Hello,

I was looking at www.hustlingtheleft.com and at the top of the site it has a banner with the description ‘ what 56 billion dollar industry is ignored by globalization critics?’

The answer is the pornography industry.

I haven’t found much with a search in Indymedia either.

Most anti-globalization/corporations site similar reason for opposition to commercialization, the reason I‘m concerned with and wish to encourage debate on Indymedia; Commodification of sexuality.

Anti - Globalization protestors usually believe that to commodity aspects of our humanity like; socialization/ relationships/intimacy, like corporations try to do in countless advertisements is wrong. I’m sure most contributors to this movement probably agree with that sentiment.

Does the same apply to pornography? A tricky one for the people of the left I’m guessing.

Not wanting to be seen ’siding’ with the anti-porn ’religious’, maybe people will side with the ’people vs. Larry Flynt movie’?

Not wanting to be seen as being ’anti-sex’, maybe people will be lassiez-faire in regards to porn.

Not believing there is anything wrong with porn, maybe people will say ’each to their own’.

Being porn consumers maybe your going to reply; Heck No!

Does the pornography industry deserve the protests, articles, analytical documentaries, and boycott’s that other ’products’, and corporations currently receive?

Before I go ahead I’ll introduce myself a bit.

I’m a 22 year old, black male. Girlfriend. Interested in life. Former pornography addict (still get the urges).

In this article I’m referring to the heterosexual/lesbian softcore/hardcore pornography found on late night cable television, and on the internet. I will also describe some pornography to give evidence for my argument, and to acquaint people unfamiliar with pornography with what I’m describing.

If you are familiar with anti-pornography articles please forgive me if this seems like I’m plagiarizing, I thought I’d try to re-present the arguments for Indy media - it annoys me when people simply link to websites without articles.

DOES PORNOGRAPHY EXPLOIT WOMEN?
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When I was in the midst of my addiction that was a common question I used to come across in my head.

I used to see the women as using their sexuality in order to get money from men, or see them as willing participants and genuinely enjoying what they did.

I questioned that when I began to watch behind the scene’s porn shows. One shown on channel 4 a few years ago involving a single mum from the UK going to the US and being talked into acts she refused to engage in before she went over there. In a final scene she met Max Hardcore a porn director/actor who literally beats, humiliates, and abuses women, he is notorious for shoving his penis so violently into a women’s mouth that they vomit. In the scene he shoved his penis down the throat of the women (who had heard of his reputation but did it for the money), he then held her in place so she couldn’t breath. She ran off crying and said she didn’t want to do it, she was extremely upset but Max pressured her (she had father issues which Max’s pressuring behaviour mirrored) into agreeing. At which point the documentary makers became so concerned for the lady that they stepped in and refused to allow it to continue. (If anyone is thinking of doing a web search for max hardcore, I warn you, you are going to find images of nothing more than a person who has contempt for female sexuality.)

Was she exploited? The documentary showed me that the actresses may not like what they are doing as much as I thought they did, but I still liked to watch it.

I didn’t realize until looking back that my pornography tastes had slowly (since 13) gone from admiring women’s bodies, to wanting to see them being humiliated. Thankfully I never got as far as viewing Max hardcore films, not because I didn’t want to, but because I knew psychologically I’d ‘go to a bad place’.

Does it exploit? I now have to come to the view yes.

I think it commodifies women’s sexuality and physiology. The description’s of genre’s for myself to choose from on porn site’s include; teen, tits, ass, anal, oral, asian, ebony, interracial, A2M (ass to mouth), gang bang, group, lesbian, and many more. Women, and sexual acts are categorized for the ease of consumption, like in a supermarket. If you’ve ever seen clips of porn expo shows you’ll see women displaying their bodies like products, and

In Gonzo pornography, which is a very popular form of pornography on the internet (see bang bus.com), women are frequently described as… cum-drinking whores, sluts, dirty bitches, cock-suckers, and nasty cunts.

What is the most popular porn? Amongst my friends growing up, our pornography and sexual tastes became increasingly attracted towards ’dominating’ women. We wanted them in a positions, and scenario’s, where they are vessels for our pleasure. We wanted to hear women call themselves, and be called; sluts, bitches, whores, cunts. We wanted to watch women ’owned’ via the ‘degrading’ act of anal sex and then having them perform oral sex to ejaculation (ass to mouth/A2M). We wanted to see a ‘dirty white whore gangbanged by big black dicks’, we wanted to see female face’s ejaculated on, we wanted them to display their bodies on camera for our inspection. Women were no more than meat, and objects of contempt to us. We loved to see them being dominated sexually by the men, they were tits, ass, and a pretty face to us. I don‘t believe we were the exception, judging by the seemingly infinite sites, channels, and movies that catered to our tastes.

Arguments I came across by people who had a pro or lassiez-faire view towards porn was that the women are fooling men into believing they have the power but in reality they are using their sexuality to gain money.

A quick argument to that is to look at how the women are described and probably viewed by millions of people and tell me they think money is an adequate substitute. Or if they believe the women would have that power if they didn’t undergo surgery, or aged? They have power as long as they cater to largely misogynistic fantasies.

What effect does allowing others to call you derogatory names, and doing A2M (after anal sex having the women perform oral sex to ejaculation), Bukkake (having multiple men ejaculate onto you), and gang bangs, in order to attain empowerment have on your psyche.

Do you think that someone who has genuine self-love, and respect for themselves would desire to be treated that way?

In the darker side of porn (that Dr Sharon Mitchell AIM founder admits is becoming more mainstream) being pissed on, beaten, bound and gagged, spat on, simulated rape, and being throat-f@#@ed to gagging and vomitting are trademark features. Does that sound like something psychologically healthy people subject themselves to for money?

What kind of message is being internalized by the assertion of the argument, ’ you have power as long as your are willing to use sell your body and dignity to be used for sexual humiliation, to arouse men?

If you are in doubt that female sexuality is objectified, and comodified by pornography, I would like you do web searches for websites and pay attention to how women are described, and how their bodies are displayed to us.

If you disagree please state your reasons why. May I suggest viewing popular gonzo porn producers bangbros.com. Please view sites for yourself, my aim is to provoke discussion.

From what I can gather - and upon reflection - the aim of the sex acts was to leave the women looking/feeling exhausted, used, and dominated. I began to reflect on the significance of the almost gonzo trademark of women’s faces being ejaculated onto, why is that the climax (no pun intended) of the film, why not kissing, and caressing her afterwards, and telling her how much you love her?

Is it healthy to disassociate intimacy from being naked infront of another person, penetrating and allowing yourself to be pentrated?

A common question one psychologist asks sex addicted males is, ‘would you want your daughter, or wife to be in porn?’ I think you can guess the reply.

Biting beaver (a blogger) stated that the 10% dominate the porn debate. The 10% are the happy hookers (I deeply question if they are happy), the one’s who say they enjoy their lives, and are happy with themselves. The 90% who undergo severe psychological and emotional trauma are ignored, whilst Hugh Hefner is an ‘Icon’.

DOES PORNOGRAPHY HAVE ANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON CONSUMERS?
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This following excerpt from a producers description of a porn gonzo movie; something that my porn-loving male social circle would find a definitely find a turn on;

‘Chicks being ass-f+@#*d till their sphincters are pink, puffy and totally blown out. Adult diapers just might be in store for these whores when their work is done.’

I am interested in what emotions/values you believe are mixed into the following, I assure you these description’s are from sites/movies that are very popular;

‘…in search for every girl's inner slut. We have driven all over the country, and over the past year, all over the world. We have returned with footage that your brain will not want to accept, but will have to. It is undeniable. It is debauchery. It is human behaviour brought to frightening lows…’

‘We find a brand new hottie every week, plow her tight ass and shoot a thick creamy load all over her face. Who cares if it hurts, none of our girls get away without getting their backdoor plundered.’

There have been many studies (debated ,as almost all are, but I’m inclined to agree, I know I developed an aggressive, though consenting, sexuality). Negative effects were;

increased the acceptance of rape myths
increased male aggression toward females
decreased sensitivity to the crime of rape
predisposed willingness to rape
increased the acceptance of violence against women
decreased support for women’s rights
alter perceptions of “common” sexual behavior
decreased sexual satisfaction with self and partner

I recall being horrified whilst reading a book about the psychology of rapists when they outlined rape scenarios. I was partly horrified because a lot of them where extremely similar to pornography I had viewed. It wasn’t obscure pornography, it was the online erotic literature I read, the gonzo scenarios, the ’girl reluctant at first but then begs for it’ scenes, all viewed on popular sites, and all freely available and accessible to minors. I will also admit that I found it difficult controlling a part of me that wanted to sexualize some of the scenario’s I read in the book. I wouldn’t have written that but a ‘nice’ leftist friend of mine who I was recently discussing this with, bowed his head and agreed he had the same problem, we have both have lived through porn addiction in our teens.

If you put the mute button on, it would be difficult to separate some porn with rape, there is a site and video series that has extremely aggressive throat-f@#&ing, I have to call it that because it isn‘t oral sex. Women are teary eyed with smeared make up, with the sound off I’m pretty sure that, and other gonzo scenario based porn, would take on more sinister tones. If you‘ve ever been exposed to max hardcore you know what I‘m talking about. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD HAVE THE NET ALONE IN THEIR ROOM!

In my pre/early porn exposure to softcore my sexual fantasies were caring and appreciative in the beginning. However once exposed to hardcore, I began increasingly to enjoy domineering, and aggressive pornography. I would often fantasize about women begin subjected (the feeling was definitely them being subjected) to whatever sexual act I wanted to do to them, they of course would like being made to feel dominated, and loved being ‘used‘ by me for my sexual pleasure. I would like the sites that appealed to my desire to see women being ‘used’ by men for sexual pleasure like meat.

I had my own insecurities that fuelled my desire to view pornography, common ones like; low self-esteem, feeling sexually inadequate, loneliness, anger, etc. Pornography definitely catered part of me that wanted to feel 'powerful'. Just like fantasies of beating up people who had made me feel 'weak', my pornographic\taste were about dominating women to cover up feelings of weakness.

Talking to my social circle, I am not alone when it comes to the effects porn had on my sexual fantasies.

PORNOGRAPHY AND THE LEFT
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I find the left (feminism aside) pretty quiet on the pornography industry, and it‘s effects on society. In Indymedia uk’s archives it is easy to find articles denouncing corporation’s attempts at shaping culture for profit, and the negative effects of their product’s on society.

Why is pornography not included in the analysis?

Why is the Playboy logo, not viewed in the same way as the Coca-cola?

A question to begin; hopefully a productive discussion;

Is pornography a expression of sexual liberation? Or does it commodify sexuality for profit?

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 http://www.oneangrygirl.net/antiporn.html

www.hustlingtheleft.com

www.bitingbeaver.blogspot.com

 http://www.csun.edu/%7Epsy453/porno_y.htm