SaxonDarkAngel wrote:So, basically, im wondering what the general populace of Magistream feels about porn.
I differentiate between pornography and erotica. Erotica, for me, depicts sexual acts in some type of medium but it also holds an element of art. That art might not be to everyone's tastes --- and it rarely is --- but one can say that the creation has artistic value. Usually, even if it's not to my tastes, I can from an intellectual level appreciate the aesthetics.
Pornography, for me, depicts depravity. The sex acts depicted are generally considered universally unacceptable regardless of the viewer's origin, seek to completely strip the participants of any human connection (empathy, aesthetic appreciation, etc.), and have no social or artistic value whatsoever. I hate to use the cliche, but it's true. I know it when I see it.
What is your preferred media? I generally prefer written media (books if I can get them) with minimal illustration. I tend to enjoy humorous and bawdy stories such as
Coffee, Tea, or Me? and a series I read one summer when I was twelve written in a similar vein but about a trio of nurses in the army. On occasion, I will watch soft pornography; I used to really enjoy the half hour or hour long movies shown on Cinemax which left most of the action to the imagination (no genitals visible) but showed more than was customary on standard television channels. I like the really old (mid 1980s to early 1990s) hentai, which often featured graphic sex scenes but still had plot and retained the quality of art and animation I expected.
Doomed Megopolis is one of my favorites and I always liked
Dominion Tank Police, which is more subtle but used a lot of visual gags and adult humor. I like looking at Playboy and Hustler but I'm afraid that they appeal more toward the artist in me than to my sexuality. I generally use those for anatomy studies.
What are your views on porn, in general?
I would like to see the industry stripped of its seedy reputation: clean actors, clean sets, regular medical check-ups for STDs, background checks to make certain the actors and actresses are legally of age, use of protection, and paying a living wage for the work. I just really don't see why someone else's morals need to dictate the filming of legal activities which will be viewed by legal adults.
On that note, I don't think that it should be available to those who are under age (there are better ways to learn about sex, really, and if we as a society were more honest about it then children wouldn't need erotica but that's another topic entirely). As long as the activities depicted are legal, the actors and actresses used are of age, and those watching are doing so consentually I don't care what other use to enhance their sex life.
I would, however, like to see it more clearly defined for marketing and legal purposes. Some of the 'pornography' in the grocery includes women who are simply wearing bathing suits, for gods' sake, and they card for it too.
When did you start reading/watching/writing porn?
I was twenty and dating my first boyfriend. I'd never had sex before and knew almost nothing about it. He used videos and magazines to teach me about it and to help me figure out what would please him and what would please me. I didn't read my first erotic novel until I was in my mid 20s and we were married. He bought them in an adult shop and I was surprised to find out that the stories actually had a plot. Now I have one or two collections of erotica (male, female, and heterosexual). I have some pieces of adult furry art which I like to look at; three of the pieces hang in my bedroom.
I don't write pornography and I don't write erotica. Generally if there are sex scenes incorporated in something I am writing, they serve a purpose (namely forwarding the relationship or demonstrating a point which will be used later in the story).
What type do you watch/read/write? (Gay, straight, lesbian, bisex, fantasy, etc.)
I don't watch erotica; there don't seem to be any companies who put out plot themed movies any longer and I'm not interested in watching hour upon hour of close-ups of genitalia filmed in what looks like someone's basement. My book collections are lesbian and gay; I have some romance novels which might be considered heterosexual but they're soft erotica and rarely graphic.
I write historical erotica, gay or lesbian.
Do you feel that straight porn represents women, or even men, in an unrealistic way?
I don't like straight erotica because it bores me. I can appreciate the individual beauty of the bodies involved and the abstract beauty of the act, but I don't identify with it. Most of the movies I have seen are so poorly made that it's almost laughable. I don't think anyone could ever draw the conclusion that men and women look like that or behave that way. I would suppose if the person watching them was isolated he or she might assume that was the case, but since few if any people live in a vacuum I don't think anyone really takes these seriously.
Do you feel that porn is damaging to our youth?
There's a time and a place for everything. I think there are better ways for youths to explore and learn about sex and sexuality. Without world experience and an understanding adult, some of what is depicted might well get taken out of context. I also think that a lot of youths only profess an interest in erotica because it's viewed as cool, 'bad boy', and adult to do so. No one wants to speak up and say it bothers them or they're not interested or they're not ready.
In your opinion, is porn a good way to bond? (Friends, Spouses, etc.)
It can be if the situation is handled correctly. We --- my girlfriend, my husband, and my boyfriend --- often talk about what we would like later in the bedroom and sometimes it gives us a fresh approach to old ideas and habits. I wouldn't, however, just out of the blue invite a friend or girlfriend over and show them an erotic video or read to them!
How old are you? 41
What gender are you? female
What is your sexual preference? lesbian
What general area of the world are you in? Florida, US
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