Pornography

@ grow a pair
It's not that hard to find softcore out there. Just don't go for mainstream films, those are sort of sexist.

We live in a very sexual world. Almost everything has a sexual link to it - there's even pornographic like scriptures in the bible. With anything, sex can be an art or it can be a sin. Sex is an art, as it is a way to express yourself. Pornography is an art form.

As for the child debate, no, i don't support child pornography or anything such as that. Pedophilia is illegal, and all rules should be followed in that. Nor do i support just handing a child a laptop with pornhub pulled up & give them free range, but seeing as it is growing less and less possible to completely coddle a child, and their exposure to sex can happen at a young age - shouldn't they at least know what it is? even if it's not showing a kid a video. so many children don't even know what sex actually is, and so it causes problems.

@ flyingf0xes
I don't know. I think part of exploring your sexuality is discovering that stuff on your own, rather than being handed it. I grew up in a less technological era (no smartphones, we didn't have laptops, used dial up) and I still was able to find Skinemax on TV really late at night. I'm really glad my super-conservative Christian parents who thought masturbation was a sin didn't talk to me about porn. My mother, on the other hand, would let me read her erotica books (Penthouse Letters) when I was 16/17.

@ flyingf0xes
I agree with Dru, I don't think parents should interfere in your discovery of porn. If you have your parents show you porn or tell you about sex, they will likely try to shape you into liking what they think it's acceptable.
You should discover by yourself. I think exposing a 13 year old to porn isn't going to turn that kid into a nimpho whore or whatever, as long as you talk about the implications of being sexually active, for your body and your mind. I first watched porn at 12 but didn't have any sort of sex until I was 18.

@ miserable dru.
i completely discovered my sexuality myself, (being from two heterosexual parents). i fully agree with what you said. i was referring more to the parents that hide their children from the fact that sex is out there and real.

@ Ned Flanders
and that's exactly what i meant. my mom was very like "well, this is what sex is, this is what can happen," etc., not however once thinking i was gay, so yes. i do believe that people should be able to discover themselves and what arouses them and what doesn't. i was referring to the parents that hide their children from sex.

@ flyingf0xes
When parents completely put their kids inside a bubble and never even tell them the smallest thing about sex, it usually turns out worse.
When you grow up without knowing anything, you're gonna want to go crazy as soon as mommy and daddy aren't watching.

My conservative mother wouldn't probably cheer for the fact that I'm bi curious or that I've had sex with an Asian, but she wouldn't be mad, either, or start yelling at me or whatever, as long as I'm doing everything safely.

My opinion has changed from my previous opinion.

I love porn. I think porn is great. I love porn where women are degraded. I love porn.

But when I found out that one of the pornstars who tested positive for HIV worked for one of my favorite production companies, I had to look into it. She said she thought she saw a sore on her fellow performer's penis, but she did not feel she could say anything about it. In looking into that, I found more accounts of women and the producer "Kink" and ...

I haven't been able to watch any of their videos.

I kind of switched back to written porn because I know no one is getting hurt in the making of that.

Basically, when I want to watch porn again I'll have to do research and find out what companies are treating their employees appropriately. I know there is good, friendly for performer porn out there. There are husband and wife porn couples. There is porn made by women for women (not my bag; way too sweet).

I just need to find someone making disgusting, degrading porn who understands that the performers are not meant to be treated like the role.

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Porn is awesome, but lorn is annoying. I want to see genitals, it's not fun for me otherwise. Also, I'd like some guy on guy where the bottom is a little more vocal. I learned that women are more aroused by sounds, which is at least true for me. So louder boys would be nice. I've also found some killer lesbian porn out there, but I draw the line at girls with long nails because you know nothing is really getting done down there. You can't do much with talons. So short nails FTW. And the girls are always loud. I've even found the voluptuous women I prefer in porn, which is a special kind of beauty.

I gave up visual porn. Once I found out one of my favorite porn distributors (Kink.com) was most likely responsible for the second HIV positive actor, I gave up.

Went back to written erotica.

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I quite like porn. I see nothing wrong with it - if someone wants to make a porn, that's their business. If you don't like the idea of having sex on camera, don't do it. And if someone wants to watch porn, hey, that's also their business - don't like it, don't watch it. I, personally, watch pornography and quite enjoy it.

i have no problem with porn, hell i've watched it! and have no issue with playboy or the surcide girls. to me it must take a lot of guts and self-confidence to pose nude.

The first porno ever was rape, which alarmingly a lot of people don't seem to know. It also made a lot of money from this women's rape, and other films of her being raped (and gang raped) made a lot of money... for her rapists. Mainstream porn is sexist, abusive and a lot of time the girls are geniuenly unerage, or supposed to look underage (peadophile bells ringing, anyone?). A lot of women in the porn industry are raped, are told they're going to do one shoot and then forced into another otherwise they don't get paid, or the male pornstar just goes ahead and does what they want - because it's all about the male shots.

I think it's something ridiculous like 10-20% of porn focuses on female pleasure, while the rest if about demeaning, degrading and hurting women. Don't quote me on that.

And while it's 'good' for you when you're stressed, I'm not sure I'm willing to encourage rape, sexual abuse and misogyny just so I can kick back a little easier after work.

There's a few videos on youtube of ex-pornstars speaking out against it, and I won't link you because some of it contains some very explicit, very disturbing imagery I personally don't want the younger people on this site to have to look at or hear about. But a quick google if you're really interested and you'll see ex-pornstars speaking out against it, you'll probably even find videos of women saying they don't want to do a scene anymore and being forced to do it. I know I did. I've never pressed clear on my history so many times.

But, you know. There's always feminist porn if you actually want to see people enjoying themselves. I'm personally too put off it to ever see it again, especially after some porn companies horrendous attempt at supporting breast cancer research. Hmm. Just some things to think about.

EDIT:
Found some non-visual links, severe trigger warnings all the same for rape, sexual assault, child abuse etc.
http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/
http://iamatreasure.com/about-us/statistics/#_edn9

I don't like it. It's way to easy to acess and it really is a dirty job. People make way too much money for taking off their clothes and having sex with someone who they aren't in a relationship with. I don't support it at all. Sorry.

@ January Rose
People make way too much money? You really don't know much about the porn industry if you think that's true. Considering how dangerous their job is, a lot of porn stars do not get paid very much at all. Women routinely are underpaid, and then men are notoriously paid way less if they do heterosexual porn than they are to do homosexual porn. Also, it's all well and good to not want to take off your clothing in front of strangers or to have sex with someone you're not in a relationship with, but they're not less than you for doing that. You never specifically said that, but there is a tone of serious judgment coming from you. Maybe I'm mistaken and if I am, then I apologize.

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And as for myself, I think a lot of porn needs to be fixed. I am in no way going to say that porn isn't fucked up or is perfect, because it isn't. Erotic fiction has been mentioned and yeah, erotic fiction can be good, but it also has some of the same issues that porn has, but just lesser and different. After all, porn sometimes is just flat out rape or romanticizing rape and a lot of other things, so there is a real, live victim there, but I have seen erotic fiction where people write truly horrific things that could potentially influence someone reaching out and getting a real, live victim. A lot of erotic fiction sites have strict rules up to a point about what you can post there, but not all sites do. After all, you can find fiction on mibba where an underage girl is being raped by relatives, but it's 'love' and she 'enjoys it'. You can find fiction on here where people romanticize kidnapping and torture or coercion. Hell, you an always find a teacher/student story in the story section on here. My point is that while I'd love to see porn fixed (especially the god awful writing), let's not pretend that written word is some utopia we can all escape to.

@ January Rose
I have watched doumentaries on porn. Woman on woman porn, one of the most popular forms, only pays $500 a scene... If you're lucky. Male on male porn can pay upwards of $2000 a scene. (To add on to the post above me.)

Those figures were from a few years ago so they may have adjusted slightly.

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As the the problems with porn, let's also not forget there are forms of porn like camgirls and cam couples. My sister knows a girl who makes $2000 a week. I even considered cam girling. It's more than masturbation, by the way.

To camgirls, you first need the proper webcam, which isn't cheap. You need an area properly decorated and dedicated. You need a great personality and you need to build relationships with your clients. You need to advertise properly and build a following before you can start charging $2 a minute. Most girls start out charging less than a quarter a minute.

It's work. And it's work not everyone can do.

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To add into the problems with traditional porn: racism and Transphobia.

I do like porn; gay and lesbian porn. But I just can't get into straight porn for some reason. It's just eh to me y'know?