Porn and depictions of sex

[astuffedshirt_perv]

There is a woman, Peggy Orenstein, who has ‘written extensively about...sex ed’. She’s viewed as something of an expert, and has written books and more than a few opinion columns in major newspapers, including one in the NYT today, 15 June: If you ignore porn, you aren’t teaching sex ed. Much of what she writes has to do with children view porn, which is something almost everyone agrees is bad, but a fact of life. However, I am always struck by the way she characterizes porn: “as something men do to rather than with women.” She goes on to say “It portrays female pleasure as a performance for male satisfaction.” Both claims clash wildly with what I have seen. Maybe I watch the wrong kind of porn? Or maybe Ms Orenstein is stuck in the 70’s?

Most porn on popular tubes diminish the role of men to a cock. Frequently, the male face is not even shown, and rarely focused on. Porn shows women deeply desirous of sex, loving the cock they have found. The man’s experience is minimized, often silent. Is he enjoying it? Who knows, he doesn’t say. He silently does his thing, the woman moans. Porn—the kind that seems most common—depicts sex as something women do for pleasure. Now, I am sure there are plenty of sites that show the opposite, but the normal video churn on the big streaming sites are what I usually see—women deriving pleasure from sex.

It just makes me question whether this expert knows what she is talking about.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Without attempting to weigh in on whether or not the person cited is correct, one might interpret her words to say that:

1. Most mainstream heterosexual porn is a performance by actors and actresses for the pleasure of male viewers. Yes, women do watch, but it’s a mainly male audience and it’s hardly surprising that porn is tailored to their preferences.

2. As most men really aren’t going to get excited or turned on by male actors or (provided they’re not sloppy fat or something) their bodies, hetero porn indeed tends to focus on the female body and what the actresses are doing. Consider the very popular POV porn - the guy is there solely to furnish a cock, period, full stop; it’s the gals and what they are doing that that sells. The viewers tend to try to imagine themselves in his place.

Putting it another way, boobs sell, six-packs not so much. Which do you think will be be given more attention?

3. As most men feel very positively about pleasing their women, porn actresses having (or faking) orgasms is also a selling point. (As it happens, interviews with porn actresses strongly suggest that faking it is very common.)

 

[nowisthetime]

That's why I prefer vintage porn, they showed the man's face, everything, and they were having a legit good time. There were standout male stars like Brian Pumper and Kevin James.

Women watch porn, too, we just are less likely to admit it out in the open. We like looking at eye candy, too.

 

[Riles]

I think it was likely spot on once upon a time.

But now? Outside of the popular Amateur Hour porn so widely available, the Pros have made a point of creating an entire "for women" genera. See Dane Jones videos. Now I'm not sure who told these people that women viewers only want slow, 'loving making' sex cause it can be boring as hell. Sure, guys tend to be better looking and there are less facials to have to avoid but it'd be nice if somebody could produce something a little more midway.

Amateur is where it's at for me. I can find the variety and flavour I need in the moment and I too can make my experience as perfunctory as I wish or not. Considering what gets me off is his vocalization, his teeth gritting facial expressions and to feel like I could be that woman if he's doing a good job of things, I am objectifying the hell out of that guy.

 

[DaBrooke]

I would say porn is definitely made mostly for a male audience. A lot seems to be shot as if you're looking through the eyes of the male and fucking the female. I would say the limit to the male feelings and such being added is because most viewing men would be more focused on the noises and reactions of the woman rather than the man.

Her opinion on needing to teach and acknowledge porn is right though. Most of us got a fairly bland birds and the bees talk and the rest we figured out along the way. I know porn has given me one or more ideas to try with sex and I am sure that is true for most people. Like anything else though it is good to teach what is possible and reasonable and what is just done for the sake of a naughty story or someone getting off to.

Also like was mentioned is that technology is flying in leaps and bounds. Children are getting cell phones and tablets younger and younger and having access to porn and other sites a lot sooner than any other generation probably did and they might not even know what to make of most of it. The talks that need to be had are not going to be easy but they need to be had.

 

[FL30]

Without attempting to weigh in on whether or not the person cited is correct, one might interpret her words to say that:

1. Most mainstream heterosexual porn is a performance by actors and actresses for the pleasure of male viewers. Yes, women do watch, but it’s a mainly male audience and it’s hardly surprising that porn is tailored to their preferences.

2. As most men really aren’t going to get excited or turned on by male actors or (provided they’re not sloppy fat or something) their bodies, hetero porn indeed tends to focus on the female body and what the actresses are doing. Consider the very popular POV porn - the guy is there solely to furnish a cock, period, full stop; it’s the gals and what they are doing that that sells. The viewers tend to try to imagine themselves in his place.

Putting it another way, boobs sell, six-packs not so much. Which do you think will be be given more attention?

3. As most men feel very positively about pleasing their women, porn actresses having (or faking) orgasms is also a selling point. (As it happens, interviews with porn actresses strongly suggest that faking it is very common.)

great summation of the porn industry and the actors/actress's in it

 

[rae121452]

my main takeaway from that op/ed was that bitch needs an editor. reading it was like trying to swim through a vat of molasses.

 

[pecksniff]

One thing the Internet has done is to quietly kill off the Reagan-era public debate about censorship of porn, by making it impossible without Chinese levels of state surveillance of the Intertubes. We now live in the world where kids can view porn and there's no way to stop it. Which is, I suppose, a good environment for "sex ed" of a kind.