Poll: who do you think uses porn the most?

[elecn]

I have a theory about American porn use and political ideology. I think most people into bad skank now are the WASP types. They are generally older ideologically conservative white Americans who have a problem getting laid, a problem getting into their orientation, or both. What is your vote?

[sunnysmiles]

They are generally older ideologically conservative white Americans who have a problem getting laid

I don't think it has anything to do with getting laid. In fact most of the women I know started using porn while in bed with their male partners. I.e. Porn gets you off, as a female friend of mine put it 'adds something special to it [sex]' and then you f*ck.

I also think there are two predominant types of conservatives 'religious/cultural & political conservatives' (old money) and 'arrivistes' - i.e. those who are fiscally conservative but well into the obvious elements of pornstitution...

Anyways, with Bush courting pornographers - I don't even think there is much of a difference anymore. See the thing is - both 'liberals' and 'cons' are the same in most respects. The foundation of institutionalized sexism & racism has never changed. The values are still the same - the mainfestations are different.

Just my thoughts.

[elfeminista]

Who "uses" porn the most?= MEN.

See the thing is - both 'liberals' and 'cons' are the same in most respects. The foundation of institutionalized sexism & racism has never changed. The values are still the same - the mainfestations are different.

I agree with this.


In looking for feminist men in particular, I meet so many phony "pro-porn male feminists" who are really just pervs but are in fact "leftists" otherwise, I don't think I agree that it is "older conservative white men" any more than liberals.
And in any case that is a little bit like the argument of white racists who say that more rapists are black as a percentage of the population. So who cares if there is a difference in percentages? It's still class man.

[Andrew]

I don't think politics is very useful at distingiushing porn vs. non-porn users.Further, there may be some rich porn addicts, but by and large, I suspect that they don't use porn itself that much. THere is too much else to buy.
But elfeminista is right, MEN are the users of porn. THe sexism cuts across nearly all other lines.

[CoolAunt]

I don't think politics is very useful at distingiushing porn vs. non-porn users.Further, there may be some rich porn addicts, but by and large, I suspect that they don't use porn itself that much. THere is too much else to buy.
But elfeminista is right, MEN are the users of porn. THe sexism cuts across nearly all other lines.

I agree with Andrew and elfemista. It's men who use the most porn and use it the most.

[elfeminista]

Who is the typical porn user?
conservative Republicans
16%
16% [ 1 ]
conservative Democrats
0%
0% [ 0 ]
liberal Republicans
16%
16% [ 1 ]
liberal Democrats
50%
50% [ 3 ]
liberal Independents
16%
16% [ 1 ]
conservative Independents
0%
0%
self described 'feminist males"
90%

How many RADICAL FEMINISTS does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

answer=

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!!" padum ching

[gerry]

The more interesting questions to me are:

1) what men do not use porn? (esp. those who don't for chiefly religious reasons

2) what men use prostitutes? (esp those who have done so more than once or twice)

3) for what men are all forms of prostitution off limits?

[elfeminista]

Answer to question 1 "what men do not use porn?"

a) I know that for some, there is basicaly no interest.
I sometimes think of porn like cigarette use. For example my ex never smoked a single cigarette her entire life. So if you hand her a cigarette today she is not going to smoke it.
Those who don't start don't crave it. Now with the advent of the Internet, its really easy to start. answer part a which seems almost silly, but true, "men who are not interested".

b)I personaly do not think that conservative religionists are honest about anything they profess, so I am not going to guess as to whether or not religious men use it or not. I would steer clear of the conjecture that because their "faith" enjoins them from doing it, they wont use it.

c) I think "men of concience" who may have an interest in it are also likely to not use porn, because they are specificaly aware that it hurts women and therefore make a concious and decision to forswear it.

[gerry]

elfeminista

your responses to a) and c) make real sense to me. not sure i follow b).

i don't like to think that porn use is chiefly a matter of habit because i fear it will be pathologized, or seen as another social ill as with drug use, but realistically speaking, exposure means use.

One reason i asked these questions is that i know that many "pro-feminist" (the majority, i think) do not oppose porn/prost. And given there are so few of us to begin with, i wonder what men make up the ranks of the non-users. (habit and conscience may be a big part of the answer)

[elfeminista]

gerry-

I think my anwser b was clear. Patriarchal religion is based on the subjugation of Women, in many ways they complement each other, religion and pornography. To get a profound analysis of the connection between religion and porn/prostitution I again, recomend reading both Beyond God The Father and Gyn/Ecology. In a way Patriarchal religion *is* pornography.While Mary Daly's writing style is not like Catharine Mackinnons, or Shulamit Firestone's, she is a triple Phd in Philosophy Theology and Ethics.What she writes is very valid.

In my book there is no such thing as a 'pro porn feminist male' That is not a pro-feminist, that is a diverter. I have been trying to recruit men for a long time. One thing that I have found is that "pro- porn feminist males" nearly allways engage in other antifeminisms, such as publicly criticizing white women for their racism ( This is feminist Womens' discourse not "feminist men's", all I see that do is again, divide and divert Women), and some things that while not directly antifeminism still act as such by the fact that they are diverting focus such as steering feminist women and encouraging people towards other forms of activism, , and interestingly, arguing with other male pro-feminists. I suspect that their real interest is in gaining attention to themselves and feel that they are a trojan horse within feminism, wether they themselves are concious of it or not.

i don't like to think that porn use is chiefly a matter of habit because I fear it will be pathologized, or seen as another social ill as with drug use, but realistically speaking, exposure means use.

I thought the question was which men do not use porn. As to it being called a social ill, it certainly *is* a social ill, one that hurts Women and is based on the need of our patriarchal society to develop tools with which to control class Woman. It exists legal and accepted because Women are still somehow not considered people. That is why it is *not* considered a social ill.Now our society is going towards considering this crap 'good clean fun".

[Andrew]

I am not going to get a religious discussion started here despite the bait from my friend elfeminista. But I thought the question was which men do not use porn? That's hard to answer because you never know who isn't doing something. My guess is that many conservative religious professors do actually use porn, the men that is, because it is self-confessedly a big problem in many churches right now. THis is particularly so since the rise of the Internet.However, there is a big push against it also. From my own experience I'd say that many probably don't use it, but understand that there are many men who profess certain religious views who don't even bother to try to practice them.

[elfeminista]

Andrew. I was not offering any bait. I have no Interest in derrailing this thread. I am very pleased that you are antiporn.No insult to you meant. If you wish to message me we can discuss whatever is bothering you about my post. I understand that you are a Christian, as I saw that in your introduction.
The question was in fact=

1) what men do not use porn? (esp. those who don't for chiefly religious reasons

Well I believe that the only way to answer that question is to question the underpinnings of religion.

I did not like the question with the "(esp those who don't for religious reasons)" thrown in. Any answer to that question that mentioned "religious reasons"
would have to by definition validate religion as a force against patriarchal oppression. I think we started on the same side on this thread, and i think that you are genuine in your disdain for pornography and prostitution.Out of personal respect I will remove the first sentence of the post as it will not alter the substance the statement.