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| The_Dungeoneers |
Sex, Pornography and Censorship
| Abstract A brief examination of pornography and the interconnection between sex and censorship acknowledging the 'biological imperative', the human sexual arousal system and the role that fantasy plays in positive psychosexual well being. Issues surrounding pornography that involve children or animals have not been included on the grounds that they are distinctly seperate matters where the principles of informed consent cannot apply. |
The plain unvarnished fact of the matter is that sex is an essential part of the human condition. It is often referred to as the 'biological imperative' that underpins species continuance - in that without sexual intercourse the human race would simply become extinct.
Unlike some other mammals human females do not 'come into season' as it were with the attendant strong change in pheromones and instinctive urge to mate but rather have the potential to conceive at almost any time. Having said that - it is true that many women may experience feelings that they will describe as 'broody' although some of those feelings may well be not about copulation but about the notion of actually having a child.
The human male on the other hand has, perhaps, more in common with most males of other mammalian species. In order to achieve successful copulation an erect penis is something of an essential along with friction leading to pleasurable sensations leading ultimately to ejaculation of semen.
Now, one of the big problems when addressing the subject of sex (particularly in the area of so called 'sex education') is the tendency to focus upon reproduction and pass quickly over the notion of 'arousal' - in part because arousal is such a varied and complex process dependent upon so many factors that each persons arousal system is uniquely personal. It may also be in part because the British people in general have a long history of suppression when it comes to public scrutiny of emotions and feelings. It is not that long ago that the 'stiff upper lip' was the measure of an Englishman and, together with the Scots and Welshman, public displays of interpersonal emotions were considered to be a sign of weakness in a male. Such social attitudes led to a general level of social repression vis a vis matter sexual - extending even to the exposure of certain body parts whether in a sexual context or not.
It is against this repressive background that we, as rational people, must consider the question of pornography and censorship as it applies to the general population of adult individuals capable of giving their informed consent to sexual activity.
Censorship, by its very nature, is prohibitive. Essentially it involves the value system of one person or group being imposed upon another. When such prohibition concerns itself with matters that relate to fundamental biological human behaviour then the spectre of repression rears its head. Repressive prohibition is notoriously ineffective in the long term - particularly so when there is no clearly provable foundation for its imposition. In behavioural terms straightforward repression can often result in the manifestation of other aberrant behaviours thus creating more problems than were 'solved'. Think of it like a pressure cooker saucepan containing water - the lid is secured and sealed (repression) and heat is applied (resentment), eventually the pressure builds up to a point where an explosion occurs (anger and violence). This then beggars the question 'Is there enough hard evidence to justify repression given the possible consequences?'
If pornography is such a bad thing how has it survived for so long? It certainly predates the establishment of the Christian faith. The etymology of very word itself springs from the ancient Greek pornographos "(one) writing of prostitutes." Originally used of classical art and writing, application to modern examples began in the 1880s. The main modern meaning "salacious writing or pictures" represents a slight shift from the etymology, though classical depictions of prostitution usually had this quality. Pornographer is the earliest form of the word, attested from 1850. Pornocracy (1860) is "the dominating influence of harlots," used specifically of the government of Rome during the first half of the 10th century by Theodora and her daughters.
Pornography is extremely popular. That is not an opinion but a statement of fact. One only has to look at the size of the Adult Industry worldwide for the evidence. Why is this so? Why do so many people find pornographic images interesting and voluntarily seek them out? Logic dictates that there must be some positive 'reward' that users of pornography gain from viewing such material because if an activity is unpleasant the experience tends to be aversive and thus the individual will not seek to repeat the activity voluntarily.
Let us apply Occams Razor to the issue. Humans have within them the 'biological imperative' that underpins their sex drive and is hard wired to their arousal system. Evolution and the development of 'civilisation' has severely curtailed the level of human olfactory awareness thus our arousal systems have become far more dependent upon auditory, visual and tactile cues - the pheromone triggers are still present but less important. As a species survival trait human sexual organs are designed to respond to arousal by either erection in the male or vaginal secretion in the female and then to a certain level of friction by sending signals that stimulate the pleasure centres of the brain. Arousal therefore equals pleasure.
So far, so good - but there is another factor that has influence upon the individuals arousal system. I am referring to the greatest asset at humankind's disposal - the imagination, the ability to conceptualise that which might be. A place of creativity, inspiration, hopes, fears, and of course fantasy. Without imagination we are nothing.
Now, if we pursue this line of thought we may consider the following:-
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If arousal equals pleasure, then arousal may be considered as an attractive state. If pleasure equals happiness, and the maximisation of happiness is reputed to promote psychological well being then arousal may be thought of as beneficial. Sexual fantasy can be used to trigger arousal in the absence of an appropriate sexual partner or to increase the degree of physical arousal to a 'workable' level in situations where other factors may be inhibiting 'performance'. By deduction then, sexual fantasy appears to be both attractive and beneficial, one might even go so far as to say necessary in many situations. |
Some people are truly self-contained when it comes to constructing personal sexual fantasies. They have no need of external stimuli to set them on the 'pleasure path'. Unsurprisingly, such people are usually found to be highly creative and with a high sex drive. Many others, probably the vast majority in fact, occasionally find that a little external stimulus facilitates the process. This then may be the niche into which pornography fits for many - facilitating, enabling and promoting positive sexual experience.
~o0O0o~
It would be improper of me to leave the matter there - there must be balance. Pornography has the capacity to be abused just as anything else in this world. History shows us that no matter what mankind may devise mankind may also twist to serve his or her own ends. Nuclear materials used in one way may be a source of cheap and sustainable power. Applied correctly to cancer sufferers it can aid in the saving of life yet in the hands of politicians it has also been forged into a weapon of mass destruction.
The opponents of pornography make much play of the notion that perpetrators of sexual offences use pornographic material. That may be so, but are their crimes directly attributable to the use of pornography? There appears to be no evidence to support the view that it has any causal affect.
What is seen during many criminal trials is the attempt at a mitigating strategy whereby the defendant offers up a self confessed 'addiction to pornography' as an inappropriate justification for abusive behaviour in the hope of gaining sympathy from the sentencer. This is then taken up by the media and promoted to the level of psudo fact by pro censorship campaigners who employ it in a 'pars pro toto' argument (a device whereby a small unrepresentative example is used in an attempt to describe a much larger issue) to further their own ends.
If one considers the sheer volume of pornography sold as a rough indicator of the numbers of people who view it and compares that with the number of sexual offenders one may be struck by the enormous disparity between the figures. Even given the fact that the terms of such a comparison are in no way precise the difference is so great that notions of causality are rendered untenable. Essentially it comes down to the question 'If pornography is freely available in large quantities and viewing pornography leads to sex crime why are there not more sex crimes?'
Whilst I would not seek to challenge the suggestion that masturbation by a potential perpetrator to his/her 'pornography of choice' can have a disinhibiting effect upon upon him/her and may increase his/her potential for offending, I would not discount the possibility of a reduction in his/her immediate potential, post ejaculation/orgasm. Furthermore, masturbation to pornography is not the only potential disinhibitor available. Alcohol and certain types of prescription drugs are only two of many, legally obtainable, disinhibitors that can impact on the individual and, if that individual has a propensity to offend, such disinhibitors can just as easily increase the potential for offending. To single out pornography may be disingenuous, serve to confuse the underlying issues of offending and speak to the existence of other agendas held by those who support censorship.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that a number of notorious offenders, The Yorkshire Ripper for one, have maintained that they were encouraged to commit their crimes by Divine Inspiration. If we adopt the philosophy of the pro censorship lobby then surely we must consider applying similar censorship to religion. Ridiculous? Probably, but it behoves us to bear in mind that all wedges have a thin end.
Another criticism of the adult pornography industry is that it abuses and harms some of those concerned with the production of such material. References are made to coercion of performers, exploitation of vulnerable individuals, degradation and other abuses. There is evidence that, in some cases, this is true but once again we see the application of the 'pars pro toto' argument put forth to justify the imposition of censorship. It is equally true that there are many producers who operate within an ethical framework and performers who participate of their own free will. On the face of it this seems to present a paradox, how can one aspect be abusive whilst another is not?
Strangely enough it appears to be a censorship issue. Within an open and liberated society there is scope for creating formal associations, unions and collectives and the application of an agreed code of ethics that serve to nurture and protect the rights and well being of the participants. The concept of the ability to grant or withhold informed consent being a central pillar.
Conversely, a society in which repressive censorship holds sway allows for none of the foregoing, demanding blind compliance with the threat of retribution for non-compliance - control based upon fear. If the censored material is popular the demand will remain although the supply is officially curtailed. When demand exceeds supply the price goes up. When the price of a popular but prohibited commodity rises beyond a certain level it becomes an attractive proposition for organised crime. Organised crime is notoriously unethical in its practices and routinely employs coercion, exploitation, degradation and other abuses to achieve its ends.
The irony is palpable. In a naive and simplistic way the imposition of censorship is promoted as a means to protect. The reality of censorship in the context of pornography is that it provides the very environment in which abuses may be perpetrated without let or hindrance.
© Laurence Pay 2007
Censorship laws for Adults are repressive and redundant – help repeal them.
The Petition itself : http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/OpposeCensorship/
The Reason behind it: http://www.ukrudegirl.com/petition.html
Edited Mon 8 Jan 07, 5:05 AM by The_Dungeoneers
| 8 Jan 07, 8:16 AM Donnachaidh FR, 6 yrs  |
Great Post. If anyone is thinking it is too long to bother reading, think again. Donnachaidh There are 10 types of people. Those who do understand binary, and those who don't. | |
| 8 Jan 07, 1:45 PM xCallyx UK, 5 yrs |
Excellent blog, thank You.  | |
| 8 Jan 07, 5:18 PM XxDark_SerenityxX 5 yrs |
Its so great to see You posting again....missed Your deep and very interesting posts...... Must admit......it makes a change to read something so eloquently put.....with such level of intellect. TY...pups "Intimacy is based on shared vulnerability...nothing deepens intimacy like the experiences that we share when we feel flayed, with our skins off, scared and vulnerable, and our partner is there with us, willing to share in the scary stuff" | |
| 8 Jan 07, 7:13 PM The_Dungeoneers UK(NR), 5 yrs |
Thank you all very much for such kind words. Essentially the above piece (and the others that I have written) comes more from a 'global' view of pornography and erotica than from specific 'compartmentalisation' of aspects of the subject. The pro censorship lobby are not stupid. Rabid, often, but not stupid and it never does to underestimate them. They are quite well aware that they have to 'chop logic' to make their arguments and so, in order to hide the joins they apply a liberal coating of emotive rhetoric. The temptation is to respond only to the 'coating' - emotive to emotive as it were. If one buys into that then one is faced with having to challenge the opposition on their chosen ground - that is to say - they have assumed the moral high ground and all challenges must thus be made 'uphill'. I have always found it advisable to 'think outside the box' in such situations. To be analagous - if ones opponent has built stout walls atop a hill, consider ways of removing the hill. If ones opponant has a strength, consider ways in which that strength can be either rendered ineffective or, better yet, turned against them. Having a 'passion' for a cause or an ideal is most laudable but a condition of 'passion' is often the development of tunnel vision - wearing the 'blinkers of passion' one might say. It gives bags of energy for the forward charge but makes one distinctly vulnerable on the flank. The Williams Committee took the emotive subject of pornography and applied logic to the issues. The pro censorship lobby immediately labelled its findings as a 'pornographers charter' and pressured the government of the day to discreetly shelve it in the hope that it would quietly expire. Sound logic has no 'shelf life' however and the findings of Williams still have currency - they have stood the test of time and if anything are stronger than ever. Whilst the argument around extreme pornography and the extention of the Obscene Publications Act rages overhead my own inclination is to apply logic to the 'hill of myth' upon which the very Act itself depends upon for support. The effects may not be glamourous nor spectacular - more likely slow and dirty - but heigh ho, that's politics and also, quite often, good sex. <grin> Laurence
Censorship laws for Adults are repressive and redundant – help repeal them. | |
| 9 Jan 07, 10:10 PM Fulani UK(LE), 7 yrs |
Very neatly put - a good read and worth wider publication (but I'm sure you've thought of that!) | |
| 10 Jan 07, 7:11 PM The_Dungeoneers UK(NR), 5 yrs |
The copyright mark is merely there in case any of the 'opposition' tries to misquote bits of it. If any of the 'good guys' want to repost it anywhere - they may do so with my full blessing. Laurence ___________________________________________________ ___ | |
| 10 Jan 07, 11:21 PM SinPar US, 12 yrs |
SinPar
-- The weak are the most treacherous of us all. They come to the strong and drain them. They are bottomless. They are insatiable. They are always parched and always bitter. They are everyone's concern, and like vampires they suck our life's blood. (Bette Davis) | |
| 11 Jan 07, 8:23 PM vember55 5 yrs |
Well spoken. In vanilla land I spent ten years working in high security prisons with serious sex offenders, i.e. non consenting bad stuff - frequently homicidal and/or serial. Think cheesy Channel 5 documentaries. Can't think of anyone I met who put it all down to porn. Is this significant? Who knows. | |
| 18 Jan 07, 4:41 PM RubberPrincess UK(TW), 5 yrs |
Laurance, As usual an oustanding piece, of factual consise, and indeed important literature. I find your outtake on these issue fascinating, and help me to make my own informed decisions on these matters. I also as you know like to take a closer look at the opposing arguments, and of course we would be in serious trouble if you were working for the bad men!!!! Once again thank you for doing your bit. I have got everyone I know to have look at the petition and sign if they agree certainly post it around and get others involved. xXx DD xXx | |
| 18 Feb 07, 11:16 PM deelish UK(RM), 11 yrs |
Nice to see you once again flexing that most sexy of all your muscles Lol, your brain that is deelish x |
