Imagine a Society Without Pornography
Crazy, right?
Perhaps not, according to Mary Eberstadt, who has written a truly insightful and thought-provoking paper on the similarities between the acceptance of pornography in today’s culture and the acceptance of smoking in the fifties. We made brief mention of Is Pornography the New Tobacco? in yesterday’s post, but we feel the ideas contained within are quite powerful, and deserve their own spotlight.
One thing that Eberstadt does incredibly well in this essay, published in Stanford’s Policy Review, is remind the reader of how completely insane today’s societal status of smoking would have seemed to someone living in the fifties. Today, smoking is not only universally viewed as unhealthy, even by its most ardent supporters (Dennis Leary anyone?), it is systematically being removed from public life via local, state, and federal government restrictions. Furthermore, smoking has gained a social stigma quite unlike any other “bad habit” we engage in as a society.
Smoking, in its Bogart heyday, was generally viewed as innocuous. People had their suspicions that smoking was unhealthy, but the voices against it were few and generally shouted down by tobacco industry lobbyists and other interested parties, according to Eberstadt. As she puts it,
today’s prevailing social consensus about pornography is practically identical to the social consensus about tobacco in 1963…Such is the apparent consensus of the times, and apart from a minority of opponents it appears very nearly bulletproof — every bit as bulletproof, in fact, as the prevailing laissez-faire public view of smoking did in 1963.
So what happened in 1963? Nothing, life continued as it had before. However, in 1964 the U.S. Surgeon General gave his now famous address on smoking, “Report on Smoking and Health,� which defined smoking as a harmful activity beyond any doubt, and started the gradual societal revolution against it, on both medical and moral grounds.
Eberstadt, before rushing headlong into the myriad similarities in societal attitudes regarding smoking pre-1964 and pornography today, acknowledges certain immutable and potent differences:
- Pornography excites sexual desire, whereas tobacco does not, which has led to spiritual condemnation of pornography and not tobacco
- Tobacco can “literally and directly kill” unlike pornography (though Eberstadt acknowledges it could cause indirect physical harm)
- Differences in structure and organization of the two industries
- Differences in the two time periods
Eberstadt goes on to examine the differences in the “harm” each substance can produce, consumer perspectives, and political landscapes. But the most interesting point is that during the fifties, and decades prior to 1964, smoking was viewed as an inevitable fact of existence, at least in terms of exposure if not participation. Today, it is harder to find a place where one could light up a cigarette than it is to go an entire day without smelling or even seeing a lit cigarette.
The emergence of pornography addiction recovery networks is a relatively recent phenomenon, showing that the question of how much “harm” pornography can do is beginning to resonate in the national consciousness.
Perhaps, as Eberstadt suggests, imagining a society without pornography today is no more foolish than imagining a society without smoking…in 1964.
Filed under: Internet Safety News
The key difference that I see between the two is that smoking is an option. It is not required for the procreation of life. Introducing chemical contaminants and drugs into one’s body via cigarettes/tobacco is completely optional. Though sex is optional, if everyone stopped having sex, life would eventually end.
Sex is a natural part of life, and between two consenting adults should never be outlawed.
Pornography is described as is the depiction of explicit sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexually exciting the viewer. Millions, if not BILLIONS, of people have safely used pornography to enhance their bedroom activities, and often time, as a result, their lives.
Think about all of the families out there that are unable to have children, and how pornography has helped them. Something as simple as the pornography used in the sperm bank to obtain sperm samples. Is this wrong? How much happiness has this simple fact brought to the world?
While I do not condone pornography for (or about) children, and I understand some adults have become addicted to pornography, just as some are addicted to food (another necessary part of life), I cannot even begin to comprehend the idea of a society without pornography.
Walt D in LV
A society without pornography would have no shortage of babies. It would, however, have fewer marriages destroyed and fewer women exploited. How much happiness would that bring to the world?
Anything that has the potential to be toxically addictive needs intelligent filtering.
Pornography is such a loaded action in so many ways that tobacco is/was not, but the potential destructive potential is so much more IMHO
I agree with Alan, and cannot believe the crap written by Walt in LV- but then, you do live in sin city so maybe you have become immune to the ill effects these things have on society?? I am not usually this bold and I have never posted anything to a blog before, but my family has been DESTROYED by the effects of internet pornography, porn chat sites and so on. In my opinon, no good can come from porn- it expoits women at the highest level and ridiculously distorts male’s view of what is acceptable and normal when it comes to sex. LOVE is not involved with porn. And, Porn is physically destructive just as alcohol and drug addiction is. Sadly, statistics and experts will tell you that sexual addiction is harder to recover from than alcohol or drug addiction. People lose their jobs, marriages, and end up in jail because of the sex industry and its effects. When are we going to stand up as people and do what is right? Just because we live in America where there is freedom doesn’t make it RIGHT. We have a responsibility to our children and their future to put a stop to this. I will get off my soapbox now, but I hope more will come to realize how severe this is fight for our children and FAMILIES- a dying concept in today’s society sadly.
Poppycock…and I mean that to pornography! Having struggled with the guilt, condenmation and shame of this garbage for well over 2 decades I know it can and does wreck havoc on everyday life.
[While I do not condone pornography for (or about) children, and I understand some adults have become addicted to pornography, just as some are addicted to food (another necessary part of life), I cannot even begin to comprehend the idea of a society without pornography.]
A horrible argument, we need food, we do NOT need sex in order to survive. Yes, if we want the human race to continue then we get married and enjoy sexual relations with one and the only woman we are supposed to love, adore and satisfy.
Sir, you not being able to see society without porn is probably due to the fact that you may have an addiction yourself or it plays a pivotal role in your life somehow. I can say that when my Dad stopped smoking it was difficult but he broke through the addiction and has lived a healthier and more fulfilled life.
The decision I made to stop consciously look at porn everyday and think about it and allow it to control my life was the day I truly started to fight. It’s been an up-hill battle but I have brothers and sisters to help me along the way.
By His grace and for His glory alone,
Tyler
If you need pornography in the bedroom than there is something wrong. Sex is meant to be between a husband and wife. That is what God intended. You are married and then you reproduce. If you think it’s safe to bring porn into a marriage than you have never suffered the effects of it. God never intended the marriage bed to be degraded like that. I pray that there will someday be a society without porn. How many marriages would be saved by that simple fact.
Porn is not required for the procreation of life, that is silly. The main difference between tobacco in the early 60s and porn now is that our society seems to be more aware of potentially addicting activities and, overall, this is a good thing. I think that the average person knows that porn addiction is real. In the 50s & 60s I dont think people really thought in these terms so much.
Some activities are just wrong in any amount (porn in my opinion) some may be OK in moderation (wine or the occasional cigar, again in my opinion) a good way to see if you are out of control, ask yourself this question; if everyone in the country consumed/patronized at your level where would the particular industry be? thriving or going bankrupt…just a thought.
I was laughing and shaking my head when I read Walt D’s post, because of the seemingly complete ignorance about this issue he is showing here. Porn is in fact very addictive, it’s destructive and it’s completely destroys the character in any person who watches it, even if it’s done in moderate amounts.
It’s destroys how a men looks at the other sex and the worst thing it’s intensifies the objectification mentality in general. Sad thing is that the p industry are constantly pushing harder and more extreme content on the market (there have to be some kind of limit, which I really hope they are about to reach soon), which in turn only makes the objectification of women even worse and more aggressive. Porn addiction also enhances isolation and depression in society as well, as p watching usually is a lonly and isolated act.
Hope this guy (Walt D in lv) will be able to get his head out of the sand someday, and see the reality as it is. Or, as already suggested, he might be addicted himself, and the addict in him unfortunately have taken over, making him blind for the truth…
Porn destroys lives and our socety in general, and I’m really hoping sometime in the future we’ll enjoy a p free society. Or at least strictly reduced.
Wow, what excellent responses. Walt D, please consider those responses.
Internet pornography is a growing aggressive cancer on families and relationships. The rapidity, anonymity and affordability make it a major threat to stable family life. Filtering is a key component of keeping this monster out of the house.
I’m writing about this now at my blog and filtering is one of the areas I will be discussing next week.
[...] acceptance of pornography in today’s culture and the acceptance of smoking in the fifties” (source). Furthermore, while I also do not know the statistics of the relationship of pornography to [...]
[...] acceptance of pornography in today’s culture and the acceptance of smoking in the fifties” (source). Furthermore, while I also do not know the statistics of the relationship of pornography to [...]
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