American Corporations and Internet Porn
In this essay, we shall consider the so-called "reputable" mainstream American companies that are reaping huge profits from Internet porn, as well as related considerations.
Marriott, Westin, and Hilton are known for their pornographic video deliveries to paying rooms, a practice which Omni Hotels discontinued when confronted by the American Family Association. On the other hand, Internet porn companies like Yahoo! In its x-rated Geocities sites, was not intimidated by AFA's threats. Instead, it took US Attorney General Ashcroft's strong action to intimidate Yahoo! into only a partial-withdrawal from Internet porn. However, Yahoo! Still retains marginally pornographic material on websites.
AT&T is the biggest American company that has accommodated itself to the pornography boom. Its cable division, AT&T Broadband, distributes to subscribers the explicit porn channel, The Hot Network; and this has unfortunate repercussions in the world of Internet pornography. In the spring of 2001, an interfaith coalition of relig...
[2] In this issue essay I will first discuss the history of pornography in America and the emergence of Hustler. I will then show how the movie makes the viewer feel proud of the country without letting the viewer choose if he or she is really pleased with what is being protected, pointing out the impossibility of portraying the obscene images in an R-rated film. After that, I will discuss the possible ramifications of pornography, including violence against women and children. I will then address the moral implications of a complete freedom of expression and the possible effects of promoting ignorance about pornography through the movie. Finally, I will comment on my views regarding pornography and censorship in our society.
Women have long been exploited through pornographic material, such as videos, photos and literature, these materials, more-so now, than ever, portray women purely as sexual objects. The evolution of the business? popularity has done nothing but help fuel a false impression, subjugating women in modern day culture and society, yet still, banning pornography in the US would be nearly impossible, due to complex issues dealing with the first amendment and obscenity laws. With instances of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race or sex being in most cases illegal, the practice of pornography should most definitely not be acceptable or perpetuated, especially in a country like the US where this said industry defies everything of which our country is founded upon. This rise [in popularity] looks as if it is related, almost in a hand by hand parallel, with growth of sexual violence against women in America.
America, the ideal place for freedom, is home to a vast amount of liberties and rights that many countries do not acquire. In this country, citizens have the freedom to practice any religion they desire, live wherever they want to live, and love whoever they want to love. In this country, citizens have the right to choose any career, ranging from school teacher to politician and the liberty to reproduce as many children as they would like and speak their minds freely. In this country, with one click of a button, citizens have the ability to view explicit, videotaped, sexual activity for no cost at all. Pornography or the pornographic industry is one of America’s most profitable industries, making billions of dollars annually. Despite pornography’s
Huffstutter, P.J.. "Yahoo, MSN Criticized for Offering Easy Access to Pornography." Los Angeles Times 23 Sept. 2001, sec. C: 1-2. Bruckman, Amy.
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.
“ALA Is A Big Contributor to Public Library Internet Pornography.” 2002. Family Friendly Libraries. <http://www.fflibraries.org/Speeches_Editorials_Papers/FFLResponseToALA_WT_3-26-99Letter.htm.>
With over 759 million registered domain names, the Internet has proved to be the definitive source of information (Hunter). Covering a full spectrum of subjects and services, it is an entity that we can not do without. However, despite all this usefulness, more than 14 percent of all websites are dedicated to pornography (Ward). To further worsen the matter, more than 13 percent of all searches made daily are
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. I conducted interviews and researched information from previous studies regarding how individuals are affected by pornography (a positive or negative effect). I asked the interviewees their opinion on the effects that pornography has. I found common themes throughout my research that suggest that pornography has an overall negative influence on individuals, and society.
Not only has porn become more popular, it has become more available and much more explicit. Years ago, the most explicit pornography that one could access was a Playboy magazine, but today that is known as ‘softcore porn’. In today’s world of high-speed Internet, extremely graphic videos of every conceivable genre of sex can be found for free at the click of a button (Clay).
In the today’s society, social media has gone out of hand. Most people these days have a cell phone, Ipad and/or laptop and most definitely a television at their home. Therefore, access to pornography has become extremely easy and can be available to any individual in less than 5 minutes. The best definition of pornography can be explained as sexually explicit words or images intended to provoke sexual arousal. The easy access to porn has raised many people to question if porn is harmful, if it should be censored, and if it is unsafe. Many debates have been going on about porn concerning freedom of rights, speech, and entertainment and right of privacy. The main people to have argued on this point are Catherine Mackinnon and philosopher J.S. Mill.
Fisher, William, and Azy Barak. “Internet Pornography: A Social Psychological Perspective On Internet Sexuality.” Journal of Sex Research. 38.4 (Nov. 2001): 312-24.
Network companies such as Fox buy the contracts to show American football games for millions of dollars, which they in turn make their money back through companies wanting to advertize on their network during these football games. The audience Fox attracts by showing these games also provides an audience for companies wanting to advertise their products and provides potential customers for their products. This life cycle exists in all forms of media apart from just television, newspapers try to cover the best stories in all areas of life from tradegy to sports and entertainment. From a sociological stand point in today's society sex and violence attracts audiences. By examining the internet, which is the newest form of mass media internet companies that provide the most outrageous websites with sex and violence are the most watched websites. Media Companies compete with each other on those levels by looking at what attracts the most attention and trying to provide it.
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.
To conclude this report pornographic material is hurting America but not in a big way and it is bringing us down as a society and not really being great role Models to our kids. Its might be a good thing to have and to some people might be A bad thing to someone. Thank you for reading my report.
This paper will not discuss the moral concerns of pornography, because though they exist, this portrayal is meant to be factual and not opinionated, and one cannot discuss morals without opinions. That said, this paper will address pornography as an addiction, and therefore a problem, when taken to certain extremities. Where these boundaries lie, however, will not be discussed; this will be left up to the reader to define.