Cover your eyes! Cover your ears! I’m about to say a word many consider vulgar, filthy, and obscene. If children are around, make sure you don’t read aloud to protect their innocent ears. Many consider this to be the killer of relationships, a mortal sin. Be careful as you continue…. The word is, “Porn!” Yes, I said it, and it really doesn’t seem quite as bad after all. Now, let’s uncover and unpack the subject that is so often questioned, complicated, and misunderstood.
Pornography has been around since the inception of media. It is one of humanity’s original forms of entertainment and will continue to be around for as long as humans exist. Some of mankind’s earliest drawings are of genitals and intercourse. It’s a wonder why it is so elusive and taboo, as it is in many ways one of the centers of creativity.
The topic of porn is subjective and value based. What one person sees as vulgar another will see as art. What one person sees as exploitive and harmful another will find educational and entertaining. There are many perspectives when it comes to defining pornography and determining moral value. This blog is not here to make that determination, but to give readers tools to decide their own values and ethics when it comes to consuming any form of media, whether it is determined to be “porn” or “art.”
Media Entertainment
When it comes to media, there is light and shadow to everything. Media over the years has positively and negatively shaped the way many of us think and make decisions about the world around us. It is as much a conduit of entertaining, educating, and informing, as it is of discriminating, exploiting, and misinforming. The key to all forms of media, whether it is pornographic or not, is to understand media literacy.
Media Literacy
Media literacy is the ability to analyze and create personal meaning behind all the visual and audio inputs we take in throughout the day. It is the ability to consciously choose, question, and be curious about the messages and “selling points” the creators are trying to communicate. Whether it is media on PornHub or Public Television, they both are constructing messages for their audiences. It is your job to decipher if it is entertaining, moral, and/or informative.
Questions to consider:
- Who are the creators? (Are they paid, consenting, diverse, etc.)
- What messages are being crafted for the audience? (Are they selling, entertaining, informing, and/or educating?)
- What techniques are being used to attract attention? (Titles, demographics, imagery, sounds, music, words, etc.)
- How might others view the content differently? (Would others find it offensive, enjoyable, informative, understandable, inclusive, discriminative etc.)
- What and who are being left out of the message?
- Do you find it enjoyable and educational?
The reality is that pornography is one of the easiest forms of media to find in today’s digital world. Like any form of media, it can be enjoyable, educational, and useful. It can also be misleading, exploitive, and harmful if you do not consciously explore the messaging you’re receiving.
With any form of escapism, participants should be curious if their consumption is being used for entertainment and relaxation or as a crutch to avoid deeper challenges in life. Pornography is no different than using food, television, video games, exercise, etc. to escape or cope with everyday life. It can be adaptive or maladaptive depending on the person and their circumstances. The choice to enjoy porn is personal. It is not something to be dictated or scrutinized by others.
Ethical Porn
There is a lot of media that is created without the best ethics at play. Because of the complicated nature our culture places on pornography, there is a lot of room for unethical practices. Below is a list of pornography sites vetted with high ethical standards. Enjoy, if you choose!
