at the end of the day
wednesday, may 2, 2001
i'm reading essays and columns and articles on feminism and currently i'm concentrating on the different views on the porn industry, stripping, prostitution. no real reason, really, it's just topics and discussions that interest me.
one thing that keeps coming up in the porn industry debates is the question: "but who is it hurting if you choose to sit in the privacy of your own home watching a tv screen?" - that is so oddly naive. that disconnects the fact that someone is on the screen that you are watching - while the viewer is not actively paying somebody to have sex with them, they are paying for a product that is in essence taped prostitution.
i'd like to add that i am pretty undecided on where i stand in regards to porn, prostitution and stripping. i recognize that the more i educate myself through reading thorough debate articles and columns, the more i lean towards finding all three equally damaging to people (mainly women but definitely not exclusively, especially not in the porn industry) and therefore something i can't support (i know, i sound like a complete self-important moron with that last 'i can't support that' statement but whatever).
i also recognize that there are those in the various factions of sex workers who claim they absolutely love what they are doing and want to continue, and claim it in no way is bad for them, they are adult and it is their choice.
(note: i don't believe working as a prostitute, stripper or porn actress makes you a 'bad' person - it's the line of work i take issue with)
i want to honor their right to feel that way, but it's just not working in my head. i mean, so what if you claim to be doing it because you want to, that you are intelligent and love what you are doing - aren't you supposed to say that or else it would put potential new buyers of your product (you) off?
and does it matter? does a small percentage of people claiming they love what they are doing and it harms no one invalidate the overall fact that the majority of the sex industry is damaging and oppressive to those involved?
i've seen these clips of seemingly strong women who have been in the porn industry for a long time and now have turned to producing their own stuff saying it feels real powerful and they are in charge yada yada, they love it, blah blah, feels great, blah blah, it's just a job -- i listen to them and i think "but you have to say that because it is your company, if you said anything negative you might hurt your business!"
i can't recall any of the women in the documentaries featuring street prostitutes or the more anonymous porn actresses trying to elate what they are doing as 'therapeutic' and 'powerful' for them, they speak of it always in this monotone, harsh language.
and even so - so what? i've seen little persons claim that they found "dwarf hurling" contests in bars to be great fun and that they didn't feel insulted at all. again - so what?
does one child worker claiming he loves to be locked into a small building working in poor conditions on 12 hour schedules while the small earnings are sent directly to a family s/he will possibly never see again mean that that makes child labor OK?
the bottom line to me is, no matter how happy you say you are, at the end of the day you are still payed to let your body be masturbated into, and at the end of the day, you are just a person being picked up and hurled through the air so that people can laugh at you.
and that just.. doesn't seem right. heh. ok. back to reading.
