Pornography Essay, Research Paper

Chris Goebel

April 22, 1999

Ms. Mathews

Victimization of Women

Today there are many controversial ideas on pornography. Mens

views of women are warped by the dominating and explicit scenes of

pornography. The community can find adult entertainment stores on almost

every corner and everywhere on the Internet. Women feel pornography

degrades them in the eyes of men and may have an affect on their position in

society. Pornography victimizes women by changing men?s views towards

them, by selling and advertising magazines with nude women on the cover in

every corner store in America, and showing women to be sexual toys that are

there to be dominated.

Many men?s views towards women are affected as they see more and

more pornography. Men get accustomed to seeing women used as toys

instead of people in the community. University of Virginia law and

psychiatry Professor Park Elliot Dietz states, ?A person who learned about

human sexuality in the ?adults only? outlets of America would be a person

who had never conceived of a man and a women marrying or even falling in

love before having intercourse, who had never conceived of tender foreplay,

and who had never conceived of procreation as a purpose of sexual union.

Instead such a person would be one who had learned that sex at most meant

sex with one?s children, stepchildren, parents, siblings, pets, and with

neighbors, plumbers, salesmen, burglars, and peepers.?(Somerville, 3)

Dr. Michael Stevenson found that much of the sexually violent material

people see carries the message that even if a women seems to be disinterested

or repulsed, her need to be dominated will ultimately result in her becoming

turned on once overpowered by her male assailant.(Murray, 5) Edwin Meese

asserts that pornography no only harms the individual taking part in it, but it

also has an effect on the entire community. A frequently cited 1988 FBI

study found that eighty-one percent of violent sexual offenders regularly used

violent pornography.(Somerville, 4) In 1985, researcher Sara Lee Johann

examined 2,380 cases of abuse, battering and sexual assault in Minnesota and

found that sixty-eight percent of the abusers beat or sexually abused the

victim after viewing pornographic materials. Fifty-eight percent of these

abusers actually showed their victims pornographic pictures or articles to

their victims. Pornography warps mens minds into seeing women as sexual

toys with no feelings or emotions, instead they start to see them as objects for

them to own and use when they want.

Pornography is available in almost every corner store in America. The

availability of porno is making it easier and easier for men to see women as

toys at an earlier age. N.C. Harvey does thirty million dollars a year in sales

to more than two million people.(Murray, 6) Over three thousand

pornographic pictures, including paedophilia and bestiality, are available on

the Internet at any time.(Clarke, 4) There are also interactive sex games

available on the Internet.(Clarke,5) Pornography availability has caused a

dramatic increase in sales around the world. Four hundred million adult tapes

were sold or rented in 1990, compared to only fifty-four million in

1980.(Murray,1) That is over a one hundred percent increase in one decade.

People today can simply turn on their computer or drive down the street to the

corner and have absolutely no problem finding some sort of pornographic

material. Anyone can order pornography off the Internet or through the mail.

The legal age to obtain pornographic material is eighteen, but more and more

small children are getting ahold of this material. The availability of

pornography has seriously gotten out of hand.

Pornography affects women?s position in society as well as their self

esteem. They do not enjoy being degraded in the eyes of men but more and

more they are. Feminists believe there is a direct correlation between the

availability of pornography, the use of women as sexual commodities, and the

increase in violence directed against women.(Clarke, 2) Feminists also argue

that pornography degrades women by portraying them as sexually insatiable

objects of male pleasure in a world of sexual inequality.(Somerville, 3)

Andrea Dworkin stated, ?Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice.

Barbara Somerville believes that the degradation of women in male

magazines reflects and generates male contempt for women that ultimately

leads to sexual violence and rape.(Somerville,7) Women feel that this

pornography may have an effect on their jobs. It may have a part in them not

receiving equal pay as some men receive. They may get passed over for a

raise or promotion because they do not meet the standards of the male

executive.(Clarke, 6) Women feel that men may hold sexual tension towards

them, causing women to drop in the eyes of society to nothing but sexual

commodities.

Magazines on every corner, stores on every side street, and

everywhere on the Internet pornography will continue to show up. The only

way to stop this is to find some way to regulate the sales and distribution of

pornography. If we fail to recognize the problem it will only grow to a

tremendous size in the future. Then it will be too late to stop the

victimization of women through the use of pornography. Women have been

seen as sexual toys for too long of a period already.

Chris Goebel

April 22, 1999

Ms. Mathews

Victimization of Women

Today there are many controversial ideas on pornography. Mens

views of women are warped by the dominating and explicit scenes of

pornography. The community can find adult entertainment stores on almost

every corner and everywhere on the Internet. Women feel pornography

degrades them in the eyes of men and may have an affect on their position in

society. Pornography victimizes women by changing men?s views towards

them, by selling and advertising magazines with nude women on the cover in

every corner store in America, and showing women to be sexual toys that are

there to be dominated.

Many men?s views towards women are affected as they see more and

more pornography. Men get accustomed to seeing women used as toys

instead of people in the community. University of Virginia law and

psychiatry Professor Park Elliot Dietz states, ?A person who learned about

human sexuality in the ?adults only? outlets of America would be a person

who had never conceived of a man and a women marrying or even falling in

love before having intercourse, who had never conceived of tender foreplay,

and who had never conceived of procreation as a purpose of sexual union.

Instead such a person would be one who had learned that sex at most meant

sex with one?s children, stepchildren, parents, siblings, pets, and with

neighbors, plumbers, salesmen, burglars, and peepers.?(Somerville, 3)

Dr. Michael Stevenson found that much of the sexually violent material

people see carries the message that even if a women seems to be disinterested

or repulsed, her need to be dominated will ultimately result in her becoming

turned on once overpowered by her male assailant.(Murray, 5) Edwin Meese

asserts that pornography no only harms the individual taking part in it, but it

also has an effect on the entire community. A frequently cited 1988 FBI

study found that eighty-one percent of violent sexual offenders regularly used

violent pornography.(Somerville, 4) In 1985, researcher Sara Lee Johann

examined 2,380 cases of abuse, battering and sexual assault in Minnesota and

found that sixty-eight percent of the abusers beat or sexually abused the

victim after viewing pornographic materials. Fifty-eight percent of these

abusers actually showed their victims pornographic pictures or articles to

their victims. Pornography warps mens minds into seeing women as sexual

toys with no feelings or emotions, instead they start to see them as objects for

them to own and use when they want.

Pornography is available in almost every corner store in America. The

availability of porno is making it easier and easier for men to see women as

toys at an earlier age. N.C. Harvey does thirty million dollars a year in sales

to more than two million people.(Murray, 6) Over three thousand

pornographic pictures, including paedophilia and bestiality, are available on

the Internet at any time.(Clarke, 4) There are also interactive sex games

available on the Internet.(Clarke,5) Pornography availability has caused a

dramatic increase in sales around the world. Four hundred million adult tapes

were sold or rented in 1990, compared to only fifty-four million in

1980.(Murray,1) That is over a one hundred percent increase in one decade.

People today can simply turn on their computer or drive down the street to the

corner and have absolutely no problem finding some sort of pornographic

material. Anyone can order pornography off the Internet or through the mail.

The legal age to obtain pornographic material is eighteen, but more and more

small children are getting ahold of this material. The availability of

pornography has seriously gotten out of hand.

Pornography affects women?s position in society as well as their self

esteem. They do not enjoy being degraded in the eyes of men but more and

more they are. Feminists believe there is a direct correlation between the

availability of pornography, the use of women as sexual commodities, and the

increase in violence directed against women.(Clarke, 2) Feminists also argue

that pornography degrades women by portraying them as sexually insatiable

objects of male pleasure in a world of sexual inequality.(Somerville, 3)

Andrea Dworkin stated, ?Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice.

Barbara Somerville believes that the degradation of women in male

magazines reflects and generates male contempt for women that ultimately

leads to sexual violence and rape.(Somerville,7) Women feel that this

pornography may have an effect on their jobs. It may have a part in them not

receiving equal pay as some men receive. They may get passed over for a

raise or promotion because they do not meet the standards of the male

executive.(Clarke, 6) Women feel that men may hold sexual tension towards

them, causing women to drop in the eyes of society to nothing but sexual

commodities.

Magazines on every corner, stores on every side street, and

everywhere on the Internet pornography will continue to show up. The only

way to stop this is to find some way to regulate the sales and distribution of

pornography. If we fail to recognize the problem it will only grow to a

tremendous size in the future. Then it will be too late to stop the

victimization of women through the use of pornography. Women have been

seen as sexual toys for too long of a period already.

31d