Pornography Causes Harm to Women

1124 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effects of pornography on society

As defined by MacKinnon, pornography does indeed cause harm to the women. In her argument, MacKinnon successfully demonstrates how pornography displays male supremacy over women, and how women are mere sex-objects. For the purpose of this paper I will further elaborate on MacKinnon’s argument of pornography depicting women as simply sexual objects and also displaying women as being sub-human to men, almost slave-like. Lastly, I will discuss how pornography lacks literary, artistic, political, and scientific value. First, it is obvious that pornography displays male supremacy. For example, the majority of the porn portrays women as being the submissive character, rather than the character who is in control of the situation. Throughout time, the stereotypical woman has always been considered to be attractive if she embraced the submissive role. Pornography further suggests that women are considered to be sexy or attractive if they pursue the role of being passive. The thought of a masculine or dominating woman may seem like something repulsive to the porn industry. Therefore, there is an obvious misrepresentation of the image of being a woman in terms of the woman being a sexual object; thus, suggesting to men the sexual fantasy of the subordination of women and the dominancy of men. To paraphrase MacKinnon, pornography is a type of sexual politics, which defines men as being superior to women just like the higher class dominates the working class. Pornography creates a type of sexuality which eroticizes male dominance and the submission of women (306); consequently suggesting that a woman’s role simply consists of keeping her husband or partner happy. “Making sex with the powerless ‘not allowed’ is a way of ‘keeping it’ defined ... ... middle of paper ... ...nclusion, violent pornography should not be protected by the constitution because this obscene practice inhibits the free speech of women; essentially making the woman invisible in the political power structure. Violent pornography degrades women because it makes them subject to becoming second-class citizens again. For example, the woman always the one receiving the domination from the man while she is in the submissive role; furthermore, a woman’s speech is only valuable when she is reciting a sexual speech, consequently, causing the woman to have little to no power in the situation. Works Cited Feinberg, Joel. "Obscenity as Pornography." Philosophical Problems in the Law. . Reprint. Boston: Clark Baxter, 2013. Print. MacKinnon, Catharine. "Pornography: On Morality and Politics." Philosophical Problems in the Law. . Reprint. Boston: Clark Baxter, 2013. Print.

Show More
Related

  • People V. Larry Flynt

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    As you can imagine, the ruling exacerbated the controversy further among the moral majority, feminist, and freedom lovers across the nation. After viewing this movie, I decided to redirect my research from how pornography devalues women to the controversi...

    Read More

  • A Pornographic World By Robert Jensen Summary

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.

    Read More

  • Pornography and Feminist Fight for Women’s Rights

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    I don’t see how displaying women as objects, and putting them in films portraying the abuse of them in a sexual manner, helps to protect their rights (Faigley & Selzer, 540). Minor Claims Strossen also states that censorship is never a simple matter.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Pornography Viewed by The Four Ethical Standards

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    The word Pornography is defined as "writings, photographs, movies, etc., intended to arouse sexual excitement". With each year that passes pornography has been more and more accepted, it can be seen in books, magazines, cable television and most of all through the internet. Many religions go against it, but at the same time people know that there is a reason why people go into the business and accepted it an other people just like it. In this paper I will talk about pornography and how it is viewed by the four ethical standards (Utilitarian, Kant, Human Rights and Justice is Fairness).

    Read More

  • Censorship Of Pornography

    2262 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...of pornography as an expression that should be defended. I have described ways that pornography is currently being battled for in modern legislation, as well as the Liberal Feminist arguments for pornography as expression. The Radical Feminist arguments against pornography were addressed and negated, as not having any empirical support to their theoretical claims. Pornography has no substantial evidence in favor of harm to women, in terms of subjugation or violence, and therefore cannot be regulated as a form of free speech.

    Read More

  • Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    In her essay “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet,” Susan Brownmiller, a prominent feminist activist, argues that pornography should not be protected under the First Amendment (59). Her position is based on the belief that pornography is degrading and abusive towards women (Brownmiller 59). She introduces the reader to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, and explains how it relates to her beliefs on censoring pornographic material (Brownmiller 58). In addition, she provides examples of First Amendment controversies such as Miller v. California and James Joyce’s Ulysses to explain how the law created a system to define pornographic material (Brownmiller 58). She described the system that used a three-part test as confusing (Brownmiller 58). Regardless of whether or not the First Amendment was intended to protect obscenities, she and many others believe that the legislatures should have the final say in the decision of creating and publishing pornography (Brownmiller 60).

    Read More

  • Justice Potter Stewart's Argument Essay

    377 Words  | 1 Pages

    ‘I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.’ (P. Stewart, US Supreme Court’) Justice Potter Stewart’s remarks in the Jacobellis Vs. Ohio Supreme Court case are infamous in both American law and pop culture. Since the inception of the first amendment, American law has excluded the use of profanity or obscene content from protected free speech. However, as Justice Stewart stated, courts and lawmakers have routinely struggled to outline what constitutes obscenities…… This struggle is largely in part to the fluid dynamic of morality in society.

    Read More

  • Pornography Should be Regulated

    2299 Words  | 5 Pages

    When deliberating over whether access to pornography should be prohibited, four areas of contention must be elaborated upon and evaluated critically to provide a sensible basis on which a judgement can be made. Firstly, it must be concluded whether pornography can be classed as a form of speech, and whether it enjoys the same protections as art and literature under the principle. Secondly, works such as those of Catherine MacKinnon can be drawn upon to offer a feminist perspective of the effects of pornography on the treatment of women within modern democratic society. Moreover, the principles of Devlin and Feinberg offer relevant acumen regarding the criminalisation of pornographic media. Overall, this essay will argue that whilst access to pornography should not be entirely prohibited; publications that depict ‘extreme’ situations should be subject to regulation and restriction.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Feminist Pornography

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    In their work, Penley et al. define feminist pornography as, “[using] sexually explicit imagery to contest and complicate dominant representations of gender, sex, race, ethnicity, class, ability, age, body type, and other identity markers” (2013: 9). By depicting marginalized identities as desirable and in positions of control, feminist pornography seeks to challenge heteronormative representations of sex and gender where men are dominant. It also seeks to display alternative forms of attraction and pleasure that are not portrayed in the media in an attempt to destigmatize wide a range of sexual acts and identities. Penley et al. further define feminist pornography as a political movement; thus, pornography can be used to transform how sexuality is expressed and practiced throughout society

    Read More

  • A First Amendment Junkie Summary

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    The First Amendment was established to protect the citizens of the United States from the government overstepping their power. Since pornography is a form of expression many feminist writers like Susan Jacoby and Susan Brownmiller have argued on whether or not pornography should be protected by the First Amendment. Jacoby, writer of “A First Amendment Junkie” argues that “any form of censorship of pornography is wrong” (46). Brownmiller, the writer of “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet”, on the other hand, argues that “using realistic and humane contemporary community standards” legislators should decide “what can be displayed and what cannot” (60). Both Jacoby and Brownmiller make solid points to help sway their audience to agree with

    Read More

  • Pornography in the 20th Century

    2231 Words  | 5 Pages

    Laura Kipnis has described pornography as “an archive of data about...our history as a culture”. Therefore if, she described it as such, what can it tell us about the sexual history of the 20th century? Examining the history of the forms of archive from pornographic playing cards to blu-ray discs and the internet, this shows the ever changing form of how as a society we view pornography. From the forms of archive come the social implications of pornography. This will be examined through the 1986 Meese Commission in the United States of America into the pornographic industry. Finally, this exposition will also examine the differing views of Gay and Straight pornography and the changes that have taken over the 20th century. Overall, the 20th century was a fundamental shift in sexual attitudes towards pornography.

    Read More

  • is pornography morally permissible?

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you hear the word pornography, you most likely don’t link positive things to the word. Pornography seems to have a negative connotation attached to it, and has become a debatable subject in particular in today’s technological advanced age, where it is easier to access pretty much anything. But why has pornography been labelled with such a negative connotation? In my essay i will explore the many views on the subject, such as that of radical Feminists who claim that pornography objectifies women. Then there are consequentialists view, which see pornography as setting a bad example. There is one however, definitive situation where pornography is morally wrong and that is in child pornography There is no definitive way of arguing the question is pornography morally permissible? As there are many differing views on pornography, but how we see it all depends on our individual views, values, beliefs as well as morals.

    Read More

  • The Fight Against Child Pornography

    2328 Words  | 5 Pages

    In recent years, pornography has established itself as perhaps the most controversial topic arising out of the use of the Internet. The easy availability of this type of sexually explicit material has caused a panic among government officials, family groups, religious groups and law enforcement bodies and this panic has been perpetuated in the media.

    Read More

  • Pornography

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    To some, pornography is nothing more than a few pictures of scantily clad Women in seductive poses. But pornography has become much more than just Photographs of nude women. Computer technology is providing child molesters and child pornographers with powerful new tools for victimizing children. Pornography as "the sexually explicit depiction of persons, in words or images, Sexual arousal on the part of the consumer of such materials. No one can prove those films with graphic sex or violence has a harmful effect on viewers. But there seems to be little doubt that films do have some effect on society and that all of us live with such effects.

    Read More

  • The Nature Of Pornography

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    If we describe something as pornographic, there should be at least two possible implications, one will be sexual sense, and the other being socio-cultural sense. This can be shown in the discourse of others. In recent years, visual representation analyses, particularly in Western societies, have demonstrated the fundamental subject of representation is the man (Owens, 2012). This phenomenon shows that, on one hand, men seem to be the only focal point of the representational system. De Beauvoir’s groundbreaking work The Second Sex expressed the opinion that women, on the other hand, are deemed to be the object or the other from a feminist perspective, such idea triggered second-wave feminism. Following her work, for the postmodernists to alter this representational system, they are literally staged to expose that system of power that enables certain representations while repressing others like women whose legitimacy is not represented. With regarding to pornography, it does not only portray the distribution of male power over female bodies but also violates women through representation of the sexual desire of men (Kipnis, 1993). There are many reasons for such uneven distribution of power, and cultural reason is one of the most prominent. Mainstream pornography as one of numerous types of cultural expression that function in an intrinsic social environment of gender and vulnerability

    Read More

More about Pornography Causes Harm to Women

Open Document