Gender studies professor Hugo Schwyzer digs deep to reveal the subtle and lasting harm of porn to the viewer. Here he responds to Ethan of Crucial Minutiae. Ethan argues that porn is a harmless outlet for men who, craving variety, would otherwise “bug their girlfriends/wives for more sex” or “seek it elsewhere from strangers, prostitutes, […]
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Schwyzer: Why Exchanging Sex for Money is Wrong
Hugo Schwyzer is a gender studies professor at Pasadena City College. His blog often explores the issues surrounding commercial sex. Yesterday he discussed the harm of prostitution, and the benefits of ‘naming and shaming’ (emphasis in original): I want the names to come out because I am convinced that prostitution is never, ever, a victimless […]
NoPornNorthampton Reaches Out to Springfield Neighborhood with Advice on Adult Enterprises
[May 9 update: See Springfield Police Commissioner Edward Flynn’s email to NoPornNorthampton at Springfield Police Commissioner: “…it is fair to say that ‘Amazing’ constitutes an attractive nuisance that contributes to blighted conditions there”] On April 30, NoPornNorthampton mailed over 1,700 letters (PDF) to voters in the Apremont Triangle area of Springfield. This neighborhood is home […]
Testimony in Massachusetts: Porn and a Hostile Learning Environment at M.I.T.
Massachusetts legislators heard testimony about peoples’ encounters with porn at a hearing on March 16, 1992. This account appears in In Harm’s Way: The Pornography Civil Rights Hearings (p.408-411). Testimony of Ann Russo My name is Ann Russo, and I’ve been teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the last five years. I teach […]
Testimony from Northampton: Porn Entwined with Years of Domestic Abuse; Sex Ads in Alt Weeklies (explicit language)
Massachusetts legislators heard testimony about peoples’ encounters with porn at a hearing on March 16, 1992. This account appears in In Harm’s Way: The Pornography Civil Rights Hearings (p.406-407). Testimony of S I live in Northampton, Massachusetts. The first incident I’d like to talk about is representative of many incidents that I experienced by the […]
Testimony in Massachusetts: Porn Confuses Young Men about How to Behave
Massachusetts legislators heard testimony about peoples’ encounters with porn at a hearing on March 16, 1992. This account appears in In Harm’s Way: The Pornography Civil Rights Hearings (p.404-405). Testimony of Jackson Katz My name is Jackson Katz, and I’m the founder of a group called Real Men, which is an anti-sexist men’s group. The […]
How Spread of Porn Could Give the Illusion that Rape is in Decline (explicit language)
Last week, we pointed out that the United Kingdom represents a large counter-example to the theory that the spread of Internet porn is reducing incidences of rape. During 2000-2005, rates of Internet penetration and rates of reported rape both soared at the same time. We will now further explore why it’s risky and irresponsible to […]
My Boyfriend Loves Porn – What Should I Do?
Derek Johnson is a Certified Mental Health Professional and Certified Addiction Professional. Here he answers a question submitted by Ashley to All Experts, a website in the About group. Date: 3/19/2007Subject: pornQuestionok, i am 15 years old and i have a bf that is 19…in the past year or so, i have noticed that he […]
Gazette on Free Speech: With Power Comes Responsibility
An editorial in today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette holds that the right to free speech does not insulate speakers from criticism… [Max] Karson began publishing offensive material while a student at Amherst Regional High School. In his crude publication “The Crux,” he sought to spread his insults as far and wide as possible. He got suspended […]
Realities of Teen Prostitution Mock Notions of ‘Sex Work’, ‘Sex-Positive’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Empowerment’; Media Glamorizes Pimps
Advocates for ‘sex work’ say it is or should be about free choice and the empowerment of women. They claim that if prostitutes have troubled lives, this stems from the fact that many (unenlightened) people find prostitution offensive and the government doesn’t care enough about prostitutes’ working conditions, rather than anything inherent in exchanging sex […]