How can we talk about gender without addressing the tenuous, problematic, difficult, topic of PORN? Check out this article by Naomi Wolf.
http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/trends/n_9437/
What is she saying here? Do you agree or disagree with her viewpoint?
(For those of you in the Saturday class, this article could be an option for your group project.)
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The whole time I was reading this, I kept focusing on one thing:
ReplyDelete"Here is what young women tell me on college campuses when the subject comes up: They can’t compete, and they know it. For how can a real woman—with pores and her own breasts and even sexual needs of her own (let alone with speech that goes beyond “More, more, you big stud!”)—possibly compete with a cybervision of perfection, downloadable and extinguishable at will, who comes, so to speak, utterly submissive and tailored to the consumer’s least specification?"
I understand that I can't speak for anyone else, but this portion upset me, and I could not get it off my mind as I continued to read. For me, sex in general is a physical experience, not just a visual one. Pictures and videos can't do what a real woman's touch, scent, and physical prowess can do for me.
I agree that sex has become so exposed and commercialized that the beauty and mystery of it has been lost to majority of the world. In addition I feel by watching Porn it desensitizes you to the sanctity that Sex should have. Sex for human beings becomes almost animalistic and although it can be addictive and entertaining for some to watch, ultimately it will no longer be special. Its very sad.
ReplyDeleteThe article on the porn myth was very interesting to me. I think it is so true when the author stated that porn is making regular pictures of naked women bad porn. I also feel that it is making us women feel less of ourselves because we won't do most of the things that other females do in porn videos. Because there is porn, guys expect us to do more and if we don't that won't be good enough. Porn is getting so serious that now it includes nasty acts such as lesbians. I have nothing against gay people but I bet that there are alot of porn stars that wasn't willing to do acts with their same gender until they got into the porn industry.
ReplyDeleteI think as we get further into the future men along with women view porn equally. Years ago if a men spoke about porn or anything remotely close to porn in front of a women it was considered taboo. But today I find myself talking more openly with females and not caring. Many time times the females would bring up the conversation. I also believe that females watch more pron than they did years ago for either self satisfaction or to educate themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe quote at the end where the student says "I don't know what you're talking bout? Sex has no mystery." sums up the entire article for me. Porn has become so common, and so praised that sex is no longer seen as intimate or mysterious. Porn has made sex a scream fest filled with acrobatics,false eyelashes and orgies. Who really does that stuff? Do men REALLY expect that? I personally don't watch porn. I'm no prude, but it creeps me out. I don't want to watch other people have what always looks like painful sex, I'd much rather have my own. I DO however, enjoy the high pitched squeals and moans, they turn me onand they're really funny at the same time. But porn hasn't made sex impersonal and laughable. Its a highly profitable market and should be seen as just that. But people too often fall into the traps of what's cool and what's accepted. This is why we have 13 & 14 year old girls saying they're bi-sexual! And why you too often see girls kissing their girlfriends at parties! People are weak and easily influenced and will do whatever media dictates. So i don't blame porn, they're making good money! I blame weakness and easily influenced folks!
ReplyDeleteI have read and understood the point in which they talked about.They move on to speaking about how porn affects modern day women because men expects more out of a woman.I agree with this point of view;however not all the time this is the case.For instance looking at it this way,porn can give partners ideas and pleasure out of their personal sex lives.It's true what they mentioned in the 'porn myth' article about men's prospectives based on women has changed.Being that porn is graphic, viewers tend to take it seriously and do unto another what they see in some porns.So in all i agree with her viewpoint in pornography.Which is it turns the men off 'the real thing'.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think that now men are very interested in porn and they expected to have the same sexual relationship in their life as the porn stars and some women cannot compete with them so porn is bad for some people but on the other hand i think when watching porn you get more ideas on how to have good sex.It also makes you feel more into the mood when watching it.
ReplyDeleteThe author made a lot of good points in the sense that porn has become so easily and over accessed that sexual images have over saturated our every day lives. From the amount of pornography to the actual acts performed within pornography now a days, it seems theirs a new level of what it requires to satisfy a man's libido. I agree this is true in regards to porn but feel that men can decipher between real life and pornography. I feel that holly wood has had more of an impact on designing unrealistic expectations for women to live up to follow than porn has. Porn has definitely watered down the sexual content available but I don't think its had as negative an impact on everyday relationships as other media outlets have.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, let me say that I think the world would be a better place without porn. But porn is in the world, especially the world that I'm associated with. Like any other addictive vice, there will always be a segment of society that is partaking and those who don't. Like harmful drugs , habits, and such, educating kids (even big kids)of the harm might stem the tide. I've only heard the warnings during religious services. For me, the main reason I try to resist it's lure, is that I will never be able to get the full satisfaction that comes from making love to a woman whom I care for and respect, especially a spouse. The article in NY Mag. was very informative and true. since the majority of porn addicts are men, than the women with class, dignity and integrity, who wish to be part of a satisfying relationship will either have to weed through the porn addicts, to find the all-illusive, righteous dude, or will have to settle for a porn guy. She will ever be compared (in the mind of her lover) to the bitch who swallowed, or took it up the @*&%. The man will find her lack of "experience" a bore and will likely continue whacking off to a computer screen, or search for someone who will do those things that will get him off. A person who keeps taking pain-killers will eventually build up a tolerance to them. He'll need more and more to get the desired effect. It's the same with porn. Just making love to a woman will not be enough after a steady intake of lewd sexual images. Resisting porn is a constant battle, but it helps to know the dangers and the drawbacks.
ReplyDeletePorn is the portrayal of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual excitement. The immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown alot throughout the decades. Some females feel that they cant live up to what the females do in porn which is fine because I dont think that that is the point of it. Several men watch porn to learn tips on how to please their women more and dont necessarily expect that from their girlfriends. Many women watch porn also for their own pleasure and finding ways to make their sexual activities more interesting.Porn can make your sex more creative and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThis story is very interesting because men who look at porn from 30-40 years ago are a lot different than the men who look at porn now. The men 30-40 years ago didn't have the internet access like the men now. The men 40 years ago had what a couple of magazines. But now you have the internet and you have many different websites that floats around. The girlfriends who are in the relationships feel that they are not good enough. For example the feel that their bodies aren't perfect for their boyfriend so that's why their boyfriends turn to porn. They figure that the girls are prettier than they are. Or if they go to a strip club and the men gets a lap dance done to them. The girlfriends thin that the sex isn't good enough so that's why the men have to do all these things for them to. In other cultures the women are covered up so their bodies doesn't show. The men aren't allowed to look at other women besides his wife. To be honest i think if a guy is looking at porn then there is something wrong with the couple sex life unless the couple fixes it. This is my comment.
ReplyDeleteThis article gave me a whole new outlook on porn and its effects on the way men look at women and how women feel about themselves when it comes to relationships with men. Even though I don't plan to stop watching porn(lol), I kind of agree that it has affected the way men, nowadays look at women sexually. Me personally, I can get bored very easily with a hook-up, especially after we "do the do". New things excite me and I always said that I want my wife to be a porno star in bed! But, at the end of the day what I really need is a "real" woman who has integrity and sexual confidence.
ReplyDeleteThere would be reasons to think that porn could objectify women if men stopped loving, honoring and respecting them. It is true that the availability of porn on tv, internet make men more knowledgeable about women body in every part. However, the mass media cannot make us lower the quality and the importance of women. Usually, Men watch porn movies as if they were watching a western movie, they do not compare their actual women with the porn stars.Men are still excited before a naked women.
ReplyDeleteThe author does bring forth a few good points that porn does takes away the intensity or desire of sexuality in a way that it is not secretive nor sacred. Anybody can if they desire look up a woman's or if a a female a male's body. The result is similar to a doctor who has examined many private parts on the body for years, its known to him. A doctor might say or someone that seen much sexual explication, "once you seen one you seen them all", but disagree on that. Everybody is different and have their own personals about them and a desire is still in fact intact.
ReplyDeletePorn and sex can become compulsive activities, just like drinking, drug use can. I think there is a larger, more encompassing phenomenon at work in our culture with repercussions beyond male, female relations. We are socialized to be "consumers" in the U.S., not individuals capable of critical thought and deep relationships. The porn industry is just one arm of this cultural juggernaut.
ReplyDeleteand last I checked, this is supposed to be a free country where you can do what you want unless you break a law or hurt someone else. The porn addicts, if they hurt anyone, only hurt themselves. If the market value of the sexual assets of the average woman plummets, which is a ridiculous notation, I can’t see why would a feminist care if some men are not lustfully falling over themselves to be with Ms Average instead of getting their jollies to these porn site.
The article give a good point on how some men out there have this idea of a perfect woman. especially while having sex, men must tend to watch sex and get ideas for him and his girlfriend. Sometimes getting ideas from porn isn't so bad i guess if you want to try new things. But i think some people become obsessed and eventually doesn't get excited for the real thing..needs to watch porn to get in the mood..i think porn is overrated. What ever happen to the intimacy? And the love, the affection and the passion in love making ?
ReplyDeleteChina is a feudalism country, so people treat porn as commit crime. That is in 30 years before, but today, porn is all around people. What am i look at porn? I look at it just a type of sexy education method. In China, parents are always shy for teaching their children about sexy, so same as many other children, i learn sexy from the site and friends. Pornography is not a good thing in anyway, so i agree with the viewpoint of this article.
ReplyDeleteShe seems to have detailed her points thoroughly and her opinions weren't written in a sexist manner.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people who have learned sexual acts from porn have carried that over into real life and interact with others.
I feel like her post left out certain groups of people who actually do appreciate porn and their own girlfriends. This has more to do with a connection to someone else rather than imitating a sex act from t.v.
I am not an expert on the subject but i should say I had this conversation with men and women. It seems the men had this idea that sex should be what they have seen in porn movies as young men. As they became men they realized that in reality that is not how it works. Having a steady relationship has taught them that there is more to the act of just having sex. They are considerate of their partners' feelings, mood e.t.c rather than just gratifying themselves.
ReplyDeleteWomen need to realize that they don't need to compete with porn stars but just be a little more confident when they are in bed with there partners and don't worry what they look like without their clothes on no matter what their body type is because if he did not want to be there he would not have been there.
The availability of porn is ridiculous. Its just about everywhere!! It has practically infused itself in American life taking away the sacred meaning of sex. The young man in the article said it best "what mystery?" many find themselves feeling like the B.B. King song "The thrill is gone". The only mystery i find now is what has happened? Boys and men are taught by watching this is what or how it should be and women are left thinking what they can offer won't ever be enough or are left trying to feed the fantasies. I think people getting back to the basics will bring the sacred intimacy back along with the thrill.
ReplyDeleteNaomi Wolf argues that pornography has changed mans perception of woman. Porn became main stream on the internet in the eighties and ninety's and since has made sex more complicated and available. She believes that the result of porn will lead to negative actions such as "rape and other kinds of sexual mayhem." I agree with her to an extent. Porn has absolutely changed the way society has and speaks about sex. However, I feel that men do not perceive woman in a negative lite because of it, if anything woman have become to insecure and influenced by the unrealistic images. Unfortunately, there isn't much excitement anymore when it comes to relationships because people no longer wait to have sex. Woman are willing and ready to give it up and men aren't exactly stopping them. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but it's something that won't change
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