Porn Essay

So I thought I'd share this. It's not the best thing I've ever written by far, but it's certainly an interesting topic. Enjoy!


Porn. One word, but I bet I caused a reaction from you, didn’t I? Known for featuring women with over inflated breasts perform seemly impossible things with men who are well endowed, to say the least, pornography depicts a fantasyland for some viewers, a realm of possibilities for others. Such graphic, explicit images evoke all sorts of feelings, from disgust to sexual pleasure. A long standing generalization is that all men enjoy such sexual images. Contrary to this, not all men indulge in pornography, and some women enjoy it.

Recent headlines have been declaring “All Men Have Seen Porn” because of an attempted study by the University of Montreal. Coordinators tried to find men who had never seen pornography before for their experiments, and had no luck (Porn). Publications, the scientists, and people alike were quick to assume that is meant that all men had been exposed to explicit images and films. A Danish study found otherwise. It reported that many of their male participants used pornography or had been exposed to it; however, “all” was never used (Hald). Another survey found that 98% of German men are interested in porn, leaving a two percent gap (Levitin). Undeniably, the majority of men do enjoy porn or have experienced it in some form. But not all have, especially younger teens. There are boys that have not touched porn, either for lack of interest, or lack of opportunity, like for instance, Ace Rosenburg* who simply doesn’t care enough to bother. “I’d rather play video games or go on Facebook,” he states. As Ace becomes a man, he may reevaluate his choice. But as of right now, he, along with other men and boys, choose to ignore it.

The stereotype goes that all men like porn; it mentions nothing about women. There are, however, women who enjoy pornography. Trying to change up his sex life, Pete*, tried to encourage his girlfriend, Ruth * to try out adult films, thinking that it would be fun for them to watch together. To his surprise, she quickly agreed. Ruth had watched porn for years; Pete just never had any idea. Women simply use porn more privately than men, not even telling their significant other. Perhaps the idea of announcing to the world that they have a sex drive is not as appealing to females and males. Men are more likely to watch porn with their friends than women are, a Danish survey discovered (Hald). The same study found that approximately 48% of Danish women ages 18-30 used pornography at least monthly. Society, even in countries more open about pornography use, like Denmark, still seems to retain a double standard in regards to porn. Men can use porn, but women’s use of it is uncommon, or not talked about.

Why do women use porn so much less than men? The answer lies in the films. The balloon breasts, the bleached long hair is not for the woman’s pleasure. “Women have reported feeling disgusted, annoyed, repulsed, and generally not turned on by porn made for” men (Fulbright). The porn market targets males’ desire for sex. Not the emotions, or the back-story, or even the possibility of it being plausible. The very graphic nature of the movies is what draws the male viewer in. Ultimately, porn was designed to entrap men and addict them, getting them to return time and time again (Kastleman). Generally, women do not seem to enjoy the direct focus on copulation that men do. Of course, there are exceptions. But Dr. Fulbright, a sex educator, contends that women often prefer more romanticized versions of porn, stories they can picture fitting into their own lives. The female body reacts just like the male one does to hardcore pornography (Flam). However, the female mind does not react like a male’s mind. This difference in reaction to porn could be why so many more males utilize explicit images than females.

Ultimately, porn use is not decided just by gender. Women and men alike watch pornography for sexual gratification. There are also people of both genders who are disgusted by it. Gender is an affecting factor, as men and women are aroused differently, but so is the individual. Each woman, each man, is unique in their sexual fantasies and how they fulfill them. Ultimately, pornography use is a choice, influenced by gender, but not determined by it.

*Names have been changed to protect them from the taunts of peers.

"Porn study fails to find smut virgins." NineMSN NineMSN, 3 Dec. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. .

Hald, Gert Martin. "Gender Differences in Pornography Consumption among Young Heterosexual Danish Adults." Archives of Sexual Behavior. 35.5 (2006): 577-85.

Levitin, Michael. "Internet porn is changing German sex lives." Telegraph.co.uk Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009, 22 Sept. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. .

Fulbright, Yvonne. "Porn Isn't Just for Men Anymore." FoxNews.com N.p., 9 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2010. .

Kastleman, Mark. "How Explicit Web Marketers Target Men vs. Women." Net Nanny Content Watch, 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2010. .

Flam, Faye. "Woman may respond to porn, but not in a way that counts." The Seattle Times The Seattle Times Company, 26 Nov. 2006. Web. 6 Jan. 2010. .