One of our more prolific commenters says that raising awareness is overrated, and claims that “there are a lot of things you could be doing that would have a much greater impact than what you’re actually doing”. Another commenter questioned how much impact one blog in one small town can have. Don’t look now, but […]
Impact of Porn
Raynham, MA: “Shock, outrage over sex acts in store”
Raynham, MA (population 12,000) hosts a Video X-tra Adult Superstore. The Enterprise, a regional newspaper, reports today: The business–the town’s only adult video store featuring closet-sized video “preview viewing” rooms–has become an indoor meeting spot for men seeking sex with other men, a Sunday Enterprise investigation has shown… Larry Ravech of Stoughton, one of the […]
Robert Jensen: Influence of Pornography on Sex Offenders (explicit language)
Robert Jensen interviewed 13 convicted sex offenders in Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (1998, p.119-134), to investigate how porn influenced their thinking. All of them had viewed “hard-core pornography”–sex presented in graphic detail. The average age of first viewing was 12, with a range from 8 to 19. From about age 21 on, […]
Robert Jensen: When Examining Complex Social Phenomena, Scientific Method Has Limits; Listen to the Stories of the Victims (explicit language)
Writing in Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (1998), Robert Jensen addresses a tactic we’ve seen a lot of in Northampton’s porn debate. Because “science” has not yet conclusively shown a causal link between the use of pornography and sexual violence, some pornography supporters argue, no collective action is possible… I will simply assert […]
No Porn Producers for Calvert
Calvert manages “the nation’s largest family of socially responsible mutual funds.” They refuse to invest in companies that produce harmful products or that conduct business in a harmful way. Calvert believes that consumers have a right to products and services that are safe, of high quality, and not harmful to them or society at large. […]
Courant: “‘Adult’ Businesses Add To Hartford’s Image Woes”
Citizens of Northampton are not the only ones concerned about how adult businesses present themselves. The 12/10/06 Hartford Courant reports: Hartford has an image issue. For those trying to sell it, the city is all about New England charm, wholesome family outings, high culture, good food and vibrant neighborhoods… But…[f]rom either direction [on I-91], big […]
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach: “All are deeply destructive images that erode male respect for women”
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is a popular TV and radio personality who has authored 17 books, including Hating Women: America’s Hostile Campaign Against the Fairer Sex (2005). Rabbi Shmuley recently won the American Jewish Press Association’s highest award for excellence in commentary. In this article from 1/15/05, he takes a critical look at the impact of […]
The Creation of a Pornography Addiction
Dr. Kevin B. Skinner is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He has worked with over 100 individuals and couples who are dealing with pornography-related problems. His website at www.treating-pornography-addiction.com discusses the nature and treatment of porn addiction, as does his book, Treating Pornography Addiction (2005). Dr. Skinner proposes the following as key elements in […]
Law Professors Provide Comprehensive Sample Adult-Use Ordinance for City Planners
Daniel R. Mandelker is the Stamper Professor of Law at Washington University. John M. Payne is Professor of Law & Justice Hall Scholar at Rutgers University. They kindly provide to the public a Sample Ordinance on Sexually Oriented Business Regulation as a starting point for city planners. This comprehensive ordinance includes the following sections: Purpose […]
A Review of Pornified: How Pornography Is Damaging Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families
NPN’s Jendi Reiter reviews Pamela Paul, Pornified: How Pornography Is Damaging Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families (New York: Owl Books/Henry Holt & Co., 2005). Freelance journalist Pamela Paul, a contributor to Time Magazine, The Economist, Psychology Today and numerous other mainstream magazines, undertook this study of the pervasiveness of pornography in modern American […]