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Monday, February 27, 2006 12:00 AM

Pornographic persuasion

How to make your girlfriend OK with your porn habit.

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  • Monday, February 27, 2006 06:02 PM

    It's OK to say that watching porn isn't abusive....

    ...as long as you ALSO say that you are perfectly willing - happy even - for your mother, sister, wife and/or daughter to be a porn star. If you aren't comfortable with that, then what you are essentially saying is that some women are just born to be objectified and victimized (maybe you'd even go so far as to say it's their 'choice') and as long as me and mine aren't among them, that's fine by me, please pass the peanuts. If attitudes can be termed abusive, this would be one that fits the bill.

    You can point to the undeniable commercial success and notoriety of the Jenna Jamiesons and Tracy Lords and Annabel Chong, but nevertheless, my guess is there isn't a porn star alive that any man would want his wife or daughter to swap places with.

    I have nothing against sex workers. In fact I think porn and prostitution should be legal and aboveboard, so that the women who find they have little or no choice but to exploit their bodies for pay can do so with minimum negative repercussions to their sexual and physical health/longevity. But let's not pretend that being even a well-paid porn star or hooker is anything to strive for -- unless you're a woman with really limited options and/or already hit rock bottom, porn and prostitution aren't upwardly mobile professions, ya know?

    Using someone as a receptacle for your fantasies, paying your 2.29 for a video and then letting her go back to her miserable existence while you and your nice suburban wife plan your daughter's Sweet Sixteen party...well, mabye 'abuse' isn't the right word, but "sucks" and "see ya, wouldn't want to BE ya" fit the bill pretty well. If you don't want that for yourself and your loved ones, well, why is it OK to perpetuate it for someone else?

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