# What is porn?



## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

After reading the thread in the womans section about porn in relationships it got me thinking about how different people view porn. What exactly do you consider to be porn? What is okay, what is not? There are obviously porn sites out there and then there are other types of sites that have pictures of regular people and model type people in clothes (a varying degree of clothes), but not actually doing sexual acts. Just pictures of them. 
Where is line, what is porn?


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## Mr B (Feb 6, 2009)

Forget about content, let's look at the big picture.....

Porn is a second sexual option for men and a leveling of the sexual playing field.

No longer do women hold the exclusive power of sexual gatekeepers demanding payment (in a myriad of forms) before they will shell out sexual favors. Men finally have a choice of sexual activity. And for many porn and masturbation will actually come to be preferred to the jumping though hoops one needs to do in order to have partner sex with a woman. For some men the chains of sexual frustration will finally be broken and kowtowing or paying outright to get their sexual needs met has finally be a thing of the past.

One reason porn and masturbation is now so popular is that for a lot of men the sexual experience itself is actually more intense and sexually stimulating than partner sex. And it doesn't come with the various pressures to perform that are demanded when one has sex with a woman or the need to do and say what is expected, even demanded and there will be no need to enter into a relationship in order to enjoy regular sexual activity.

With porn and masturbation there is no pressure, no anxiety, no unmet expectations, no anxiety induced sexual disorders no fear of disease.It is sex that is more in tune with the way men like their
sex- orgasm centered, quick with an enormous amount of the one thing key to the male sexual make-up.....never ending newness and variety. This is big part of which makes it so intensely stimulating and something that simply cannot be replicated in a heterosexual relationship unless the couple are very sexually free and open which is rare.

Now men have a choice and those who find it difficult to obtain partner sex for whatever reason do not feel so left out of the game. It might even benefit them because in order to compete women will have to become more sexually open, not be so picky when it comes to sexual partners. They will need to make themselves more freely available. We already see this in the new "hookup" phenomenon on college campuses where women no longer demand a relationship or other kinds of "payment"
in order to grant sexual access. And for those in sexually bad relationships, who prefer having sex outside of the relationship paradigm, porn is a godsend.

Sex is becoming more recreational and free and not so caught up
in puritan moralistic nonsense, feminine teasing, and demand for payment. I believe this is the future of sex, freed from the bonds of procreation and false morality and stripping women of a good deal of their sexual power over men.

Marriage is changing, relationships are changing and now sex is changing spurned on by free and easy access to other forms of sexual stimulation for men.And this is just the beginning as technology gets more sophisticated
so will these other means of male sexual stimulation. People scoff at those who claim that orgasms obtained through masturbation and porn as simply more intense than with partner sex. But if some men are claiming that now imagine the future with interactive cybersex using 3D immersive technology 
and then, in the not so distant future, android technology which will allow any man to to have sex with the girl of his dreams.Her physical and sexual characteristics ordered up like Chinese food.

So to answer your question Porn allows men to be able to experience a level of sexual freedom unknown to them before. Not having to rely on the whims and demands of women in order to have a sexually satisfying experience. Yes romance, relationships and intimacy together with that kind of sex will always be with us but for men who prefer sex unencumbered by emotional attachments porn is becoming their sexual outlet of choice. Safe, cheap and plentiful with unlimited variety.

Porn is here to stay and so are the changes it has brought.


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## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

Ohkay, that was interesting. Not what I was looking for, but okay.


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## john_lord_b3 (Jan 11, 2013)

I did not grow up in a porn-saturated environment, so my take is a little different with Mr. B's eloquent article above. 

I think, since the existence of easy-to-obtain Internet porn, then it divides men into three camps: 

(1) Those who prefer porn and masturbation than real woman
(2) Those who prefer real woman than porn and masturbation
(3) Those who enjoy porn but also enjoy real woman (with various degrees of enjoyment either way)

Therefore, it is important for woman to avoid type #1 man, and focus on finding type #2 man. And maybe, to a certain extent, tolerate #3 man. 

Some type #3 man eventually converted to type #2 (some men do get bored of watching porn). 

Off course, conversions could happen across all three types. 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 1, 2 to 1, etc.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

gbrad said:


> Where is line, what is porn?


Porn is by definition sexually explicit or obscene. It includes any and every form of media from the printed page to movies


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## Mavash. (Jan 26, 2012)

According to Websters:

the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement

material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement

the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction <the pornography of violence>

So this includes pretty much everything from romance novels, movies, soap opera's to rated X movies. I've debated this with my husband before and lost. LOL


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

"Obscene literature, art or photography...."
_The Random House Unabridged Dictionary_


"Obscene writings, drawings, photographs or the like..."
_Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary
_

"Obscene literature, photographs, paintings, etc.... "
_The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary_


"Sexually explicit pictures, writing or other material..."
_The American Heritage Dictionary_


"Literature in which prostitutes figure: Obscene writing..."
_The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary_


"Pornography is Greek for "Writings of Harlots"....The first masterpiece of English pornography is probably John Cleland's _Memoirs of the Life of Fanny Hill _(1749)"
_The Encyclopedia Of Word And Phrase Origins_


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## CallaLily (Jan 13, 2011)

IMO, its a money maker for those who love money, and power.


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## Code-Welder (Dec 17, 2012)

gbrad said:


> After reading the thread in the womans section about porn in relationships it got me thinking about how different people view porn. What exactly do you consider to be porn? What is okay, what is not? There are obviously porn sites out there and then there are other types of sites that have pictures of regular people and model type people in clothes (a varying degree of clothes), but not actually doing sexual acts. Just pictures of them.
> Where is line, what is porn?


SCOTUS ruled it is hard to define, but you know it when they see it. I gather they have no defined guidelines between porn, erotic art and art.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Code-Welder said:


> SCOTUS ruled it is hard to define, but you know it when they see it. I gather they have no defined guidelines between porn, erotic art and art.


"I know it when I see it" is a partial quote of Justice Potter Stewert in the 1964 _Jacobellis v. Ohio_ case. The question at hand was whether the state of Ohio could ban the public showing of the French film, _Les Amants_ (The Lovers) which was considered to be 'Hard core' pornography under the state's obscenity laws.


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## jaharthur (May 25, 2012)

There's a difference in legal terms between porn and obscenity. At least under U.S. law, not all porn is obscene.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

jaharthur said:


> There's a difference in legal terms between porn and obscenity. At least under U.S. law, not all porn is obscene.


Yes. Obscenity is "..utterly without redeeming social value." 

There's also a difference between linguistic definitions and legal definitions. The former is supposed to be objective and therefore neutral as far as what the intent of the presenter/publisher may or may not have been. Not all dictionaries hit that standard though.


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## CallaLily (Jan 13, 2011)

Whats considered Obscene to some people then?


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## Chris Taylor (Jul 22, 2010)

ocotillo said:


> Yes. Obscenity is "..utterly without redeeming social value."


Which is why, when I was a kid, most "porn" movies had minimal story lines so that they had some sort of "social value".

Personally, I don't differentiate between "regular" porn and "obscene" porn, but you will when you see it.


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## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

So what is it when it is pictures of attractive women? Sometimes more clothing, sometimes less, but always technically covering all the important parts. Where does that fall on the spectrum?


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## jaharthur (May 25, 2012)

Heck, that's not porn. That's a day at the beach.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

gbrad said:


> So what is it when it is pictures of attractive women? Sometimes more clothing, sometimes less, but always technically covering all the important parts. Where does that fall on the spectrum?


It could fall into the category of visual erotica, but it is not by definition, "Porn." Pornography is the depiction of sexual activity.


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## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

ocotillo said:


> It could fall into the category of visual erotica, but it is not by definition, "Porn." Pornography is the depiction of sexual activity.


Well that sounds good. Because overall that is what I prefer. Just seeing and imagining someone really attractive or really cute. That's all.


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## *LittleDeer* (Apr 19, 2012)

Mr B said:


> Forget about content, let's look at the big picture.....
> 
> Porn is a second sexual option for men and a leveling of the sexual playing field.


I don't think so, many many women have had issues with and will continue to have issues with low drive men, no matter what porn is around. It's an issue that wasn't much spoken of in the past, because most low drive men are embarressed to admit a problem.

Moreover sex and sexuality is an issue that concerns men and women, many women love sex too, however get told to be "good girls". and usually women face the virgin ***** dichotomy, due to societal influences. Women have been sexually repressed and denied their own true sexuality under their own terms forever. It's not women who construct societal values alone, in fact we live in a patriarchal society.





> No longer do women hold the exclusive power of sexual gatekeepers demanding payment (in a myriad of forms) before they will shell out sexual favors. Men finally have a choice of sexual activity. And for many porn and masturbation will actually come to be preferred to the jumping though hoops one needs to do in order to have partner sex with a woman. For some men the chains of sexual frustration will finally be broken and kowtowing or paying outright to get their sexual needs met has finally be a thing of the past.


Wow, any men who thinks he has to "pay" for sex, has the wrong mindset to begin with, and if he is easily fooled into believing he can have a happy and fulfilled life with his hand and a computer screen, well I'm glad, because then women won't be duped into dating a man with such limited brain capacity.



> One reason porn and masturbation is now so popular is that for a lot of men the sexual experience itself is actually more intense and sexually stimulating than partner sex. And it doesn't come with the various pressures to perform that are demanded when one has sex with a woman or the need to do and say what is expected, even demanded and there will be no need to enter into a relationship in order to enjoy regular sexual activity.


Masturbation has all ways been popular for both men and (gasp) women too. The difference now is the readily available high speed internet porn available around the clock, that is highly addictive and creates unrealistic expectations. 

Funny thing is most men still yearn for a connected relationship with a woman. Why? 

My guess is that pornography is empty, and no matter how much you masturbate to it it's cold and does not give people the bond and companionship they crave. 



> With porn and masturbation there is no pressure, no anxiety, no unmet expectations, no anxiety induced sexual disorders no fear of disease.It is sex that is more in tune with the way men like their
> sex- orgasm centered, quick with an enormous amount of the one thing key to the male sexual make-up.....never ending newness and variety. This is big part of which makes it so intensely stimulating and something that simply cannot be replicated in a heterosexual relationship unless the couple are very sexually free and open which is rare.


Women have anxiety and pressure about sex too, it's not male exclusive.

That's part of having a good loving relationship, working together, compromising and learning how to have a sex life that's satisfactory to both parties. 



> Now men have a choice and those who find it difficult to obtain partner sex for whatever reason do not feel so left out of the game.


But they are. because they aren't having sex, they are masturbating. They aren't learning how to interact with women, and if given the chance and choice most of them would still choose to be able to have a partner, however men men who are repeatedly rejected often come out with gems just like this one. You can tell they are obviously angry about rejection and seeking comfort in the wrong places. I feel quite sorry for them.



> It might even benefit them because in order to compete women will have to become more sexually open, not be so picky when it comes to sexual partners. They will need to make themselves more freely available. We already see this in the new "hookup" phenomenon on college campuses where women no longer demand a relationship or other kinds of "payment"
> in order to grant sexual access. And for those in sexually bad relationships, who prefer having sex outside of the relationship paradigm, porn is a godsend.


There are plenty of men who post on this board who still claim that they want a long term relationship and they want it with a woman who hasn't had hundreds of partners.

While some young people buy into the notion that porn sex is great and people can easily just f%^& and move on, many people try it and find it to be unfullfilling, they feel used and still crave a real connection.

In fact when we have sex with someone we all release oxytocin, and oxytocin is what bonds us to others.



> Sex is becoming more recreational and free and not so caught up
> in puritan moralistic nonsense, feminine teasing, and demand for payment. I believe this is the future of sex, freed from the bonds of procreation and false morality and stripping women of a good deal of their sexual power over men


.

The fact that you think the future lays in taking humanity out of the equation, I think is the down fall of your argument. Many times through history, societies have become more free with sexual exchange only to swing back to a more conservative stance on sex and sexuality. While I don't believe in shaming people about sex, I also don't believe that acting like sex is nothing special is the answer either, because it most certainly is for many people.



> Marriage is changing, relationships are changing and now sex is changing spurned on by free and easy access to other forms of sexual stimulation for men.And this is just the beginning as technology gets more sophisticated
> so will these other means of male sexual stimulation. People scoff at those who claim that orgasms obtained through masturbation and porn as simply more intense than with partner sex. But if some men are claiming that now imagine the future with interactive cybersex using 3D immersive technology
> and then, in the not so distant future, android technology which will allow any man to to have sex with the girl of his dreams.Her physical and sexual characteristics ordered up like Chinese food.


Yes ever see the documentary about real dolls? Saddest men I've just about ever seen. They take themselves out of the game, because they just can't compete. They have never learned to interact with women, and view them usually as some strange other worldly entity, instead of other human beings, usually speak of women in degrading terms, yet then wonder why no ones interested. But hey they beat everyone, because they can masturbate to porn. Just like the crazy cat lady- she won too and doesn't need a man. 



> So to answer your question Porn allows men to be able to experience a level of sexual freedom unknown to them before. Not having to rely on the whims and demands of women in order to have a sexually satisfying experience. Yes romance, relationships and intimacy together with that kind of sex will always be with us but for men who prefer sex unencumbered by emotional attachments porn is becoming their sexual outlet of choice. Safe, cheap and plentiful with unlimited variety.


yes so free. :rofl:
Is freedom is having no real choice but to whack it off to porn? Or having the choice between your real life wife and a woman on the screen, being unable to appreciate the real beauty in life, love and connection that you would rather use your own hand. OK then :lol:


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## doctor is in (Dec 8, 2012)

Mr B seems to have this idea that men in general are constantly deprived of sex and that women use sex as a tool to control them. If that's how you think the society and real relationships work, you've been with the wrong women, and had the wrong experiences. Real intimacy isn't something you can trade for jewelry or gifts, and in today's world normal women view sex in monogamous relationships quite in the same way as men and find it enjoyable, and an expression of love, not a favor you "provide" to your man in exchange for whatever. 
I weep for the future of humanity when people will be able to further distance themselves from real connections in pursuit of shallow and superficial values. Porn is getting more and more personal. It went from videos and magazines to webcams and sex chats. Eventually the line between porn and cheating will be blurred out. There's probably going to be virtual reality sex, and at that point, do you still call it porn? Or does it cross the line? I see a lot of people leaning heavily into these things and when it becomes even more real and advanced, it will become an even bigger problem for those prone to getting hooked on it. Think of way more failed relationships and more people trying to replace a possibility of a connection with another human being with a fantasy world. 
It can sure be great for those that are unhappy/sexually supressed/can't find a mate, but it will open up a door into an entirely new world of issues concerning closure and artificially established overblown expectations which will result in inevitable disappointment caused by these expectations not being met when colliding with the reality, therefore resulting into withdrawal from reality, succumbing into fantasy, and inability to enjoy what is real and normal.


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## JWilliams (Jul 2, 2012)

To my wife it is anything that has a cute or hot chicken in it

She really did not like me looking at girlsinyogapants.com but I did lol


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## always_alone (Dec 11, 2012)

ocotillo said:


> Pornography is the depiction of sexual activity.


Not always. Playboy counts as porn and rarely (ever?) depicts sexual activity. Conversely, there could be depictions of exual activity that aren't porn (sex ed, some documentaries, movies, art and literature).

For it to be porn, I think you need consider not just the content, but the purpose and context. Is the primary purpose sexual arousal? Or is the sex just a part of a greater story? Does it offer other value (social, artistic, philosophical)?

But I also think the lines are fuzzy and debatable. And change depending on the historical period and cultural context.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

always_alone said:


> Not always. Playboy counts as porn and rarely (ever?) depicts sexual activity.


I'm aware that the term, 'Pornography' is bastardized in the common vernacular to include simple nudity, (ie. "Soft-core" porn, which is an oxymoron) but that is simply incorrect.

The linguistic and legal definitions stand irregardless of popular misconceptions. 



always_alone said:


> Conversely, there could be depictions of exual activity that aren't porn (sex ed, some documentaries, movies, art and literature).


Porn is a genre of entertainment. Educational materials and documentaries would not necessarily fall into that genre. Art and literature most definitely do if they are sexually explicit.



always_alone said:


> For it to be porn, I think you need consider not just the content, but the purpose and context. Is the primary purpose sexual arousal? Or is the sex just a part of a greater story? Does it offer other value (social, artistic, philosophical)?


Absolutely, positively not. That is an attempt to inject subjective perception into an otherwise objective definition, which is anathema in linguistics. 

The intent of the presenter/publisher is relevant in law.


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## oldgeezer (Sep 8, 2012)

My definition of "porn" is as follows: Anything intended to be used as a means to stimulate sexual arousal for the one observing it. 

My wife considers it anything I'd want to jack off to. 

So, a website with nude women outdoors (not engaged in anything sexual) to her is porn. But a site selling sex toys and so on, that shows everything... is not. 

To me, it's the depiction of, or actual recording of sexual activity. Even if we make it ourselves. 

I use that definition simply because I find even brief nudity in a movie to be "stimulating". 

And that's some pretty muddy water.


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## Mr B (Feb 6, 2009)

People who don't watch it still think it is all silicone pornobabes but porn on the internet stopped being just that when ordinary couples who you wouldn't look twice at in Walmart started shooting their own porn and uploading it for the world to see. Now there are thousands of these "amateur" videos online. They are popular not because the people in them are beautiful- far from it, it is because that unlike the Hollwood porn the sex is real and the orgasms are real and for some that is a lot hotter to watch. 

Just because your man is looking at porn doesn't mean he is drooling over girls who look like Barbie, often he is masturbating while watching a video of the couple down the block having sex. Bad lighting and bad camerawork only adding to the realism of it.


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## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

oldgeezer said:


> My definition of "porn" is as follows: Anything intended to be used as a means to stimulate sexual arousal for the one observing it.
> 
> My wife considers it anything I'd want to jack off to.
> 
> ...


Your wifes definition matches pretty well with what my wife would say if we had this conversation (not that we ever have).
I prefer sites where the women have clothes on, they look like your average girl not all modeled up, but just hot.


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## Open up now let it all go (Sep 20, 2012)

gbrad said:


> So what is it when it is pictures of attractive women? Sometimes more clothing, sometimes less, but always technically covering all the important parts. Where does that fall on the spectrum?


If we look beyond the dictionary or formal definition of porn I think it is a dynamic concept. As in those 'borderline' aspects can or cannot be porn based on how a person uses it. I could masturbate frantically over a lawn mower commercial and it would function as porn: enhancing sexual stimulation by visual or audial means. Visa versa I could watch some hardcore, graphic porn and if it wouldn't do anything for me, no sexual purpose whatsoever, then it's not porn at that moment for me.


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## WadeWilson (Jul 4, 2010)

As long as this is a mature discussion...
My view simply put...
Any article, writings, publishing, software, video, or media publishing of any sort, distributed with the soul purpose of arousal or sexual gratification...


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Open up now let it all go said:


> If we look beyond the dictionary or formal definition of porn I think it is a dynamic concept. As in those 'borderline' aspects can or cannot be porn based on how a person uses it. I could masturbate frantically over a lawn mower commercial and it would function as porn: enhancing sexual stimulation by visual or audial means. Visa versa I could watch some hardcore, graphic porn and if it wouldn't do anything for me, no sexual purpose whatsoever, then it's not porn at that moment for me.


I agree with you that words are expressions of concepts and that these concepts can take many subjective forms. This is why most languages don't usually have just one word to express a concept. Typically, there's a grouping of words, each with a slightly different meaning. In English, words related in meaning to pornography include erotic, prurient, suggestive, concupiscent, salacious, titillating, etc. 

Instead of redefining words to suit ourselves, a better solution is to be more accurate with our terminology. A lawnmower commercial is not pornography regardless of how intensely aroused it might make one person. That would be a clear example of paraphilia and the lawnmower in this instance would be a fetish.


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## Open up now let it all go (Sep 20, 2012)

But then you get all these complicated "it's no porn!", "yes it is!" chicken-egg-analogy discussions. The lawn mower is an unrealistic example ofcourse but there's plenty of realistic issues where this is an issue. The scandily clad women's pictures, sexually charged sitcoms, erotic literature etc. There have been plenty of arguments about those between couples and I think it's valid that in different cases these things have function as porn or not as porn.


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## AlphaHalf (Aug 5, 2012)

50 Shades of Grey series The best selling porn novel for housewives across the nation.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Open up now let it all go said:


> But then you get all these complicated "it's no porn!", "yes it is!" chicken-egg-analogy discussions. The lawn mower is an unrealistic example ofcourse but there's plenty of realistic issues where this is an issue. The scandily clad women's pictures, sexually charged sitcoms, erotic literature etc. There have been plenty of arguments about those between couples and I think it's valid that in different cases these things have function as porn or not as porn.


I agree with you that non-pornographic forms of erotica can be functional equivalents and this can be every bit as big a problem in a marriage as the real thing.

But I think it's a mistake to allow the concept of pornography to be enlarged to suit the individual perceptions and peculiarities of every single person. When that happens, the related concepts of obscenity and decency must be adjusted to follow suit. And the more parts of the human body you cover up in the name of decency, the more you have to cover up:


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## LittleBird (Jan 12, 2013)

Mr B said:


> Forget about content, let's look at the big picture.....
> 
> Porn is a second sexual option for men and a leveling of the sexual playing field.
> 
> ...



I'm sorry, I didn't realize that men were in need of liberation.

Alert the media. 

And by the way, a good number of the men who watch porn because they can't get laid...are pretty pathetic. 

Porn is not some kind of amazing liberation movement. It's a hobby that just furthers the inability of socially inept men to walk outside and talk to a real woman, rather than fantasizing over some fake titty blonde on the internet.

Who likely, would refuse to have sex with the majority of creeps who whack off to her. 

Porn in moderation is fine.

But it is so not an alternative to a real woman...the only people who'd say so are those who don't have enough game to go get one.

Virtual sex....not the same. It doesn't make you more of a man for cutting out the "whims of women". 13 year old boys are looking at the same video you are, for some perspective.

Just a thought.


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## Lazarus (Jan 17, 2011)

somatic effects of pornography
Internet Porn: Worse Than Crack?

Pornography Lies - Focus on the Family


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## Mr B (Feb 6, 2009)

Right wing christian websites are hardly what you would call objective information sources regarding sex...lol


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## stopandmakecoffee (Jan 2, 2013)

gbrad said:


> After reading the thread in the womans section about porn in relationships it got me thinking about how different people view porn. What exactly do you consider to be porn? What is okay, what is not? There are obviously porn sites out there and then there are other types of sites that have pictures of regular people and model type people in clothes (a varying degree of clothes), but not actually doing sexual acts. Just pictures of them.
> Where is line, what is porn?


living in a very conservative & religious country, here a woman wearing miniskirt or tanks is considered as: 'public display of pornography'; even it's 40*C and im wearing shorts and tanks in public then i got raped, the police wont process it. this is fact.a baby soap ad displayed a baby's bottom also equals as porn as well (some pedophiles run my country, apparently). beauty pageant is also a form of pornography to most people here.

IMO, the definition of porn is how civil are you, and not all sexual acts are porn. some are art forms, some are porn. there's no clear line between what's porn - not, i guess ; the nature of it depends to one's values and worldview.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

stopandmakecoffee said:


> living in a very conservative & religious country, here a woman wearing miniskirt or tanks is considered as: 'public display of pornography'; even it's 40*C and im wearing shorts and tanks in public then i got raped, the police wont process it. this is fact.a baby soap ad displayed a baby's bottom also equals as porn as well (some pedophiles run my country, apparently). beauty pageant is also a form of pornography to most people here.
> 
> IMO, the definition of porn is how civil are you, and not all sexual acts are porn. some are art forms, some are porn. there's no clear line between what's porn - not, i guess ; the nature of it depends to one's values and worldview.


In English, we have related words and concepts to describe your state of dress in public.


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## jaquen (Mar 1, 2012)

I think porn, for any given person, is anything that you watch/read/view with the express purpose of titillation to the point of orgasm (or potential orgasm), either alone, or leading to partnered sex. 

So if it's designed to do that, and it does it, it's porn.

And if it's not, but you still use it in that context, it's still porn.

Because, back in the day, the old Sears catalogue women's underwear segment sure was porn for legions of budding little boys.


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## anotherguy (Dec 14, 2011)

what is porn?

Hm.

Consider the colloquial new useges of the word..

like 'food porn' ( FoodPornDaily | Food Porn, Food Photography )

or 'cabin porn' ( Cabin Porn )

sort of a voyeuristinc perspective on anything - and as such can mean a wide array of different things to different people. Some may see naked bodies as porn, some may not. Some may think 'porn' is nasty, some may not. Porn really is in the eye of the beholder.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Well I give up....

All of us inject a certain amount of subjective perception into the words we use, but that personal subjectivity is subordinate to a collection of objective definitions compiled into a book we call a dictionary. Slang and colloquial meanings aside, when $400+ of collegiate level lexical works don't suffice, all I can do is point out that the entire concept of language suffers when everyone is free to coin their own personal definition of a word.

You can't discuss trigonometric identities with someone who has their own ideas about the sum of two and two anymore than you can discuss Attic Greek with someone who thinks ΑΡΕΙΟΣ ΠΟΤΗΡ και ή του φιλοσοφου λιθος is the title of _War and Peace._


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## stopandmakecoffee (Jan 2, 2013)

ocotillo said:


> In English, we have related words and concepts to describe your state of dress in public.


i know, your previous post stated it very clearly. still, i could be arrested for posting the very same thing. can't be too careful


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## Tony55 (Jun 8, 2012)

gbrad said:


> What exactly do you consider to be porn?
> What is okay, what is not?


I would say that any depiction that sexually stimulates you, repeatedly, is *porn* at least to that individual it is.

Everything is OK, depending on your circumstances.
If you live somewhere where certain depictions are illegal, then it's not OK to view it.
If your in a relationship where the significant other feels offended by certain depictions, then it's not OK.
If you personally feel uncomfortable, offended or ashamed with certain kinds of depictions, then you personally feel it's not OK.

T


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## Omegaa (Nov 17, 2012)

gbrad said:


> There are obviously porn sites out there and then there are other types of sites that *have pictures of regular people and model type people in clothes* (a varying degree of clothes), but not actually doing sexual acts. *Just pictures of them. *
> Where is line, what is porn?


I know where you are getting at.

Men can mentally remove those clothes of those "regular" looking women.

H had collected a few photographs of a specific dark, ethnic looking women off her "blogger". To him, it's some kind of fantasy woman, looking primitive and perhaps, "wild". When I had pointed this out and he quickly removed these photos of her. If he wasn't "guilty", then he wouldn't have done. 

I'm sure that men do have these images, totally clothed and they obviously "fancy" them. (and I don't mean regular porn.) I don't think not all men need to see standard "large tits" and "bottoms" to get aroused.


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## ClimbingTheWalls (Feb 16, 2013)

I'm sure the answer to the question is pretty subjective.

To my mind, if it involves nudity and if you wouldn't want your mother catching you looking at it, it's probably porn.


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## Shoto1984 (Apr 11, 2009)

I love this thread as it illustrates the nuttiness of trying to qualify subjective things. My subjective definition is anything that lessens or degrades life. Have fun with that! lol


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Shoto1984 said:


> I love this thread as it illustrates the nuttiness of trying to qualify subjective things.


Yes... 

I think people are seriously confused between the words, "Erotic" and "Pornographic." 

"Erotic" describes the inducement of a subjective state as with words like, "Stimulation" and "Excitement" and "Arousal."

"Pornographic" is a subset of erotica with objective and concise legal and linguistic definitions.


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## Woodchuck (Nov 1, 2012)

When I was 10 porn was the ladies undie section of the sears roebuck catalog, at 12 it was playboy, at 21 it was XXX rated movies and hustler. 

Now at 66 it is the various free tube sites online....It has always been a quick sex fix when nothing else is available, and still is...Started masterbating at the age of 6, have ALWAYS preferred the real thing.....Now that the wife and I are having sex a couple of times a week I have no need for it....Porn is a condiment, not a main course...


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## Theseus (Feb 22, 2013)

The funny thing about porn is that many women claims that it gives men unrealistic expectations about women and ruins relationships. 

Meanwhile, many of these same women think it's ok to read one romance novel after another, many with descriptive sex scenes (ie porn) and a wildly unrealistic view of men. Men in these novels are always over 6' tall, muscular, affluent, heir to a fortune, 100% monogamous, and have a full head of hair. If you look at romance book covers, the men are normally in the act of ravishing (ie raping) the woman in his arms.

I consider all that just as destructive and unrealistic as porn.


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