On Sat, 7 May 2005, Dennis Perrin wrote:
>> but I have to admit that I rarely, if ever, run into scenes like you
>> describe when I enjoy porn.
>
> Then you must steer clear of the mainstream, 'cause that's what's out there.
>
> DP
Okay, this is getting embarassing: everybody's generalizing what "most" porn is based on vivid anecdotes, not systematic data. Porn, like most mass media, is diverse; you can see everything from people clearly having fun having sex to the gruesome examples DP described. A few questions we need to answer to have a meaningful discussion about this:
1. How should we operationally define "mainstream" porn? Most available? Most sales? Most downloads from internet? Most acting jobs available? 2. What are different meaningful categories of porn to be assessed? Hardcore vs. softcore? Sex-positive vs. demeaning/degrading to women? High gloss vs. amateur? 3. Using rigorous sampling procedures, exactly what types of porn meet our operational definition of mainstream?
I know of no researchers who have done this kind of work recently; the government grant agencies aren't too enthusiastic right now about any scientific work involving sex or sexuality. However, until we actually gather some meaningful data, I'll continue to call bullshit on claims about "mainstream porn" based on vivid anecdotes.
Miles