Does porn exploit women and is it abusive and misogynistic?

[Rum]

I have to say that I have enjoyed my occasional visits to a couple of 'special' sites less and less of late as this notion has developed in my mind. Yesterday on Radio 4 there was a discussion about it and I found myself agreeing pretty consistently with a fairly radical left wing feminist who viewed the whole industry as exploitative and abusive towards women.

I am led not by just by ideology here but my own increasing discomfort in watching it at all (not exactly a frequent thing in any case). One can argue that the women who get involved make a lot of money and I imagine a few do, but for many it may be a case of needs must.

I would like to be convinced that I am wrong quite frankly.

[Robert_S]

Depends on the porn and depends on the woman.

I've seen more porn lately where I've been gotten a creepy vibe off it. But then again, it's an option among other options for the women unless there's coercion.

"Porn" isn't a monolithic thing. Even if the majority of it is exploitative and abusive, you go wrong if you say that porn is inherently exploitative. Same as if you took a shitty migrant worker situation and used that to call farming exploitative, or if you took the machine that crated and will eventually chew up and spit out Justin Beiber and used that to make general statements about all music.

What would make the current porn industry better? Perhaps structuring it in a way that gives the women more power in the situation. Perhaps a better economic situation all around would help too.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

When you look at the more extreme forms of BDSM that have voluntary participants you can see that the line isn't easily drawn. Sex workers have many different stories to tell.

[Pappa]

I think "mainstream" porn is exploitative and debasing.

[Svartalf]

I'll seriously think about this when I have a girlfriend and can get release without help from pr0n

[rainbow]

I think "mainstream" porn is exploitative and debasing.

Correct. If it turns you on, it's Erotica. This is OK.

If it doesn't it's Porn. This is bad.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Rule 34.

[NineBerry]

Use gay porn instead.

[Tyrannical]

It exploits men, and is ummmm, misterogynistic.

[JimC]

Yes...

and no...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Blanket statements are worthless.

[rainbow]

Blanket statements are worthless.

You can't generalise.

[Audley Strange]

I have to say that I have enjoyed my occasional visits to a couple of 'special' sites less and less of late as this notion has developed in my mind. Yesterday on Radio 4 there was a discussion about it and I found myself agreeing pretty consistently with a fairly radical left wing feminist who viewed the whole industry as exploitative and abusive towards women.

I am led not by just by ideology here but my own increasing discomfort in watching it at all (not exactly a frequent thing in any case). One can argue that the women who get involved make a lot of money and I imagine a few do, but for many it may be a case of needs must.

I would like to be convinced that I am wrong quite frankly.

Well I'd say that a lot of it is definitely catering to a market of power fantasy, which had idioms which are misogynistic and misandric and I'd say that perhaps the male and female whores within the industry are being exploited. However so is someone who's boss demands they work overtime for no pay. However porn runs a large gamut from kidnapped and tortured sex slaves to middle age drunk couples uploading their fleshy shenanigans for their international swinger pals.

There is not much one can say to defend the kind of porn statements like "See these tiny barely legal bitches get rammed hard in all holes" or "Watch a black monster cock tear up this stupid slut's asshole" that seep through.

Discomfort is an interesting thing. I wrote a short story once about a guy I used to speak to across the net who used to look up amateur porn only to find his daughter one night being fucked ragged by some dodgy looking thugs. There was a tragic story behind it of cocaine abuse and manipulation, but most of the time when I even consider porn that always sticks in my mind. All in all? Yeah the anti-sex league do have a point, to an extent, but as usual it's one sided and ignores a whole lot of abuse and exploitation of men and women involved in the industry. For example. Reducing black men to being a large cock machine that's going to deflower your virginal wife is pretty fucking racist and objectifying.

There is a dark side to it because it there is a dark side to human sexual fantasy. Of course the Anti-Sex league, being miserablists and anaemic prudes don't understand that, but I'm beginning to think they don't understand anything.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Blanket statements are worthless.

You can't generalise.

In general, that's true.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I don't care.