Pornography is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as printed or visual material containing sexual subjects or activity. Conversation about pornography use is often seen as taboo in today’s society, even though research has shown that “approximately 13% of the US population regularly views Internet pornography” (Twohig, Crosby & Cox 253). Many researchers in the past have focused on the amount and type of people that use pornography, and how often they view it. However, in my research, I wanted to examine something even more intriguing. I examined how pornography, whether viewed or not, influences individuals and their relationships (not only intimate relationships), as well as how it affects society as a whole.
Because of this, there was an early emphasis in the inequality of the sexes and the subordination of women depicted in pornography. In short, according to Andrea Dworkin, “pornography is simply one of the grosser manifestations of the male will to power.” In the United States, there is a strong feminist objection to pornography. It is not based on purity, but rather the fact that it represents the hatred of women, and that its intent is to “humiliate, degrade, and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure.” (Brownmiller) In modern pornography, there are examples of over exaggerated forms of; the male and especially the female body and sexual scenarios. This issue brings up uneasiness among American women in regards to their sexuality, with nonconformity, with the existence of marginal groups and behaviors, and with “deviant” practices. (Heartney) Any type of pornography text, even the most “correct”, contains a distorted image of the social and sexual relations between men and women of the society in which it takes place.
Others believe that pornographing teaches the dehumanization, and sexual or physical abuse of women. There is no doubt that pornography stretches the boundaries of normal sexual behavior. Many of the sexual acts portrayed in porn are questionable, for example strangulation, suffocation or murder. Dworkin 's testimony also stated "women are tortured for the sexual pleasure of those who watch and those who do the torture, where women are murdered for the sexual please of mudering women, and this material exists because it is fun, because it is entertainment, because it is a form of pleasure". While this may be true the majority of porn does not include these lewd acts.
The dictionary definition of pornography is sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal. (http://dictionary.reference.com/) Theories from feminist Andrea Dworkin, Catharine A. Mackinnon, Robin Morgan, Nadine Strossen and Jennifer Saul as well as researching crime involving pornography was used to see how the degree of violence has escalated over the years in pornography. From these theories, feminist were divided into to categories; the anti- pornography feminist and the liberal/sex-positive feminists. Pornography reinforces the feminist idea of omnipresent female oppression. Society has become increasingly sexualized since pornography became part of free speech.
Many people might think that sex offenders are repugnant to society and that people who commit sex crimes should be removed from our society. The reality is that many people do not know that most people who commit sex offenses are normal people. In most cases, they are hardworking people who got caught doing something our society ‘thinks’ is wrong and get labelled sex offenders. This is where Labeling Theory comes into places, because it focus on social and institutional responses to an individual. The book PERVERTS and PREDATORS: The Making of Sexual Offending Laws talks about the emerging of Perverts and Predators, and which types of people society labels “Pervert and Predators.” This essay will discuss the many different types of sex offenses that are considering a crime.
The objectification in porn portray women are just a sex object, the sex crimes are increasing in great chances because of the use of pornography, the women’s rights, like the basic unharmed principle, are ignoring by the porn industry. The effects of the pornography can cause make me support reinforcing the monitor of pornography. Some people may say using pornography is a freedom of speech, but there are risks affect a lot of women psychically and physically. The society needs to face the consequences pornography made. Lastly, I knew that there are not only women influenced by porn, it also has children and men.
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.
“I don’t need statistics to tell me that there is a relationship between pornography and real violence. My body remembers.” This chilling testimony from a female rape victim to a grand jury in 1983 represents the evils that pornography represents in the United States. There are strong correlations between sex crimes and pornography that have divided feminists over whether free speech is worth the sheer magnitude of sex-crime victims. Free speech is protected by the First Amendment and most people have differing views on its meaning. One thing that cannot be ignored is the fact that 90% of sexual offenders have used pornography “frequently.” I believe that the anti-pornography movement is not only just, but essential.
These magazines subjectify women as merely sex toys to pleasure a man. And guess who owns the company, a man. Sex Sells, but it shouldn’t because girls and women are more than just sex objects. Another example of the effects of the sexualisation of girls is the now almost pornographic photos that girls are posting to media websites. Causing mothers of boys to say that these girls are causing their sons to sin, instead of talking to their sons about their responsibilities.
Rapists are product of “defective urban cultures that espouse perverse ideals of masculinity”(Bourke, 2007). This idea of men having to be stronger than women has been seen through many cultures. Sexual violence is seen as one of the ways in which working class men demonstrate masculinity. In a study done to 175 nineteen year olds about “Hypermasculinity Inventory and a newly constructed Aggressive Sexual Behavior Inventory” was found that the “majority of the men used force or exploitation to gain sex from dates.”(Anderson & Mosher, 2004) In the modern day there has been an entry of women into the labor market. The idea that women were just here to have kids and take care of them no longer existed.