Pornography In America
by Catryce

Webster's Definition pornography From the Greek word pornë, prostitute; the word literally means the depiction of prostitutes, at first applied to classical drawings, such as the paintings at Pompeii. por-nog'raphy (pôr-nog're-fë) n. obscene art, writings, etc.

The growing numbers of individuals who view pornographic materials in our nation are staggering. In the past three years alone the number has escalated at an alarming rate due to the popularity of online Internet access. Now that men (and women) can view porn from the privacy of their home computers without worrying about being seen in public, or having anyone find their "secret stash" of magazines or movies, the number of pornography users is on the rise. (View Statistics)

Why is pornography such a powerful and prosperous media in the United States?

Why has pornography become a multi-million dollar industry in the U.S.? Compared to other countries, the United States is far more saturated with pornographic material and is more widely accepting of its sales and distribution. It appears that this is mainly due to American society as a whole.

Americans are being desensitized more and more each passing year -- through television, magazines, and the media in general. What shocks citizens at first slowly starts to lose its impact and a new level of "shock media" must be sought out to grab the attention of listeners, viewers, or readers. This gradual desensitizing has a tremendous psychological impact on how we interact with each other in relationships, how parents raise their children, and what people are willing to accept as the "norm".

In the United States it seems that those who have the most money or financial influence control the media and the law-makers. The mafia, which has control of some aspects of the media and has also influenced the decisions of certain Congressmen, has ties to pornography as well as prostitution. Pornography rakes in more revenue each year as the general population becomes more accepting of it's use and further programmed by the media. People are loosing their sense of self and are becoming zombies plugged into the great machine of consumerism.

Psychological Stance According to psychological catorgorization, pornography and prostitution are listing in the same category as structural sexual variances.

Why Do Men View Pornography?

Men in America have been raised to believe that it is unmasculine to show their emotions and therefore they must be repressed. Many are also taught that girls and women are to be despised as inferior and that they, as males, must reject characteristics, interests, attitudes, etc., that are associated with femininity.

Since these men are unable to fully disclose themselves emotionally in their relationships with women, they often get involved with activities that support their emotional separation. These are activites such as viewing pornographic materials, frequenting strip clubs, and even belonging to religious sects which portray women as evil, tempestuous, or having less worth than a man.

Pornography allows men to retain their view of women as objects rather than equals. It does not require a man to be emotional, loving, respectful, or deeply intimate. It also creates an unrealistic view of women that furthers the separation between men and the "real" women they interact with in their daily lives. Men who view airbrushed or digitally enhanced photographs of unattainable women tend to view the average female as being less attractive and, therefore, less stimulating.

As time progresses, these men become bored with "straight" porn and start seeking out movies and magazines with more and more disturbing images...

In studies done with men who view pornography or frequent strip clubs, it has been shown that sexual intimacy between these men and their wives or girlfriends decreases with time. It has also been shown that men tend to become addicted to pornographic images and seek out more and more. As time progresses, these men become bored with"straight" porn and start seeking out movies and magazines with more disturbing images -- images that they, themselves, may have been repulsed by at one time.

Eventually, after they've viewed thousands of images ranging from "straight porn" to images involving group sex or beastiality, they need something more to produce sexual stimulus. The familiar material becomes unexciting as a result of habituation. This is when they consider acting out -- creating situations in real life to produce sexual arousal.

When Fantasy Isn't Enough

Men who have become bored with pornographic images will begin planning how they can act out some of the images they viewed previously to generate sexual arousal. These acts will vary depending upon which images the man found most arousing at the onset of their exposure to pornographic materials. Some might begin attending swingers partys and participating in group sex. Others might stimulate themselves in public areas where they might be seen by a by-passer. Others may resort to bondage, sado-masichism, or even rape and torture.

An estimated 90% of rapes are never reported by women -- out of fear, humiliation, and even guilt.

Exactly one-third of the rapists who reported being incited by pornography to commit an offense said that they deliberately used pornography in their preparation for committing the rape. The comparable figure for child molesters was much higher--53% versus 33% (Einsiedel, 1986) An estimated 90% of rapes are never reported by women -- out of fear, humiliation, and even guilt. As the availability of pornographic materials rises in the U.S., the number of rapes also increases. Is this merely a coincidence as many researches and pro-porn enthusiest would have you believe?

Myth: All Men View Pornography

Some men, and women, use the argument "all men view pornography" or "it's only natural" to dismiss those who speak against it. However, not all men view pornographic materials (or anything else that depicts women as objects). Saying that "all men view pornography" or related materials would be like saying, "ALL women want to have children," or, "ALL women love to cook." We know this is not true, therefore -- not ALL men enjoy pornography or view women as sex objects. It's only logical. In fact, there are many men who are against sexism in all it's forms -- type in "men against pornography" or "men against sexism" in any search engine and you will find that there are groups and organizations out there!

But It's The Women Who Take Off Their Clothes

No one can argue with the fact that straight heterosexual pornography is focused on female nudity and sex acts performed by women. It is also greatly comprised of submissive females or females who's only mission seems to be the gratification of man. A popular theme in pornography is the rape and domination of an innocent female -- thus taking the male role to a new level of control. Why, then, would women willingly get involved in the porn industry?

The reasons women get caught up in the porn scene vary. Some believe that it is they who are in control of the men -- and that if a man is crazy enough (or stupid enough) to pay money for her to take off her clothing, then she will comply without a second thought. Others have been abused, by parents, by men in relationships, and have had their self-worth torn away. They've been told they are useless, unlovable, or bad. Many women in the porn industry have deep psychological issues which they have covered up with sex, drugs, and/or alcohol.

Women make 25% less than men who hold the same positions and have received the same amount of education.

However, it seems that a large number of women who become involved in the adult entertainment industry do so because they can't make enough money to support their lifestyles in the average workplace. Some of these women have children to support and have tried juggling two or more jobs just to make enough money to get by. The lure of making enough money to support themselves without working themselves to exhaustion in low-paying positions is too great for many to pass up.

Women make 25% less than men who hold the same positions and have received the same amount of education. Women hold fewer than 10% of the nation's elective offices and only 2% of the top management positions in American corporations. Aproximately 33% of women who work outside the home are employed in low-paying positions such as those of secretaries, clerks, housekeepers, receptionists, typists, childcare workers, hair dressers, or cashiers.

Women who allow their sex to be used as entertainment are greatly damaging all women who strive for equality in the workplace. When men view women in pornography, they don't view them as fellow human beings worthy of respect -- they view them as objects to be used for their own, selfish gratification. While the majority of companies are run by men, how is a women to be taken seriously when she is thought of as an object instead of a capable individual? When it's time to promote an employee to a higher, better paying position, is a male manager going to choose another man who he views as an equal, or a female who he has been programmed to view as an object?

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