Pornography is Degrading to Women - Essay Example

Is pornography degrading to women? Pornography, or porn for short, has become a part of mainstream culture leading to various effects. From the times, when porn was considered as a taboo and had limited access, to the current times where it is easily accessible due to the advancements in technologies and media forms, it has evolved maximally. As McKenzie (2011) states, porn is “no longer hidden behind neon-lit shop fronts and brown paper bags. With the advent of new technologies, accessing pornography is cheap, quick, easy and anonymous.” Porn has become so widespread that it impacts both the people who are watching it as well as the people who are making it. Importantly, when one focuses on the people who are part of the porn filmmaking especially the women who feature in it, it provides key perspectives. While one section point out that pornography by showing the women featured in it in a negative light degrade the women, the other section state that pornography does not degrade the women and instead empowers them by opening up better avenues for them. Thus, the discussion focuses on whether pornography is really degrading to women, or not degrading to women, ending up with personal conclusions on this debate. Pornography is degrading to women Pornography is degrading to women at the basic level. That is, porn presents women’s physical form as their main and significant feature, overriding all the other key positive attributes of women. This perspective was validated by Dines & Gallop (2013), who stated that “by presenting women in terms of their sexuality, pornography of its very nature promotes a woman’s physical form above all other characteristics as their defining feature.” Although, the featured women could have a good soul, character, intellect, talents and so on, but only their physical attributes are focused and showcased. This in a way cements the idea among the viewers particularly the male that women’s mental side may not be important as their physical aspects, and that clearly degrades the women. The other reason why pornography degrades women because it presents the women featured in it mainly as objects of gratification, and not AS a living and feeling women. Women in the porn are portrayed as objects, who have to physically gratify the men featured in the porn, as well as mentally gratify those who are viewing it. To spell out more explicitly, women in porn are “presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things or commodities, who enjoy humiliation or pain, who are presented in postures or positions of sexual submission, servility, or display.” (MacKinnon, 2005, pg. 503). All these dubious portrayal of women as sexual objects that too in an excessive manner could make the men viewing it detached to their “ill-treatment” and instead view it as part of fantasy. This detachment could first make the men view women more as sexual objects in real life as well, and that degrading could also provoke them to treat women in a similar aggressive, submissive and even violent manner. Speaking of violence, the porn also features scenes of excessive violent actions against the women actors, and that further degrades women and as mentioned above in a way could provoke the men to replicate those actions in real life as well. It is a widespread opinion that aggressive as well as violent actions against women actors have become common part of the porn narrative. McKenzie backs this opinion by stating how a recent study published in the journal Violence Against Women “found that physical aggression was present in 88 per cent of scenes. Of these, there was an average of 12 aggressive acts per scene.” (McKenzie, 2011). Furthermore, when the male actors perpetrate these violent actions against the women actors, in most of the cases, the women actors were shown reacting to those violence with neutrality and even pleasure. These types of portrayals further degrades women particularly in the eyes of the men, and as mentioned above the men could become detached to those assaults on women and could replicate those in real life as well, further degrading the women. Pornography is not degrading to women The basic point put forward by the pro-porn group is that women actors “act” in porn films on their own free will. That is, female actors are not maximally forced, intimidated or even persuaded by others to act in those porn films, with the female actors themselves deciding to act in those films. “As long as people are merely acting in porn films and there is no coercion, or law-breaking, it is acceptable.” (Hazen, 2007). As the female actors take a decision and act in those films according to their wishes, it highlights their independency and importantly free will, and that implies that pornography is not degrading the women. In addition, the female actors working in these porn films are paid handsomely and that enables them to live in an independent and comfortable manner. Many women could live a difficult life due to lack of profession or livelihood, and also due to non-support of family and friends. In those scenarios, acting in porn films could provide a better livelihood option and thereby empowers them. “Some say all porn is empowering because the actresses are using their sexuality to their own means, to make money and support themselves.” (ODonnell, 2012). The other reason why pornography is not degrading to women is because the issue of using women as dehumanized sexual objects has been decreasing due to the increase in the number of women porn filmmakers. That is, with more porn films being produced and even directed by women, they avoid using female actors mainly as objects or commodities, and instead use them in an ethical and aesthetic manner. “More and more porn companies are run by women, so that they’re not just commodities being bought and sold by men, but are captains of an industry built around a love for the female body.” (ODonnell, 2012). In addition, this involvement of women filmmakers and the resultant aesthetic and non-violent outputs reflects the perspective that these films are creative works where consenting actors have great screen sex, and not male actors imposing and assaulting female actors. They common counter against the view that porn provokes violence against the women is that it is just fantasy. “The degree and frequency of violence towards women doesn’t matter because porn is ‘‘just fantasy’’.” (McKenzie, 2011). It is clearly claimed before the porn film starts and also as it is clearly understandable that all actions in the film are done by professional actors and those are only fictitious and not real. This being the case all the actions even the violent ones are made-up, and so the female actors are not violently assaulted in the name of filmmaking. Furthermore, with porn films being used by viewers to release their pent-up sexual feelings, it in a way prevents or minimizes real life aggression and violence. To sum up, all people who watch porn does not immediately go out and sexually assault the woman they see, and thus they do not suffer from any detachment and that in a way implies that porn does not degrade women. Conclusions From the above discussion of both the sides regarding whether pornography is degrading to women, it is clear that pornography is indeed degrading to women from various angles. The argument of how various facets of a woman’s character is totally sidelined and only hers’ physical aspects are given prominence, appears stronger than the point of how acting in a porn movie is her free-will. That is, although free-will is one’s personal choice, but when that personal choice of a woman actor brings out only the physical aspects of her and not her mental side, then it is detrimental to her personally as well as to the women folk on the whole. Her physical features does have a shorter shell life, and so if she depends totally on those features then her career could end sooner and even her income could also suffer. In addition, when woman actors showcase only their physical attributes, it will naturally make the viewers view them as well as women in general more as sexual objects. “The more porn images go mainstream, the more women are stripped of humanity and reduced to sex objects.” (Dines & Gallop, 2013). Thus, the argument that woman actors act in porn films on their own free will and for livelihood is not strong because that livelihood can only provide short-term benefits and may not be useful in the long-run, plus showcasing only the physical attributes as part of free-will argument could negatively project those woman actor as well as women in general. Then, the argument that pornography presents the women actors mainly as objects of gratification appears stronger. Although, there is view that presence of women in filmmaking aspect could minimize use of women actors as sexual objects, it is not realistically possible because those women filmmakers will also be mainly business centric and profit-driven, and so they will mainly make and sell those already successful women submissive porn films. Thus, it is clear that use of women as sexual objects and thereby degrading them could continue irrespective of whether there are more women filmmakers. The other argument of how this portrayal of women actors as References Dines, G & Gallop, C. (2013, Feb 1). Debate: Is porn always degrading to women? Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/debate/debate-is-porn-always-degrading-to-women-8477138.html#commentReference Hazen, D. (2007, Sept 21). Pornography and the End of Masculinity. Retrieved from: http://www.alternet.org/story/62833/pornography_and_the_end_of_masculinity MacKinnon, C. A. (2005). Womens Lives, Mens Laws. Harvard University Press McKenzie. (2011, Mar 3). Why the new porn norm is hurting women. Retrieved from: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/why-the-new-porn-norm-is-hurting-women-20110302-1be54.html ODonnell, L. (2012, Nov 19). Women in Porn: Empowering or Degrading? Retrieved from: http://mic.com/articles/19330/women-in-porn-empowering-or-degrading Read More