View Single Post
Old 06-19-2006   #9
Paul Markham
Members
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 309
Default Re: Porn makers distance themselves from some... porn makers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rox
Enforcer, you pretty much summed up my view of the issue. Certainly I'm no fan of "extreme" (i.e. degrading) content, and I wouldn't spend a second of my life promoting it, but the fact of the matter is that there are no shortage of "average Americans" who see not one iota's difference between showing a woman being pissed on or slapped around, and the run-of-the-mill DP or orgy scene. To their minds, we're just as "evil" as Max Hardcore or Rob Black for promoting porn at all, regardless of how vanilla or not it may be by industry standards.

For me, it's the principle of the thing. I am disgusted and enraged by the activities and "message" of Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church, yet cannot in good conscience demand their First Amendment rights be abridged; I feel the same way about extreme content. I'd never produce or promote it and it'd be wonderful if there were no market for it, but the reality is, there is; and as long as that's the case, someone will be fulfilling the market's needs.

As Voltaire (arguably) said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

The problem, as Rob Black and others pointed out in the seminar is that there's no telling where the bar for "obscenity" could be set once the wheels are in motion, and if it's low enough, there could be a lot of people facing jail time for things like teen and barely legal, BDSM or any number of niches that some of us promote or produce.

I have no illusions that the Feds would be satisfied with just putting producers of extreme content out of business; their goal is to outlaw ALL porn... once again, they aim first for the "low hanging fruit" but will have no problem climbing all the way up the tree with the support of the increasing number of "average Americans" (and government officials) who want to wipe adult entertainment off the map because it "destroys families" and makes Jesus cry.
Just a moment while I go get my tin foil hat.

Why are Americans so scared of everything that goes bump?

They have no intention or chance of getting rid of porn, they know that and so do most the people campaigning against porn. Because the number of votes they gain would soon be countered by the number of votes they lose.

Do you think the millions of Americans surfing the Net and buying porn are going to vote Republican after they closed their porn shops and sites?

Yes they will make a lot of noise which will scare some, yes they will take out some who are on the edge of porn. But in 6 years how much have they actually achieved in shutting down porn?
Paul Markham is offline   Reply With Quote