Thursday, July 12, 2007

Why am I pro-porn?

Why am I pro-porn?

Inspired by IACB’s post on the same matter…

Well, yes, I am. Pro-porn that is. For a period of time it was somewhat linked with the feminist idea of sex-positive, and I do consider myself to be sex positive- in so much I think sex is a natural, enjoyable act that a great many people like, one that should be enjoyed by those of a mind to do so, and is often way too shrouded in shame, mystery, misinformation, and fear. The idea, in short, that sex is dirty, and people who like it are dirty, and people who do it outside the bonds of marriage and in some strange ways are dirty…well, is crap. Hence my pull to sex-positive feminism…

However, I’m not much of a feminist these days, and I liked porn long before I even considered the deep nature of sex-positivism/feminism, and like IACB, I am often confused with the assumption that sex positive feminists are “pro-porn”. After all, a great many sex positive feminists that I’ve met are not pro-porn, so to speak. Often they are neutral on the porn issue, or have some forms of porn or erotica they enjoy, or dislike the majority of modern mainstream porn, yet do not oppose the idea of pornography, or support woman-friendly, woman made porn…but pro-porn? As in actively supporting pornography? No, not so much. Not in the way they are often accused of.

Me, on the other hand, I am without question Pro Pornography. I watch porn, I make porn, I support porn, hell, I love porn! And I’ll let you in on a little secret here, if you piled up the porn collections of all the people contributing to this blog, then watched all that porn with a critical anti-porn or feminist eye, weighing the content with regards to degrading acts, degrading words, raunchy behavior, objectification, violence, disrespect, crude behavior, unprotected sex, extreme sexual acts, and all that bad porn stuff…I can promise you that the porn watched by myself, would rate as “far worse” than that watched by IACB and Anthony (both male). See, I don’t just like porn, I like gonzo porn. Rough porn. That stuff that everyone is so up in arms about.

Why and how? Well, see, with the personal as political and empathy and all that good stuff? That type of porn is, without a doubt, an expression and reflection of my own personal sexuality. I won’t watch anything I won’t do, and sorry, but lesbian porn, or romantic porn, or woman-friendly, sensual erotica? Does nothing for me. Never has, never will. I am all for people who enjoy the more considerate, erotic, softcore, respectful porn, stuff that might actually have some artistic or sensual merit to it watching and liking it…but that sort of thing is not for me. And for those who say no woman, "real" walking down the road or "fantasy" in porn, could ever like that insane gonzo stuff, well, I raise my hand and say sorry, you are wrong.

As IACB said porn is not a replacement for sex in my book either. It’s a fun complement to it, or a way for me to enjoy my sexuality in a different way, or a way to pass the time when having actual sex is not possible. I can enjoy it on its own, on my own, or with a partner if I want, I find it very interesting on other levels as well, as an expression of what sorts of desires and fantasies lurk around in the human mind, in my mind, on a primal, visceral, non-politically correct level. I find porn as psychologically fascinating as sexually and physically fascinating. I get tired of being polite and human and considerate all the time. I find it tedious, and both the porn I watch, and the sex I have, allow me to express my annoyance with that, to get away from it, to allow and revel in that not so polite and human and considerate side for a while. And apparently if the popularity of gonzo porn is any indication, I am not the only one.

I also believe in expression, freedom of expression, and not merely as a right given to us via an amendment, but as a necessary, vital part of being human. Expression is an important thing to every living soul on the planet: we express ourselves through words, through art, through music, through the way we dress, move, speak, and conduct ourselves in almost every way. We compliment artists and musicians and actors, poets and writers and impassioned speakers on the way they express themselves. We also express ourselves through our sexuality, and that expression is no less valid. And just as I do not believe in censoring the words someone writes, the music someone composes, or the dance someone performs, whether I like or agree with it or not, I do not believe in censoring expressions of sexuality, for they are just as valid as any other expression- like them personally or not. I don’t like country western music, but country western singers, musicians, and song writers have a right to express themselves, not just a government granted right, but a human right, perhaps even a human need.

So as infinitely inhuman and dehumanized as some might find pornography, especially the kind I like, I find it, as ugly and brutal and un-pretty as it may be, to be very, very human. After all, no human is all sunshine and light…and just as some artists create ugly, angry, and even disturbing art, yet art which speaks to people, well, some ugly, angry and even disturbing pornography speaks to me. It’s an expression…a very, very human one.

So yeah, I am pro-porn because I am sex positive. I am pro-porn because I am pro-free speech, pro-freedom of expression, pro-artistic freedom, pro-adults making their own choices about sex and sexuality and pro-sex. I am also pro-human, even the darker, baser, cruder, animalistic, objectified, visceral, primal not so politically correct or considerate parts. Those parts are just as important to me as any other part. So I am pro-porn…because it is, pretty or not, human…and speaks to humans like me…

Why I am anti-anti porn will come later, trust me.

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