There is a problem with porn. It doesn’t directly involve those who watch it, and is not caused by the actors in it, but instead the problem is created by those who direct, cast and produce these films. It is in the way sex is portrayed on and off screen. Now, this isn’t a rant on why everyone needs to stop watching porn right now. Everyone is entitled to do what makes them happy as long as all those involved are consenting people of a mature age. Everyone is also entitled to know the truth of what mainstream straight porn looks like in the light of day.
While there is the argument that pornography empowers women, some can depending on the film and the woman featured/watching, but some of the most commonly trafficked videos and sites are not the kind of empowerment being looked for. Instead women are being degraded with verbal abuse and violent acts. Again, as long as two are consenting adults, find pleasure wherever it calls, but also don’t expect a female partner to ask for a money shot and fall to her knees in gratitude for it. Many films in porn are helping promote the idea that women are the lesser sex, to be dominated and controlled by he (or the many he’s) “costarring”. In an article interview posted on her website, Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, lists some of these acts that are commonly found in heterosexual pornography.
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“Vaginal, anal, and oral penetration of a woman by three or more men at the same time
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Double anal in which a woman is penetrated anally by two men at the same time
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Double vaginal in which a woman is penetrated vaginally by two men at the same time
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Gagging in which a woman has a penis thrust so far down her throat, she gags (or in the more extreme cases, vomits)
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Ass-to-mouth in which a penis goes from a woman’s anus to her mouth without washing”
(http://gaildines.com/2009/09/so-you-think-you-know-what-porn-is/)
It’s not just women either. In fact, men are often portrayed as intensely masculine, promoting the “be a man” ideal that has been drilled into them in extremely detrimental ways. It encourages the thought process that can lead men to become violent and aggressive not only towards their partners, but to how they interact with others outside the bedroom.
These gender roles are also distinctive by race within certain aspects of the porn industry. There is an entire category in gonzo porn “Interracial”, where the most common characters are portrayed by black men and a white women. It is throughout these particular films that the man appears more savage and less restrained than a white man. Black women are commonly depicted as women who will do anything with anyone at anytime, their characters often the epitome of desperation.
Both Asian men and women are seen as ultra feminine, often submissive with Asian men being seen in homosexual porn more than any other category. Women are represented as the ideal subordinate partner, given the illusion of shy exoticism.
These ideals in porn are detrimental and feed into ridiculous stereotypes not only within the porn world, but filters into the real world as well. It gives unknowing people the idea that what is on the outside defines who is on the inside of a person. Gonzo heterosexual pornography tokenizes those within it, particularly with women of color. It creates a world where all parties involved seem one-dimensional, unable to think or process much else.
That may be the point of pornography. To create a stimulating visual aid to sexual activity. But there must be a way to do this without adding to a level of stereotyping and violence that overflows into everyday life. No one has a right to deny someone’s sexual freedom, as long as others are not being harmed in pursuit of that.
Frankly put, these gonzo stereotypes and physical actions can put the viewer and their partners at risk. Many of them put the actors at risk as well, but it’s played off as part of the “fun” or remains unseen (in the case of infections caused by unhygienic mixing of bodily fluids).
At the end of the day, it’s okay to watch. It’s okay to enjoy. But understand the depth of what’s onscreen, and that it goes deeper than just sex.
Happy Hunting.
Works Referenced:
Dines, Gail. “Gail Dines | Pornography and Race | Gail Dines.” Gail Dines RSS. N.p., 09 Sept. 2009. Web. 02 Jan. 2016. <“>http://gaildines.com/category/blog/>.