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Comment by zerostar07 | Hacker News Reader

Well, what's the benefit of porn? To be a glass where you can look but cannot touch? To compensate for some oversexuality that is not freely expressed? To turn everyone into proud voyeurs? Most animals see amateur porn among their conspecifics every day and frankly don't give a damn. I bet only masturbating animals would ever buy porn. I know the internet is generally proud of its porn, but general opinion equates porn with masturbation and thus all the negative attitude. What's so positive about porn otherwise?

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Most animals see amateur porn among their conspecifics every day and frankly don't give a damn.

And most animals would see a Miró and pee on it. I don't see how is that helpful in determining whether porn is beneficial or not.

Strictly evolutionarily, animals survive and evolve without porn. Porn is a reaction to our cultural practices from the past. If it weren't for porn, maybe our societies would be more open sex-wise.

Is that written backwards? If our societies were more open sex-wise, maybe there wouldn't be porn?

or maybe it's a feedback loop?

Other stuff animals survive and evolve without:

- Hacker News

- Internet

- Electricity

- Toilets

Porn is a reaction to our cultural practices from the past. If it weren't for porn, maybe our societies would be more open sex-wise.

Can I ask on what do you base this? Because I see sexually liberated subcultures making and sharing their own (non-commercial) porn. http://www.freedomporn.org/ is a good example.

I remember reading about a study that showed looking at boobs raised men's self esteem. There is also a study that showed that apes (or monkeys or some animal like that) likes to pay for porn (ape/monkey porn of course).

Also the sex drive is quite important for the human species. It's a huge motivator.

Yes but out in the wild, even with monkeys watching other monkeys, sex is a social activity; watching porn alone makes it a very non-social activity.

This discussion reminds me a bit of the "sugar/fructose" discussion the other day. Humans are built to crave sugary, high-calorie food. Modern society allows for an endless supply of sugar. Cue rampant obesity.

I think it's beneficial to question everything; to completely detach oneself from the hivemind. Just because everyone watches porn (or it provides short-term positive benefits) does not mean it's innately good, or could/should be consumed in endless quantities, or has no negative implications.

> I remember reading about a study that showed looking at boobs raised men's self esteem.

Real ones or just pictures and videos? Big difference.

The study showed that pictures are enough. Although I suppose real ones would be more effective (and have more side effects).

For women, porn can be beneficial because it provides information.

(from "A Feminist Defense of Pornography"; can be found by Googling it; originally included the link but post became dead immediately after submitting and I think that's why.)

* It gives a panoramic view of the world's sexual possibilities. This is true even of basic sexual information such as masturbation. It is not uncommon for women to reach adulthood without knowing how to give themselves pleasure.

* It allows women to "safely" experience sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity. The world is a dangerous place. By contrast, pornography can be a source of solitary enlightenment.

* It offers the emotional information that comes only from experiencing something either directly or vicariously. It provides us with a sense how it would "feel" to do something. "

I'd think the same would also be true for men.

I cannot vote you down in my head hard enough simply because you have completely discounted the entire sexual experience of many women by relegating female sexuality to the emotive realm.

Women use and enjoy porn the same as men do - visual to physiological and to release. Period.

Porn is beneficial to women in many ways as consumers. Until people wake up to this, revenue streams and culture (of consent and equality, experience and discourse) alike will be hobbled.

Your heart is in the right place. But you're missing the rest of reality, as is this entire HN discussion.

I didn't relegate female sexuality to the emotive realm; I just listed some additional benefits of porn that I found posted in an essay targeted toward the woman's perspective. (And I then indicated that I feel the same benefits can be had by men as well.)

The post I replied to asked "Well, what's the benefit of porn?" and I felt the physiological aspects were already covered. There was no need for me to correct it to say "women like the physiological aspects, too" since I already know that to be true and didn't see anybody stating otherwise who needed to be corrected.

You can say the same about any art. Is a still life of fruit subject to such complex valuation?

Good art is worthy of critical interpretation. There is some porn worthy of awards, but you don't often read critical reviews of doggie scenes.

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