Elizabeth Smart On Her Captivity: Pornography Made My Living Hell Worse

1093 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Portrayal of women in media effects

Undoubtedly, everyone watched pornography (porn) at least once in their lifetime. There are many different opinions surrounding porn and they usually lean more towards the negative spectrum. Porn is associated with many perceptions such as it causes addiction, sexual violence and it objectifies women. This essay will discuss those negative perceptions in detail.

What is pornography? There is no definite meaning of pornography as "what is regarded as obscene in one era is often regarded as culturally valuable in another" (McKee, Albury and Lumby 2008, 4). An important takeaway is that although there is no clear definition, we still recognise porn when we see it (Jacobellis v. Ohio, 1964). Thus, to identify porn, one needs to assess its audience …show more content…

In an article titled "Elizabeth Smart on Her Captivity: 'Pornography Made My Living Hell Worse'", Elizabeth talked about how watching porn caused her kidnapper to constantly rape her (Chuck 2016). Cases like this have us point finger at porn as a cause for sexually aggressive behaviour. However, it is worth mentioning that her kidnapper was diagnosed with mental illness and he was so unstable that he could only be sentenced years after his arrest (The Associated Press 2011). There are many factors to consider when it comes to assessing the cause of sexual violence. Multiple studies have shown that individuals with "an impersonal orientation toward sex, a hostile approach to gender relations, and a disagreeable personality" present a higher association between porn consumption and sexually aggressive behaviour (Wright, Tokunaga and Kraus 2015, 200). Research has also shown that people who display anti-social personality traits and tendencies towards sexual aggression are more likely to consume violent porn, and to be more negatively affected by them than are people without these characteristics (Kingston and Malamuth 2011, 1047). However, this does not mean that people who consume violent porn are all violent. It is proven that violent porn viewers purge their sexually aggressive desires vicariously thus, lessening their likelihood of committing sexual violence. Non-violent porn …show more content…

According to Vandenbosch and van Oosten, constant exposure to porn is associated with the objectification of women (2017, 1019). This, however, can be prevented by porn literacy education which aims to "increase awareness and an informed view of the goals and representations of sexual interactions in pornography" (Albury 2014). Findings reveal that individuals who received porn literacy education adopted notions of women as sex objects lesser than those who did not receive (Potter 2004). This shows porn literacy education aids in diminishing the relationship between porn consumption and women objectification (Vandenbosch and van Oosten 2017, 1030). Porn has mostly, if not always, been produced for and by men. However, there has been a rise of feminist porn which is porn produced by women for women, transforming the male gaze to female gaze. Feminist porn is "sex-positive, depicts sexual consent and agency, and prioritizes female pleasure" (HuffPost, 2013). Like many other industries, women possess the ability to control and make choices in their work. The idea that all porn actresses are exploited and degraded is untrue. An interview with Emiri Okazaki, an ex-porn star, revealed that she chose to enter the industry willingly and does not regret her decision (Asian Boss, 2018). It is also worth mentioning that the porn industry is one of the few industries that pay women more than men (Morris

Show More
Related

  • A Pornographic World By Robert Jensen Summary

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.

    Read More

  • Censorship Of Pornography

    2262 Words  | 5 Pages

    To sufficiently take a side in the ever-growing debate of pornography, one must first define the concept around which this discourse surrounds itself. A working definition for pornography is a piece of material that has the object purpose of arousing erotic feelings. Radical feminists, however, strictly define it as “the act of sexual subordination of women” (Dworkin 1986).

    Read More

  • Comparing Catherine MacKinnon's Not A Moral Issue and Sallie Tisdale’s Talk Dirty to Me

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    Professor’s Comment: This powerful essay contrasts the views of two feminist, Catherine MacKinnon and Sallie Tisdale, each of which perceives pornography in widely divergent ways. While MacKinnon's 'Not A Moral Issue' explains the adverse impacts of pornography to women and society as a whole, Tisdale's 'Talk Dirty to Me: An Intimate Philosophy of Sex' is receptive to pornography despite these adverse impacts, suggesting in fact that the solution to the problems associated with pornography is a greater role of women in production of that pornography.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between Pornography and the American Culture

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    A review of the contemporary research on the negative effects of pornography is replete of scholarly and anecdotal evidence and opinion about the damages associated with viewing it. But the evidence is limited when it comes to criticism of mainstream media’s damages to certain groups, particularly young women with their romantic comedies.

    Read More

  • Overexposure To Pornography

    1711 Words  | 4 Pages

    Adolescents develop compulsive behaviors that may include frequent viewing of pornographic material. As a result, overexposure to pornography leads to desensitization that results in the need to view more explicit pornography. In this paper, I discuss overexposure to pornography desensitizing adolescents resulting from compulsive behaviors influenced by self-gratification, technology and social interaction. It is hypnotized that an individual becoming desensitized searches for more explicit and violent pornography to achieve arousal and stimulation. Twenty-two literature reviews aim to support the hypothesis.

    Read More

  • Women In The Pornography Industry

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kristol’s article writes that pornography and the pornographic industry has always been dominated by men (491). Throughout the history of the United States, men have taken precedence over women in many aspects. Men were considered the workers of the family while women stayed home and acted as housewives or catered to the men. The idea of feminism and women’s equality, however, is growing throughout the nation. With feminism and women’s equality at large, society must progress toward eliminating male domination and allowing the extension for women's opportunities; therefore, pornography and the male-dominated industry should be limited by the government. Aside from men and the power statuses they hold in pornography, Gail Dines in her article “Facts and Figures” discloses information about the male tendencies after watching pornography. Men have been reported to support female rape, have aggressive behavior toward women, have a decreased sex drive toward wives or girlfriends, and desire forced sexual acts after viewing pornography (1). Despite America’s best effort to protect all citizens, in reality, females are typically victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and pornography is a cause of such violence. Although it is a key factor that plays a role in causing violence and aggressive behavior toward women, Americans are able to easily access videos or films instantly because of modern technology and the lack of pornography censoring. Because of the tendency to cause abuse in the real world, pornography must be censored in order to ensure that women are granted equal amounts of safety and

    Read More

  • The Sociological Issues Of Pornography

    1848 Words  | 4 Pages

    Again, there are different ideas of what is considered pornographic from artwork, movies, and books. While one may look at a painting that depicts nude forms or read a book that includes sexual acts may not see this as a form of pornography while others would find it morally offensive. Feminist would argue that the morality of porn is it is degrading and humiliating to those involved, not of its sexual nature. Their concern is that it promotes sexism and violence against women or children. “What is objectionable about pornography…is its abusive and degrading portrayal of females and female sexuality, not its content or explicitness” (Rodgerson & Wilson, 1994) However, others may feel that it is sexually liberating and in no way degrading to those involved. Those women feel in control of their sexuality and choose to participate in acts as a way of expressing themselves while feeling it has no barring on their moral character. While others would argue that it promotes immoral behavior which would lead to criminal acts or an unhealthy obsession with sex. “The most commonly feared adverse effects of pornography include undesirable sexual behaviors (e.g. adultery), sexual aggression, and loss of respect for traditional family structures and values, loss of respect for authorities, and a general nonspecific moral decay.” (Hald & Linz,

    Read More

  • Pornography in the 20th Century

    2231 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Porn: A Controversial Issue

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    Porn according to the dictionary is defined as a printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity intended to stimulate erotic rather than an emotional feeling. A word described as so is what has lead porn to becoming a money making business, that has come to grow over the years quite a bit. An empire that many were afraid to even talk about ,but now want to be apart of. Now porn or as they would call it now as the Adult Film business is seen every where, from DVD’s to magazines and late night television shows to the internet. It can be accessed from anywhere at anytime. Adult film wasn’t something that was new to society, but yet society is acting new towards it. Many are saying that this is something that has affected their lives, or that it should not be around at all.

    Read More

  • Addiction to Internet Pornography

    1846 Words  | 4 Pages

    While it is certainly interesting to see how deeply pornography has permeated our culture, it does nothing to show whether this is good or bad. Many defend their right to record, publish, sell, buy, and view pornography, but that is not the real question. Rational people will decide for themselves what they should do about it and parents will decide what they need to do for their children, but first pornography must analyzed. Only after the pros and cons are measured should the policy be altered.

    Read More

  • Pornography Research Paper

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Internet Pornography Addiction

    4354 Words  | 9 Pages

    Fisher, William, and Azy Barak. “Internet Pornography: A Social Psychological Perspective On Internet Sexuality.” Journal of Sex Research. 38.4 (Nov. 2001): 312-24.

    Read More

  • Pornography

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    To some, pornography is nothing more than a few pictures of scantily clad Women in seductive poses. But pornography has become much more than just Photographs of nude women. Computer technology is providing child molesters and child pornographers with powerful new tools for victimizing children. Pornography as "the sexually explicit depiction of persons, in words or images, Sexual arousal on the part of the consumer of such materials. No one can prove those films with graphic sex or violence has a harmful effect on viewers. But there seems to be little doubt that films do have some effect on society and that all of us live with such effects.

    Read More

  • Cyber Pornography

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Pornography And Pornography

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Pornography is sexually explicit material designed to produce sexual arousal in consumers that is bad in a certain way.” (Malpas) It provides people more opportunities to access sexual content, also gives people some unhealthy and unrealistic orientation of sexual behaviors. With the advent of Internet, the dissemination of pornographic films has become more rampant. Through downloading and Internet-based technology, more and more illegal pornography got distributed and propagated, which leads to increasing censorship by the government.

    Read More

More about Elizabeth Smart On Her Captivity: Pornography Made My Living Hell Worse

Open Document