Publicly talking about pornography is is risky, unless you’re criticizing it. Nevertheless, I want to discuss the topic as I think that this bias is not beneficial to our society. Because one fact that will probably be uncontroversial is that many people consume it, even though nobody admits it. There is a big market for pornographic material that, although completely legal, shares many parallels with a black market. That’s due to the fact that, even though the products being sold are conceptually similar to works of art, their reputation is more similar to that of drugs.
Comparing pornography to a drug is not even that far-fetched. It bears the risk of addiction, some people are more susceptible to it than others, and it can have negative side-effects on its users. But I want to highlight another parallel to drugs: how it’s possible to enjoy it responsibly.
Let’s make an analogy with the most popular legal drug: alcohol. Yes, alcohol gets you drunk and while many people drink it for precisely that reason many other people drink it for a different one. Nearly all alcoholic beverages have a rich culture attached to them and there is a whole world of nuanced flavors to explore. Let’s take wine for example. It’s literally a field of study. Yes, there’s alcohol in it, but if you reduce it to that you’re missing the point. I’m assuming most people would agree with this, but they won’t when it comes to pornography.
As soon as something contains explicit depictions of sexual acts it is pornography and it can’t be anything else. It has no place on platforms built for appreciating art, it has no place in public discourse and you should be ashamed for even bringing it up. And the reason for that is not that there is a lack of culture or a lack of nuanced flavors to it, there’s probably just as many worlds as there are for alcoholic beverages. It’s just that most people don’t regard it in that way. Most people just consume.
Now let’s make an analogy with another popular drug: cannabis. In some places it’s legal, in other places it’s not. But there is a striking difference between how it is consumed in those places. Where it’s legal, people seem to care a lot more about the nuances. Cannabis is one of the most bred plants in the world with an incredible amount of variety. It’s just as much a world of flavors and subtly different effects as for alcoholic beverages. And if you can buy it in specialized shops, you can explore this world as you would explore the world of wines in a well sorted wine shop.
But if it’s illegal you’re basically stuck with whatever your dealer has. Often you don’t even know what it is. Most consumers will not even know that this world exists and even if they do, there’s little they can do to explore it. They just try to find something that works for them and use it, hoping it gives them the effect they desire.
At least in most countries, pornography is not illegal. However, I’d argue that the strong bias in public perception makes it morally illegal. Consumers are just as alone with it as they would be with an illegal drug. They have to consume it silently without anyone noticing. I’d argue that this atmosphere fosters irresponsible use in just the same way as irresponsible drug use is fostered under prohibition.
So what can we do? Should we move society towards discussing pornography openly everywhere? Have pornography on television and on every streaming site? Have billboard ads for it? Well, obviously not. Protecting the youth is still a very high priority so we need more, not less, measures to prevent access to sensitive content for minors. But we don’t need to keep it a secret that this content exists and that people like it. I don’t think people should need to be ashamed of appreciating pornography and we should talk about it as if it were a legal drug. If studying wine is regarded as a valid hobby, why can’t we see pornography in the same light? Why can’t we put an end to this moral prohibition?
Just like the legal prohibition of drugs, I don’t think it would change much about how many people consume. But it could have a profound impact on how they consume. And I think that could make many people’s lives better and society richer.
Comparing pornography to a drug is not even that far-fetched. It bears the risk of addiction, some people are more susceptible to it than others, and it can have negative side-effects on its users. But I want to highlight another parallel to drugs: how it’s possible to enjoy it responsibly.
Let’s make an analogy with the most popular legal drug: alcohol. Yes, alcohol gets you drunk and while many people drink it for precisely that reason many other people drink it for a different one. Nearly all alcoholic beverages have a rich culture attached to them and there is a whole world of nuanced flavors to explore. Let’s take wine for example. It’s literally a field of study. Yes, there’s alcohol in it, but if you reduce it to that you’re missing the point. I’m assuming most people would agree with this, but they won’t when it comes to pornography.
As soon as something contains explicit depictions of sexual acts it is pornography and it can’t be anything else. It has no place on platforms built for appreciating art, it has no place in public discourse and you should be ashamed for even bringing it up. And the reason for that is not that there is a lack of culture or a lack of nuanced flavors to it, there’s probably just as many worlds as there are for alcoholic beverages. It’s just that most people don’t regard it in that way. Most people just consume.
Now let’s make an analogy with another popular drug: cannabis. In some places it’s legal, in other places it’s not. But there is a striking difference between how it is consumed in those places. Where it’s legal, people seem to care a lot more about the nuances. Cannabis is one of the most bred plants in the world with an incredible amount of variety. It’s just as much a world of flavors and subtly different effects as for alcoholic beverages. And if you can buy it in specialized shops, you can explore this world as you would explore the world of wines in a well sorted wine shop.
But if it’s illegal you’re basically stuck with whatever your dealer has. Often you don’t even know what it is. Most consumers will not even know that this world exists and even if they do, there’s little they can do to explore it. They just try to find something that works for them and use it, hoping it gives them the effect they desire.
At least in most countries, pornography is not illegal. However, I’d argue that the strong bias in public perception makes it morally illegal. Consumers are just as alone with it as they would be with an illegal drug. They have to consume it silently without anyone noticing. I’d argue that this atmosphere fosters irresponsible use in just the same way as irresponsible drug use is fostered under prohibition.
So what can we do? Should we move society towards discussing pornography openly everywhere? Have pornography on television and on every streaming site? Have billboard ads for it? Well, obviously not. Protecting the youth is still a very high priority so we need more, not less, measures to prevent access to sensitive content for minors. But we don’t need to keep it a secret that this content exists and that people like it. I don’t think people should need to be ashamed of appreciating pornography and we should talk about it as if it were a legal drug. If studying wine is regarded as a valid hobby, why can’t we see pornography in the same light? Why can’t we put an end to this moral prohibition?
Just like the legal prohibition of drugs, I don’t think it would change much about how many people consume. But it could have a profound impact on how they consume. And I think that could make many people’s lives better and society richer.
