Porn Is Not Evil

[description: a man posing nude on a bed on all fours, brightly lit, genitals on display]
The decline of modern society, or harmless fun?

I was researching the controversy over the alleged ubiquity of genital shaving in porn (something the above photo could certainly benefit from), in anticipation of some photos I intend to post in the near future, and I came across this really positive little article [broken link]. It only briefly touches on some of the heavy topics regarding the porn industry, but I was very pleased with the insights and advice given by the legendary porn star, Nina Hartley, who was interviewed. The overall impression I get from reading the article is one that I stand firmly behind. Specifically, that a lot of the brouhaha about the evils of the porn industry is based on inaccurate stereotypes that are a result of moral assumptions made in the absence of actual consultation with those involved in the industry.

Now, I'm not so naive as to think that nobody in porn has ever been genuinely abused, or that porn hasn't been genuinely exploited for negative purposes, but the point is that, like in everything else, there is variety. There are people who are involved with porn who love it, who do not regret it, and do not have the lifetime of bad experiences they are assumed to have had. Now, unless you actually know someone personally who dabbles in the production side of pornography, I personally don't think you're in any position to make any informed (and thus meaningful) complaints about porn and what it does to people. And even if you do, and your experience bears out your concerns, that's still no reason to attack the people whose lives are not destroyed but brightened by being involved in the exciting and pleasurable realm of pornography.

I mean, just think about it. If porn does bad things to people, why not focus on those bad things? Why target porn indiscriminately? It might be easier that way, but it's not the right thing to do, and it just causes more pain and suffering in the long run, because in the process of trying to help people who are being hurt, you're hurting a bunch of people who were just fine before you began interfering in their lives.

And I'd wager that far more people are harmed by the social stigma surrounding porn than by the "sin" of engaging in carnal pleasures. Especially considering that the 'natural' harms of sex - which might include transmission of disease and unwanted pregnancies - are not reduced by prudist preaching, but are rather exacerbated by imposed ignorance and systematic shaming.