Pro-Porn Feminist View of a Career in Pornography - Essay Example

Running Head: CAREER IN PORNOGRAPHY Pro Porn Feminist view of career in Pornography s Pro-Porn Feminist View of career in Pornography Pornography offers female pornography actor employment and some a "glamorous" career. It does not degrade female pornography actor nor does it incite violence against female pornography actor. It can be seen as an art form. Introduction Pornography has been the heart discussion throughout the ages. Arguments have been presented both from augmenters and those who oppose pornography, both seemingly very convincing. Feminist views on pornography have argued that pornography has provided with the much needed employment option for job-seeking female pornography actor from all fields of life. Pornography has provided female pornography actor with the financial augment they need, especially after becoming a widow or due to the lack of suitable jobs for qualified female pornography actor. Now pornography has turned into one of the biggest and most profitable industry and thus has invited a lot of interest and charm for female pornography actor to turn towards pornography in order to make some quick buck. Discussion Before we discuss the various views of female pornography actor working in the porn industry, we should define the definition of pornography. Although this has been a very debated topic too, as various authors find the definition in quite contrasting views. However, a generally accepted definition for "Pornography" is: "Pornography (from Greek pornographia - literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica."(Wikipedia) It has been arugued that pornography is "degrading" for female pornography actor. However, I believe that degrading is a very vague term. It narrows down to the point where every individual is in the position to define what is "degrading" and what is not. Another thing linked to this debate is that female pornography actor are used as "sex objects" and thus their importance mitigated. If this objection is taken at face value, it is meaningless, as objects do not have sexuality, only beings do. But if we state that female pornography actor are depicted as "sexual beings" would make a poor idiom. Most female sex workers foster the view that pornography should not be restricted, not because they oppose restricting harmful speech, but because they regard pornography as relatively harmless. They identify the harm of pornography as the harm of offense and maintain that the fact that some find certain materials offensive is not a sufficient reason for restricting those materials.( Gittler,2000) However, despite the benefits of porn, there still remains strong advocates of anti-porn. MacKinnon has disagreed that pornography is an action, instead of a form of expression. In her work titled "Only Words" she strongly presents the view that pornography is an illocutionary act of subordination. Another way that MacKinnon tries to augment the view that pornography is an action involves a similarly glaring non sequitur: "Pornography is masturbation material. It is used as sex. It therefore is sex."(Mackinnon 2000) The fact that pornography is used in certain actions, though, does not make it the case that pornography is an action. Finally, MacKinnon asserts that pornography is an action because it causes harmful acts. MacKinnon defends that pornography is causally linked to acts of sexism and violence against female pornography actor. Another important argument raised against female pornographic actors is that pornography entices men to commit rape. Studies and experts have contracted this view and have refused to accept any links between the two things, which they consider as poles apart. To further proof this point, the highly "pro-censorship" Messe Commission Report also agreed to this fact.( Jones,2001) Take the case of Japan, where pornography and extreme forms of violence is very openly available (as compared to United States) but Japan has a lot lesser per capita rape rate than United States (where fierceness and porn are severely restricted). As far as female pornographic workers are blamed for their love of exhibitionism, it has been generally accepted that every individual has the right to choose how they want the world to see and perceive them. Therefore, they are responsible for making the decision of "right" or "wrong", just as there is freedom of speech. The reality remains, that in the United States, female pornography actor are economically subordinate to men. They are found typically in low-paid, low-status, sex-segregated work, and by and large in part-time work that suits the needs of female pornography actor who are also responsible for most of the childrearing and domestic labor, but which is usually done for the lowest pay and without job security or employment protection. Even when female pornography actor work full time, they are still largely responsible for housework and the care of children. Female pornography actor's incomes are still only three-quarters of men's incomes.( Lovelace,2003) Thus, pornography has enabled female pornography actor to earn more, if not equal to what men earn in the same industry. This platform of financial augment has come as a big relief for female pornography actor from an array of backgrounds.( Lottes,2000) In contrast, proponents of pornography augment their position by arguing that pornography liberated female pornography actor by allowing them to explore less traditional aspects of their sexuality and reject the view that female pornography actor are coerced into the pornography industry (Strossen, 1995). Pornography advocates argue that the anti-pornography position reduces female pornography actor to a child-like state by denying both female pornography actor's sexuality and their ability to make decisions (Strossen, 1995). Female pornography actors were viewed to be coerced into work and doing it for the money. female pornography actors were seen as motivated by more negative and less positive factors.( Polk ,1996) This augments the idea that gender stereotypes exist with regard to the perceived work motivations attributed to actors in the pornography industry. These female pornography actor are more likely to be seen as in it for the money or other extrinsic reasons. Pornography provides a sexual passage for those who - for whatsoever reason - have no sexual collaborator. Possibly because they are traveling, lately widowed, secluded because of medical condition or maybe they preferred being alone. Pornography is perceived by many as free speech which would be applicable to the sexual domain. Thus, pro-pornography feminist believe that the government should provide protection and cover to the pornographic actors and consider them as "white-collar" workers. Conclusion Although both pro porn and anti-porn feminist positions have provided with a lot of solid reasons and arguments, which alone would be able to satisfy any neutral observer. However, we should consider both sides of the picture before drawing a final conclusion. I believe that pornography is here to stay. No matter how bad we call it, or how much we object to it, it would remain in business, as it has been throughout the ages. Legalizing pornography and considering it as an industry would make the lives of sex workers safer as they would not face the wrath of the economic difficulties faced by many workers. On the basis of arguments like this, it is tricky not to conclude that female pornography actor undergo a great deal of harm every day in the shape of methodical economic and communal subordination, and of gender-based sexual aggression and abuse. For this abuse to occur there must be a conviction that it is permissible for female pornography actor to be treated in this way: a message that female pornography actor can be hurt and hit and hated and held in disdain and treated as less than human. One of the places where this point is communicated is in and through pornography. References Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin, Pornography and Civil Rights: A New Day for Women's Equality (Minneapolis: Organizing Against Pornography, 1988), pp. 36, 101 Jones, E.E., & Davis, K.E. (2001). From acts to dispositions: The attribution process in person perception. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 220-266). New York: Academic Press. Lottes, I., Weinberg, M., & Weller, I. (2000). Reactions to pornography on a college campus: For or against. Sex Roles, 29, 69-89. Lovelace, L. (with MeGrady, M.). (2003). Ordeal. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press. MacKinnon, C. A. (1993). Only words. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Polk, R. K., & Cowan, G. (1996). Perceptions of female pornography stars. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 5, 221-229. Strossen, N. (1995). Defending pornography. New York: Doubleday. Wikipedia-Pornography; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography accessed on 08/30/05 Gittler, I. (2000, October 14). Porn star: A diary of six years in the life. Rolling Stone, pp.65-73. Read More