Pornography
As a child of the early 90’s, internet porn grew up alongside me. Most American homes had dial-up modems on my thirteenth birthday; by the time I left high school, we were all but completely wireless. Pornhub and Xtube didn’t exist in 2005, yet they were two of the ten most popular websites on the planet on the day I turned eighteen.
What are the impacts of pornography exposure or consumption among children and young people? And what can be done about it? These questions are the focus of an Australian Government enquiry, "Harm being done to Australian children through access to pornography on the Internet". In the submission here, Dr Michael Flood summarises the research evidence and outlines key strategies for preventing and limiting harm.
Pornography is transforming boys’ and young men’s sexualities. It has an increasing influence on how males (and females) think and feel about sex and bodies, the kinds of sex they want to have and do have, and their sexual and intimate relations. This presentation begins by mapping the evidence regarding key areas of pornography’s influence. It then explores the social and educational strategies which can be used to minimise the harms of pornography consumption.
Since its original publication in 1989, Refusing to Be a Man has been acclaimed as a classic and widely cited in gender studies literature. In thirteen eloquent essays, Stoltenberg articulates the first fully argued liberation theory for men that will also liberate women. He argues that male sexual identity is entirely a political and ethical construction whose advantages grow out of injustice. His thesis is, however, ultimately one of hope—that precisely because masculinity is so constructed, it is possible to refuse it, to act against it, and to change. A new introduction by the author discusses the roots of his work in the American civil rights and radical feminist movements and distinguishes it from the anti-feminist philosophies underlying the recent tide of reactionary men’s movements.
A growing body of international scholarship documents that significant proportions of children and young people are exposed to pornography. Different studies define ‘pornography’ in varying ways or allow research participants to do so, and some do not distinguish between different kinds of pornographic media (videos, internet sites, and so on) or between accidental and deliberate exposure. Nevertheless, it is clear that large numbers of young people, particularly boys, are growing up in the presence of sexually explicit media.
Debates regarding pornography – its use, significance, and regulation – should be based on informed understanding and research. While there has been little research on pornography in Australia, a recent book titled The Porn Report has become a common reference point in some contemporary debates. However, the book and its research have important methodological and theoretical limitations. This article provides a critical assessment of the book, comparing its findings and arguments with wider scholarship on pornography.
What began as a form of half time entertainment during Gridiron matches at the super bowl has now evolved into the successful and controversial Lingerie Football League, ‘true fantasy football’ according to the website. And lucky for us founder Mitch Mortaza is now expanding his empire to Australia.
Nearly all mainstream pornography is depicted from a man’s perspective. This may be obvious, as in Point of View (POV) type scenes which are shot as if through the eyes of the male porn performer, or made evident through the fact that the woman (or women) take up most of the picture or screen (they are the ones to be looked at), or even apparent through the kind of sex and sex acts being depicted; Ass To Mouth (the only purpose of which is to grant the male performer and viewers additional pleasure through the degradation of the women involved) is a good example.
This document was found on the website of Men Against Pornography in the late 1990s. While I can no longer find it online, I've put this copy up on XY as a record of this powerful and provocate statement regarding profeminist men's accountability to particular feminists and feminisms. I am unsure of its publication date. Michael Flood.