Is Pornography Good? :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Is Pornography Good?    Pornography is the theory, Rape is the fact. Robin Morgan, editor of the famous feminist magazine Ms., was quoted as saying this thought provoking statement. This really makes one stop and think. How closely related are pornography and rape, or any violent act for that matter? Many surveys and research studies have been done to answer just that. But the findings have been highly debatable. On one hand, you have people who feel that there is no correlation between the two, that pornography is used only for personal enjoyment, and it stops there. Then you have the feminist viewpoint which totally disagrees. Two well known feminists, Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin have their own view and definition on pornography.    à ¾....Pornography is the graphic sexually explicit subordination of women, whether in pictures or in words, that also includes one or more of the following: (i) Women are presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; or (ii) women are presented as sexual objects who enjoy pain or mutilation; or (iii) women are presented as sexual objects who experience sexual pleasure in being raped; or (iv) women are presented as sexual objects tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt; or (v) women are presented in postures of sexual submission, servility, or display; or (vi) womens body parts - including but not limited to vaginas, breasts, and buttocks- are exhibited ,such that women are reduced to those parts; or (vii) women are presented by whores by nature; or (viii) women are presented being penetrated by objects or animals; or (ix) women are presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding, bruised, or hurt in a context that ,makes these conditions sexual. à ¾    Pornography is further defined as including à ¾the use of men, children, and transsexuals in the place of women.à ¾ It is also said somewhat cryptically that à ¾the definition does not include all sexually explicit depictions of the subordination of women. Now that we have a greater understanding at the true meaning of pornography, we should look at the radical feminist view on the harm that pornography can cause. Once again the highly acclaimed feminist lawyer Catharine MacKinnon says:    à ¾If pornography is an act of male supremacy, its harm is the harm of male supremacy made difficult to see because of its pervasiveness, potency, and success in making the world a pornographic place.