‘Striking a chord’ is an understatement when I think of the last article I wrote for Urbanette. The article discussed the detrimental effects of gonzo pornography (ie. the type that’s especially degrading to women, shot from the male perspective). Following its publication, my Twitter account was set ablaze with protestation, all but drowning out the voices of supporters.
Thousands upon thousands of tweets arrived in my notification box channelling – well, ‘hate’. These ranged from insults about the way I look and my supposed ‘jealousy’ of pornstars, to accusations of having been ‘kiddie fiddled’ as a child (yeah, that was a new term to me, too). Amidst all of this were the shocking threats of brutal violence; not from a few, but from many. The tweets came from porn stars themselves, like current flavor, Mercedes Carrera (who I recently became aware of); the ‘die hard’ fans (who are a law unto themselves!) and many, many very angry men (to be explained…!).
All because I spoke out against pornography.
And yet it wasn’t all bad. I was simultaneously receiving messages from both women and (a few) men who understood and supported the article’s message of exposing sex industry abuses. They elevated my spirits, lifting me out of the deep swamp of negativity. Although I felt like a moving target, I saw this backlash as opportunity. What was revealed was what we don’t usually get to see in academia. This was real-time, visceral feedback and findings on degradation-porn’s relationship to its fans.
As the days unfolded, and the varying degrees of abuse hit my inbox, I quickly realised that I had incidentally kicked a hornet’s nest. The anger conveyed was akin to a religious fundamentalist’s response after having their belief system challenged. Or the reaction you’d get after expressing support for Millwall FC at West Ham United match in the UK (they hate each other!).
For the porn fans, was it the threat of having their comfort zones examined? Had they become so accustomed to high speed vast arrays of hot babes getting dp’d that they now couldn’t live without them? The answer, technically, is yes.
You see, gonzo porn, in its full degrading technicolour glory, has created a society of helpless (but not hopeless) addicts. And this type of addiction is the same as that of a hard drug — it’s a bonafide physical dependence. Science has shown us that real neurological changes happen in the porn addict’s brain. Yes, porn actually physically changes the viewer’s brain. New neural pathways are created to accommodate the unnatural speed of arousal when viewing boundless quantities of extreme, explicit imagery.
As the porn addict slowly adapts to this unnatural, digital environment, there are consequences. Erectile dysfunction, and becoming desensitized to real sex and lovemaking, is not the least of them. You can read more about that in This is Your Brain on Porn.
Many consider pornographic actor, producer, director, Max Hardcore (AKA Paul Little) to be the father of degradation porn. Max initiated the puking, choking and fisting of women as solid codes of porn. As it turned out, demand was huge and he made millions. I find it interesting that he was brought to trial many times for child pornography distribution and obscenity, but it regularly resulted in a ‘hung jury’. We have to ask ourselves whether Max, and his love of sexualizing children and brutalizing women, struck a certain mutual approval with members of the jury, aiding him in his many acquittals. Although his influence permeates the the gonzo genre, whilst not using children in his scenes, Little often makes the actresses admit to being ‘twelve years old’ on camera. He eventually spent two and a half years in prison convicted of obscenity after extreme, degrading content relating to children and women were seized by FBI.
I guess what I expected the least was the reaction from women currently working in the sex industry. A far cry from solidarity amongst our gender, in its place arrived a show of anger and hate with declarations of how much they love sex. But it isn’t real sex that we are talking about here, it’s pretending to like porn-sex for money; more money than a working-class women could earn. Of course they pledge allegiance to an industry that will feed their kids and pay for the roof over their heads. After all, how many of us ever consider biting the hand that feeds us?
But this is the patriarchal bargain. For their mistreatment and the graphic display of their bodies, they get to buy the necessities – and a bit more.
And even if they lie about the empowerment they feel (when the truth is they hate the perving strangers), at least in bringing these issues to light, they will be forced to acknowledge the unavoidable truth: that it’s all a lie. It’s not in alignment with true liberalism at all. None of us like the perverts. It’s just a way to survive. Gonzo porn is the least liberally progressive phenomenon of our time, and as oppressive as the extremely racist speeches of the far ring-wing circa Donald Trump.
Now, read the article that sparked all the controversy: The Sex Industry, Gonzo Porn and Me…
It’s obvious that pornography brings far more harm to our society than good. These negative actions and attitudes against women make it clear that pornography is against the humanist idea that all people are worthy of safety and respect.
It’s about what society believes is enjoyed and how this oppresses women. Women are seen as aobjects in porn. Porn vids only focus on the female in hetero porn. It’s an industry focused on exploiting girls and perpetuating a beauty standard, not only just violent!
The way that porn equates sex with violence and debases women is both disturbing and out of line with the tenants and ideals of humanism.
Those people who lashed you on Twitter are deluded cause they don’t realize the extent of violence in the porn world and how porn is often depicted in a degrading manner against women as well as increasing the abuse and usurpation of women/children etc as a result of increases in porn. So many males defend porn, even a few sick women too, it’s obviously their addiction and it’s sad that so many people can’t see how degrading it is to treat human sexuality that way.
Very true. These men need to understand that the role violence plays in pornography trivializes rape, sexual aggression, and other forms of abuse. When we encourage males to include dehumanizing acts in sex and teach women to accept various forms of violence against them as a “natural” part of sexual activity, we are condoning violence against women.
Please come and support us on this link. We have real chance of change:
https://desideriamo.it/desideri/protect-human-rights-pornography-2/
Please come and voice your opinions to this vital debate Ladies.
Thank you Evelyn. Women who support gonzo porn are conforming to what misogynists want. They are not feminists. They are pawns in a profiteers world. Now its affecting everybody
Best wishes
Vikki Dark
Proud you’re still fighting the good fight. Keep speaking out Vikki, You have A powerful message. And there is growing a grass roots movement of men deciding to not watch porn again.
Yes, they’re called eunuchs.
Porn degrades women greatly. If a child grows up in a racist environment, chances are he’s going to be racist. We grow up thinking porn is just a normal thing though porn completely caters to the male point of view of everything. female Pornstars literally come out and say porn doesn’t really feel good for them because of how they must show off the action. Those who disagree should look up more articles and interviews and get woke. In the majority (90% at least) the female is being dominated even if it doesn’t look like it. If the guy wants sex, he gets it no matter what.
Facts are facts! Porn teaches men to be disrespectful to women. That’s gotta be why those guys didn’t know how to show their disagreement with you in nicer words.
Porn is problematic. Not only because they do violent act, but also that people start thinking that it’s the way sex is done, and that’s how they should do it. Especially younger people! They get their sex education from porn. Now what kind of sexual behaviours would you expect from a man who’s “learnt it all” from porn?
Of course the porn lovers would react badly, it’s what they learn from porn, to be violent, mean and rude… Hang in there, Vikki! Only a matter of time violent porn is banned, just like animal porn, and child porn were banned. As long as we stick to this cause, we can make it happen.
I’d’d advise any man fantasising about hurting women during sex or who have become addicted to this kind of porn to seek professional mental healthcare. Who in their right mind would want to do that? And if they don’t want to do it, why would they watch it?
Not only do they watch it, some also advocate it apparently. It would be simply naive to claim that porn has no effect on our society. Porn and culture interact, simultaneously reflecting and shaping each other.
There should be a whole new sub-set of shrinks who deal with this — would be a profitable niche!
Hey Andrew,
That is a really interesting idea and is absolutely accomplishable for the right professional. Would you be able to relay this on the link I’ve placed within these comments please?I’m collating a montage of voices regarding the issues raised.
Thank you
Vikki
There is they are called sex therapists. All though most agree that porn addiction can cause problems with real sex and relationships, it’s pretty much unanimous that engaging in bdsm and other forms of domination don’t suggest any serial deviation or violent tendencies. It just means that’s what you like. And with consenting adults who are we to judge.
Or maybe some people have different attractions then you do
I’ve come this sad conclusion that most of the human population think that those violent acts are just act, and even if it’s not, it’s okay, because the actress got paid to do it. – Losing my faith in the humanity….
As a society we are becoming more desensitised to violence from everything from films to video games. Porn isn’t even the beginning or the end of it. What about all those music videos that are shown on TV that degrade women? It’s all so wrong, and must be stopped!
It’s called freedom of speech and you can’t stop it unless you restrict those freedoms. Degradation is generally in the eye of the beholder and living in a state which legislates art and expression to the sensitivities of feminists sounds very close to a living hell.