National Porn Sunday?

What do you feel about pornography?  I don't know about you, but I love it.  Now, I don't mean love it in the sense that I love it to the extreme of filling my every waking hour with explicit images to keep me happy, I mean I love that there is an outlet out there for adults to express themselves sexually in public if they choose to.  If I had a porn star body I'd love to flaunt it, too.  I've had dreams of having my exposed naked body admired by strangers, yet that's just a fantasy and belongs only in the privacy of my own head.  Pornography doesn't tell me that I need to look like a porn star to enjoy delights of the flesh.  Pornography exists simply because it harkens us to our animal nature (humans are animals, after all) and reminds us that none of us would be in this world without sex.  Human beings also have sexual needs; both physical and emotional sexual needs that can safely be fulfilled by turning to a magazine featuring beautiful, healthy men and women (straight or gay) engaging in sexual activity.  There's nothing wrong with looking at people having sex!  So why turn it into something to be ashamed of?  Once someone cocerces you into thinking that looking at people having sex is immoral, you know what you're going to end up doing?  You're going to think unhealthy, unnatural thoughts about looking at people having sex and give yourself a neurosis over having a sexual imagination. 

That's what some people who are against pornography do.  They give themselves and other people a neurosis over their sexuality.  People, there is no harm in looking at pornography; the only harm is immoral sexual action that may or may not be inspired by pornography. And yeah, I'm aware that there are unhealthy sexual practices that sometimes go on in the making of pornography, but there are just as many unhealthy practices you're unaware of that other public institutions set in motion that maybe you'll approve of all because it has nothing to do with sex.  There's no way anyone can prove that prolonged pornographic viewing can convince someone to committ rape or incest or beastiality.  In general, most people give porn a look and a giggle.  And, yes, someone out there right now is masterbating to porn.  There's nothing wrong with masterbation.  Masterbation prevents abortions, you know.  So masterbate away, guys!  But there's always someone out there who's gonna try to make you feel sick or embarassed when they catch you with a porn habit.  And what constitutes a porn habit anyway?  Oooh, I can't get through the day without my porn fix...!  I know, I know I should poke too much fun at addictions because they do exist, but, seriously, I do have a hard time convincing myself that a porn addiction is as bad as heroin addiction.

Even women have porn habits.  I like porn.  I don't watch it everyday and I don't have a huge collection taking up all the space in my basement.  I take it in moderation.  I like to look at beautiful bodies.  The human form in all its complexities and variations is fabulous.  I'm forever fascinated how our sexual organs work and am curious about what gets people off.  Collecting information and exchanging techniques with other interested friends is a hobby.  I once did a paper on the evolution of the porn industry and took classes on human sexuality.  At one time I was squeemish over porn, but then I learned that there's this feminist revolution going on in the industry which counterpoints the other feminist camp out there that's against pornography.  It's interesting to see how each group will say the same things in different ways. 

The only porn I find offensive is Clown Sex.  There's just something wrong with people dressed up like party clowns getting it on.  Not my cup of tea.  And I don't like violent porn, yet I do like to see the roleplaying that goes on in BDSM fantasies.  What I like is vintage porn, actually.  There was a sense of innocent fun in porn from the '60s and '70s and porn from the '50s is nothing but a delicate tease.  One thing I've noticed is that porn has lost some of its artistic side and lately what's most readily available on the shelves are these extreme close ups of vaginas and penises that make things seem like you're watching a weird medical movie, if you know what I mean.  I'd like to see more photographers get creative and tease me more while still appealing to my intellect.

In any case, what prompted me to write a little rant about porn is I caught a news clip on ABC about National Porn Sunday.  That was yesterday -- a day set aside for Evangelical pastors to talk about the dangers of pornography.  I thought it was a joke at first, but it was real.  However, I couldn't stop laughing during the program so I turned off the news and watched a porn tonight.  That's how I spent National Porn Sunday.

See, I didn't do it to be sarcastic, I watch porn because, like I said above, it reminds me of where I came from and I do get as big a thrill watching beautiful people have sex as much as when I watch a nature program on TLC.  At one time my parents got down and nasty with each other and the seed of me was planted.  Pornography will never cease to exist as long as people are still having sex and enjoying watching it as much as having it!  Amen.