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The Porn Myth People who watch porn have less sexual satisfaction with their real life sexual partners. One reason why sexual impotence is increasing in younger adult populations. Those who watch porn have lower levels of relational commitments and they do not communicate as well with their partners. They are more likely to cheat on their partners. That is why pornography is frequently implicated in divorce proceedings. What is the difference between nudity in art and pornography? The artist will be disappointed if the viewer finds his work sexually arousing but in no sense causing awe and wonder. The pornographer will be disappointed if his work arouses awe and wonder but in no sense causing sexual arousal. The difference between pornography and art lies in the intention. The author discusses a number of ex-porn stars who suffered various forms of abuse while working. But what about those who have made large amounts of money and appear as success stories? One such star is quoted as saying: "These guys didn't care about seeing a show. They just wanted to see some skin. So much for my delusions of actually being respected in the world at large." She admits that "the porn industry is not something that I would want my daughter to go through. It's not something that any parent would choose for their child." The author notes that drugs and alcohol are a problem in the porn industry. It could be argued that while pornography is morally objectionable, the same need not be said of men's magazines like Loaded, Maxim, FHM and Nuts. However, former Loaded editor Martin Daubney left his job when he concluded that there was no real difference between Loaded and pornography. Besides, there is plenty of research to show that people become desensitized to images and drift from soft-core to hard-core. The reason why drugs and alcohol are common in the porn industry is because they are used to numb emotional and physical pain. One ex-porn star writes: "Time after time, I would go home and cry myself to sleep because I feared what the next day would bring." According to legal scholar Catherine MacKinnon: "The women and children in pornography are, in the main, not there by choice but because of a lack of choices." Those who get into the porn business are often addicted to sex, fame or money. Hypersexuality is not a sign of sexual maturity but may be a sign of psychological disorder including personality disorder, sexual addiction or past abuse. But what about those in the porn business who say they enjoy their work and do not feel exploited? Fradd responds by noting that "to celebrate one's personal empowerment while creating a product that is markedly disempowering to others is not socially responsible." What about those who say that adult porn is fine but not child porn? Fradd responds by noting that among the most popular form of porn is the depiction of women who look under-age. What message is that sending? What message is pornography giving to women who think that men cannot help but become addicted
to porn? The actress Jennifer Lawrence sent nude pictures of herself to her then boyfriend because "either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he's going to look at you." As Fradd puts it: "This is a sad statement from a
woman who has seemingly given into the notion that men are interested in only one thing and are incapable of self-control."
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