockville, Maryland, US
Good for what and bad for what?
There were numerous scientific studies on the impact of pornography on society and the findings can be described as: no significant link between pornography and issues like attitudes towards women, violent sex crimes against women, teen pregnancy, etc. I read somewhere that after republicans came to power in 1993 they established a scientific commission to study the issue. When the findings came back they were never publicized because they never found what the conservatives where looking for (blindness?, carpal tunnel syndrome?).
Photographer
Jim Goodwin
Posts: 219
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Jeremy B wrote:
So here is my topic. Porn is it good or bad? Well, there is good porn, and there is bad porn. The way I can tell the difference is good porn is watched, and bad porn gets fast-forwarded.
Photographer
Star
Posts: 17966
Los Angeles, California, US
Well one con I can give is I was shooting for my "other" job. The one I don't really talk about too much. And Dino was talking about how he hadn't had a relationship in months because he was too busy. So while he was doing scenes two times a day he wasn't ever having sex without a camera. He was too tired and worn out to do it on his own time, and sex for the camera is only so enjoyable. So that is a con,
Star
Photographer
Somewhere in Time Studi
Posts: 1247
Winter Haven, Florida, US
Jim Goodwin wrote:
Well, there is good porn, and there is bad porn. The way I can tell the difference is good porn is watched, and bad porn gets fast-forwarded. This is funny as hell....................and true!!
Oh yeah, I think I'm moving to Oregon TOMORROW!!
Photographer
Bob4friends
Posts: 207
Marietta, Georgia, US
DreamPretty wrote:
I think this is just like the Drug War: bullsh*t propaganda. Every person is curious. Every man is doubly curious about sex. If they become addicted to pornography it is for a reason. Either they are lonely or horny or the reason becomes obvious. It's the same with drugs. Your average Dick and Jane don't have crack dealers or shoot up heroin regularly. But if you've had a tough life, or have other challenges to face like emotional instability or even a chemical imbalance like ADD, you might be more attracted to drugs. You can't blame the drug, and you can't blame the porn. And you can't blame the male and female porn stars for making a living at what they do best.
In sex, just like drugs, there's legal and illegal. Often the rules don't make sense when you consider that one sixteen year old girl may be more sexually active than a 25 year old woman who thinks she's going through menopause already. Do you think the sixteen year old cares that her behavior is illegal? Similarly, many legal drugs are addictive and have terrible side-effects and withdrawal symptoms. But marijuana is a medicine that is only habit-forming and has little or no withdrawal symptoms and only temporary memory loss. Nonetheless, it is illegal.
Beware of propaganda. The truth shall set you free. I like this guy ! ......Uhm, I mean woman.....
Photographer
BrooklynPhoto
Posts: 290
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Jeremy B wrote:
We have to do a debate paper in my English class as a final paper so I thought why not get a start on it. So here is my topic. Porn is it good or bad? So I would love if you all told me what you think. Goods the bads and links to read plus sites to look at and what not. A two page paper on this won't even be enough space to set out the existing arguments. Purely from a structural/mechanical point of view, this topic is far too broad to give even remotely adequate treatment in two pages. You're trying too hard to be controversial and get attention- best advice I can give is choose a more managable topic.
Substantively. . . this is more off-topic than general mayhem and I don't have the time or energy to enter in to this debate.
Photographer
yani
Posts: 1041
Matawan, New Jersey, US
According to websters: "Writings, pictures,etc. intended primarily to arouse sexual desire
That being said:
We are completely immersed in a pornographic society. The etc includes musk cologne? the shape of our toothbrush handles... the scents of candles.... maybe ever Beer ads!
Great assignment!
Thump a bible!
Photographer
TRIPOD
Posts: 4515
I did a similar paper 25 years ago, for an English Lit class, at a Catholic college. Ostensibly it was about the obscenity charges and censorship of 'Lady Chatterly's Lover', but the professor encouraged us to not do a strict literary analysis, but a social/cultural/political critique (that was the point of this particular class).
Well, as one poster already pointed out, first you have to decide what you mean by 'good' and 'bad'. Do you mean in an economic sense, or a moral sense, or an aesthetic sense? Second is that you have to define what you mean by 'porn'. What is pornographic to me, might not be to someone else. It is a social and cultural construct that is defined by societies, communities, religions, as well as, of course, individuals. And it also changes over time. What was considered porn in the 70s (my youth) is laughable today. I mean a photo of someone's knees in Victorian England would have sparked a scandal 100 years ago.
I used two criteria;
-Does it have meaning?
-Does it have value? The value can be psychological, aesthetic, commercial, or some other criteria.
But in order to define porn, I figured out first, what, in that era, in that community, was not porn, i.e. erotica might not be porn, sex as an act in and of itself is generally not porn, merely having sex on film might not be porn. Heck, porn might not even have to have sex to be pornographic, and graphic sex in itself could be artistic and therefore not pornographic.
But third have some kind of critical criteria to guide and guage your argument and conclusions. Its one of those topical, emotional, politically-pressured issues that needs, at the very least a critical theory to work under whether it be pyschoanalysist, textural criticism, structural or post structural analysis, or even a Marxist perspective would work.
Thats all for now.
Matthew
Photographer
yani
Posts: 1041
Matawan, New Jersey, US
BrooklynPhoto wrote:
Substantively. . . this is more off-topic than general mayhem and I don't have the time or energy to enter in to this debate. seems like that statement enters you into it....... ;-)
Photographer
yani
Posts: 1041
Matawan, New Jersey, US
BrooklynPhoto wrote:
Substantively. . . this is more off-topic than general mayhem and I don't have the time or energy to enter in to this debate. seems like that statement enters you into it....... ;-)
Photographer
Habenero Photography
Posts: 1444
Mesa, Arizona, US
DreamPretty wrote:
http://porno.dreampretty.com
Enjoy!
Porn is good ;;D You wrote an excellent paper. I love it when there are brains within the beauty.
And for the OP, Porn is like everything else in life. Too much is bad, not enough can turn you into a fanatical suicide bomber looking towards 72 virgins in the afterlife. Moderation is best.
Photographer
Patrick Walberg
Posts: 45475
San Juan Bautista, California, US
DreamPretty wrote:
[The anti-pornography movement is best considered from the Political Process Model, in which âsocial movement is held to be above all else a political rather than a psychological phenomenon,â? (McAdam 1997: 172) because the theory makes it possible to discuss the unique circumstances in which the movement arose. The movement arose in the 1970s because of the presence of feminist organizations and vocal theorists like Catharine MacKinnon who believed that men were responding to the increase in power among women by turning towards violent and child pornography. To feminists, pornography constituted âa massive hate crime against women as a gender,â? (Russell 1999: 15).]
http://porno.dreampretty.com
How's that for a definition? If you read my article, you might be surprised to learn that pornography has never been adequately defined, and yet it has been regulated and legislated against nonetheless. I believe the lack of a true definition is more exciting than trying to define it in a new way. An individual's interpretation of what is pornographic or obscene is dependent upon the individual's "standard of decency," which is itself dependent on upbringing and community standards. Although my mother calls herself a liberal, she grew up in the 60's and 70's and has some very outdated notions regarding pornography. So even age can effect your standard of decency. I am sure that I am willing to tolerate much more hard-core material than she is. That's what I thought. It's not clearly defined, therefore as a matter of our own "individual preferences" it's subjective and not easily defined. Good morning Dream!
Photographer
Habenero Photography
Posts: 1444
Mesa, Arizona, US
Ellis-photo wrote:
Some people don't know how to handle their porn and it becomes a gateway for more serious things. That's what I've heard debated about why it's bad. It can be like alcohol as a drug. Someone starts drinking than that's not enough so they graduate to harder chemicals etc. There's got be documentation somewhere on this line of research and why pschychologists say this sort of thing about pornography . . . Just like some people are overindulgent with food, alcohol, drugs, and religion. Too much of anything is not good for you. Moderation is paramount!
Photographer
Patrick Walberg
Posts: 45475
San Juan Bautista, California, US
Habenero Photography wrote:
Just like some people are overindulgent with food, alcohol, drugs, and religion. Too much of anything is not good for you. Moderation is paramount! I have no problem with statement that moderation is good, but moderation of what? What exactly is "porn?" and what does "too much" do to you?
In addition ... how can you have "religion" in moderation? I do not consider myself "religious" but I am spiritual. Religion is completely man made. God is not. Religion did not make the Earth, but God did. Religion is not God.
Photographer
Habenero Photography
Posts: 1444
Mesa, Arizona, US
Patrick Walberg wrote:
I have no problem with statement that moderation is good, but moderation of what? What exactly is "porn?" and what does "too much" do to you?
In addition ... how can you have "religion" in moderation? I do not consider myself "religious" but I am spiritual. Religion is completely man made. God is not. Religion did not make the Earth, but God did. Religion is not God. Whenever you allow something to become more important than the other necessities in life, food, sex, sleep including any of these, you are endangering your life or mental health. Too much food makes one prone to diabetes, heart problems and other things. Obsessing over sex or lack of it, distracts one from normal healthful routines (often leading to overeating). Overindulging in drugs can kill you. Allowing religioius values (many of which are designed to make one more easily manipulated for the benefit of the clergy) to dominate ones life creates intolerant societies.
You can say God made Earth, but I take a different view. There are enough threads dealing with those differences, let's not go there in this one.
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