Sam Schiller 1 March 2014 NMC 427 Digital Pornography Final Paper Draft The Secular Morality

Were complicated. Theres been an age-old question that humans have struggled over since our beginning; what is right and wrong? This question has consistently put us at odds and has made us fight over who has the correct morals. Whats good and whats bad? Theres almost always at least two sides, one arguing that one side is morally corrupt while the other, in most cases, battles for societal room for another opinion or perspective. Seems like there are very few things we all really agree on, especially pornography. Theres always been a religious and feminist majority opposing porn and sexual imagery since organized religion and the early feminist movements. But pornography is natural part of society; its just that todays porn misrepresents the full spectrum of sex. Pornography is a natural part of todays culture because sex a natural part of us. Over the last century theres been a rise in whats called the Secular Morality, which is anyone with morals outside of religious thinking. Majority of religious ethics state that sex is for only procreation and should be done between a married (male and female) couple. But sex for pleasure is natural, and it turns out that it facilitates things such as interpersonal bonding; it promotes interpersonal

relationships and reduces social tensions (1). The Bonobos, one of humans closest living primate relatives, has sex disregarding age and gender. They do it for reasons other than procreation, such as conflict appeasement, affection, social status, excitement, and stress reduction (1). The big issue with the battle over religious ethics vs. secular morals is that the secular morality is seen as having a lack of ethics and morals, instead of different and opposing ones. The other large opposition, who has more an issue with pornography than just sex, are the feminists, or 2nd wave feminists (3rd wave feminists challenge the belief that women in pornography/prostitution are consistently exploited). Its mostly a battle between anti-porn feminists and the sex-positive feminists. Anti-porn feminists argue that porn objectifies women and is responsible for much of the violence towards women in society. They believe that pornography contributes to sexism and in the pornographic performances the actresses are reduced to mere receptacles (objects) for sexual use and abuse by men (6). The sex-positive feminists, however, believe that women should have sexual freedom and expression that liberate women and feminists. They believe that the anti-pornfeminists find pornography violent because their beliefs stem from religious ethics, and do not have an open enough opinion about sex. They believe pornography can be used as an expressive tool, even as sexual art, and such acts should be protected under freedom of speech. While looking at the oppositions, clearly both have the best interests for women and believe that their ethics serve the greater good for the feminist

movement. Both are right and wrong; porn is very harmful for women, but can also be liberating and give equality. The sex-positive-feminists express full equality for women when advocating their rights to be in power positions in pornography, but unfortunately, in todays porn, its mostly made by males, for males, and does objectify women. Susanna Pasonen, a Prof. in Digital Culture, has been studying the aesthetics of mainstream porn for years, and states in an interview with SUR, The question iswhat kinds of fantasy scenarios are recycled and how these connect, or fail to connect, to social relations and operations of powerthe popularity of scenarios of male control over women(4). In most Western pornography (mostly made in Los Angeles), the male is the dominating subject in films. Whether it be portraying Latin American women as willing-to-do-anything-for-citizenshipor, portraying young girls as willing-to-doanything-for-college-money (4), women are constantly viewed as an object of sex with disregard to their respect and dignity. Much of porn is extreme, exaggerated, and is a horrible show on sexual inequality. And in a country where teenagers learn more from online porn than sex education, these violent sexual acts could drastically influence their behavior toward women. We live in a culture where pornography should and does exist as a rich media form, but its an industry that fails to support full gender equality. Its a medium thats a part of our culture that isnt quite mature enough to be supported. But women in the porn industry are changing the culture of pornography, making porn for women, by women. They make videos in a number of categories, featuring the

male as the sex object, or showing scenes involving more love, compassion, and more gender equality than the harsher mainstream pornos. This sub-industry is growing, and feminist porn, or art-core, producers believe that the mainstream porn is in crisis. Petra Joy, an art-core director and producer of ten years states males are bored of films that always show the same performers in the same studios going through the same sexual positions in the same running order and looking bored while faking it. People are hungry for more authenticity, variety, and joy(4). The feminist porn movement has had the largest impact in bringing gender equality to the porn industry. Our culture is still in a post puritan society, where traditional religious ethics are still alive in many institutions. Were still being held down by a Golden Age, an age of order, decency, disciple, self-restraint, tradition and propriety (6). But the Secular Morality is growing, those who practice freethinking and believe that morals should come from ones self. Our culture is becoming less offended by sexual imagery, and the violence and sexism in pornography is beginning to be balanced and replaced by intimacy and love. Our society and the porn industry are headed in the right direction, and hopefully some day soon, pornography will be a media form of pleasure, love, fantasy, and expression.

Works Cited 1). Christian, Scott. "10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Watching Porn: The Q: GQ." GQ. N.p., 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. "Feminist Sex Wars." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. 2). Gallop, Cidney. "TED Blog." TED Blog Cindy Gallop Make Love Notporn Comments. Ted Ttalks, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. The Great Porn Experiment: Gary Wilson at TEDxGlasgow. Dir. PAt Somers. Perf. Gary 3). Wilson. Tedx: Glasgow. Ted Talks, n.d. Web. 16 May 2012. "Human Reproduction Update." Sex and Reproduction: An Evolving Relationship. Eshare, 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. 4). Mathew, Elsa S. "Sur in English." Porn and Mainstream Media Boundaries Are Becoming Blurred. SURINENGLISH.com. SUR English, 23 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. 5). May, Catalina. "Porn Made for Women, by Women." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. 6). Lacombe, Dany. Blue Politics: Pornography and the Law in the Age of Feminism. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1994. Print.