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Porn Insidiously Devalues Women
by Barbara Kasper and Barbara Moore
Originally published in the October 27, 1994 Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY)
There has been much discussion about the airing of the public
access show on cable television called Life Without Shame. While
many in our community do not want the show to air, there seems to be
little we can do to stop it. There are so many rights in the way:
the right to adult etertainment, the right to sexual expression,
constitutional rights of free speech, and the rights of business
owners.
One right which has been given little attention in this debate is
human rights -- specifically the rights of women.
We feel that pornography is harmful to women and that as women we
have the right to live in a society free of this harm. Pornography
degrades women. It defines us through our body parts. It encourages
self-hatred in women because we can never "measure up" to the women
seen in pornography. We dare not grow old or become overweight. In
pornography, women are rewarded for fulfilling males' fantasies --
being either the passive "good girl" or the insatiable whore.
More importantly, pornography frequently eroticizes violence. We
do not believe that every man who watches Life Without Shame will
become a rapist or beat his wife or girlfriend. However, we do feel
that misogynistic sexual entertainment for men portrays the
humiliation of women as "sexy" and presents women as two-dimensional
beings.
In a world where women are being raped, stalked, beaten, and
killed in epidemic proportions, pornography conditions too many men
to "get off by putting women down." Eventually, viewing enough
pornography can desensitize all of us so that we do not even
question the devaluation of women in our society.
We believe that the number of rapes and assaults on women would
be drastically reduced -- but not entirely eliminated -- if
pornography were to disappear. We believe that pornography often
serves as a cultural backdrop, if not actually a catalyst, for the
sexual exploitation and abuse of women.
Pornography sells. Men spend more than $8 billion a year on
pornography. What is sells is lies about women and their response to
sex. Pornography frequently portrays women as mindless, childlike
and submissive. We are "pets" or "playmates." Other forms of
pornography depict omen who enjoy being raped, spanked, tied up or
mutilated.
Would there be any real need for debate if viewers of cable
television were exposed to programming that featured the consistent
abuse and humiliating of Jews, African Americans or the elderly?
Would everyone who objected to such programming be encouraged to
simply "change the channel"? Yet when women are the victims, issues
surrounding censorship and First Amendment rights are raised
impeding progress toward real solutions.
Many young males state that their first sexual experience was
masturbating to pornography. Think of what this pornography then
says to these men -- that women like to be treated like objects,
treated with contempt, and enjoy eroticized violence. Women in
pornography never say "no," or if they do, they don't really mean
it. Women in porn are really men's property -- always available and
ready. pornography, therefore, reinforces inequity in relationships.
It is difficult to believe that men can use pornography and at the
same time truly respect the women in their lives.
Far too many people believe that they have the right to control
those to whom they feel superior. We know rape is not a crime of
passion but rather an act of power and control. The same is true of
domestic violence, sexual harassment and incest.
Who benefits from pornography? Who finances pornography? Who is
behind the camera? Who buys it?
Who has the power?
We need to stop the lies that pornography tells about women and
sex and tell the truth. The truth is that pornography supports a
larger culture that hurts, exploits and discriminates against women.
Unfortunately, far too often when we tell the truth we are accused
of taking away rights. As Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin,
who have written books against pornography, state: "Take away
wrongful power and you will be accused of taking away rights. Often,
this will be true because the law, under the guise of protecting
rights, protects power."
Whose rights should take precedence? Is it the pornographers who
produce Life Without Shame? Or is it the majority of us who want to
live in a society which does not allow the subordination,
degradation or violation of women?
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