Customer Reviews

The Porn Report

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A subject as important as the pervasive influence of pornography in our culture deserves serious consideration. This book takes a rational and empirical approach to many rarely-questioned assumptions about pornography, often with surprising and challenging conclusions. Sober and thoughtful. A brave and important contribution.

Possibly the most rigourous study on the uses of porn ever conducted, presented with plenty of interest, humour, and common sense. If there's one book the anti-porn branch of feminism never wants you to read it's this one - because it's right and they can't successfully argue against it.

Anyone familiar with Australia's ass-backwards and Puritanical system of censorship (especially the gulf between sex and violence on the RC list) will find this book quite enlightening. Especially since the sample size was large enough to be statistically significant. It also revealed that most stereotypes among religious and social conservatives were patently false. Not only did a great deal of women admit to viewing pornography, but many of them also engaged in "obscene" fetishes (which could include anything from sex in gumboots to golden showers).

Obviously, the first thing they had to define was the definition of 'obscene' and 'violence' for their study. Spanking went out immediately - that was consensual. And for that matter, why are fetishes allowed in any movie without sex? I Spit on Your Grave was given an 'R' rating, most likely because the rape and subsequent sexual violence was staged. Misandry perhaps helped influence the OFLC's decision. Rugby and violence would have to be considered violence, too, if the OFLC's criteria were too be applied consistently. And not only is this prima facie ludicrous, but tells everyone with the slightest fetish that they are evil and perverse for having said fetishes. Unsurprisingly, this (through two decades of enforcement) has led to Australia having the 3rd most rape in the world (and the 1st most rape in the developed world), per capita. All pornographic video must be downloaded or imported via the Northern Territory. And if you can't get a fetish satisfied, well, most men just rape the nearest available adult. Just Google the international UN statistics if you wish to know more.

And yes, there are unethical porn companies that treat their staff like garbage. There are also many more who treat their workers well, especially in the United States where Puritanical watchdogs prowl the industry (I do not include Shelley Lubben in this list). They are not helping anyone. Moreso, the latest brain scan research has shown that violent video games only lead to violent acts for a small percentage of children (who are already naturally aggressive). When children discover porn on their own, it doesn't harm their brain strucute (Google "Politicians are being deceived" +Australia).

The book ends with an excellent look at how to purchase porn ethically (and raises some objections the fascists on the OFLC are likely to raise). Buy this book to show Gail Dines that you do not think all sex is rape and all mutually consensual porn should be illegal.

Superficial doesn't even begin to describe this advertisement for porn. I was hoping for something with a bit of substance.