Four Letter Words

       Obscenity it a big part of the media in this country and the world.  We have seemed to be numbed by how much obscenity there is due to the fact that it is so common.  No wonder there has been a debate on the obscenity laws with relation to the internet and minors.  I found chapter nine discussing the “Debate on the CDA” to be very compelling.  I totally disagree with the Senator from Nebraska about making it illegal for an adult to use foul four letter words on message boards.  Children have no business going anyway near message boards that deal with adults and if they do, then it is the parents faults not the one posted the message.

      I also thought that it was interesting that what is found in public libraries could be considered illegal if published electronically.  Since some of the politicians want to crack down on the obscenity they are imposing there to be two separate standards for legality involving the publication of what could be considered obscene material.  “The Catcher in the Rye” is a perfect example of this double standard.  This is a staple read in high school and can be found in almost any public library.  If posted or published electronically one could be set up for fines or jail time if these obscenity laws were put into affect.  First of all, most the students in high school are minors and if teachers and the public education system allow this to be read, then why does it magically become illegal on the internet?  I personally did not have to read this classic book in high school, but many of my friends, including my brother, were assigned to and they attended the same high school as me.  I believe them telling me that there was some adult material included in the novel, but nothing that should be considered illegal or have characteristics of a criminal. 

       On the same issue I believe it is obscene to be fined $100,000 or be put in jail for up to two years if one is found posted four letter obscene words on message boards or email where, if I did this via the telephone, it is legal in all aspects.  A phone conversation is private and between two people as well as in an email.  Of course a minor could get a hold of this email and view the obscene words, but a minor could also be present in the room when a phone conversation is being held.  Sometimes I feel these politicians and the Senate are just wasting our time and money on issues that mean something, but mean nothing to the bigger issues that face our country and world.  If the country wants to stop the obscenity, then they should focus on those attacking women and children via the internet and not on a minor viewing a couple four letter words that is probably part of their vocabulary or the vocabulary of their parents and elders.

       Although I do agree with some of the viewpoints on both sides of the debate I feel the Senator from Nebraska simply has too much time on his hands for his case seems obsolete to me.  Of course the purity of our youth it being damaged by all the obscenity in the media and technology, but if you start with the internet, then one will have to attack television, magazines, radio and so on.  Once we start with four letter words I bet it will branch off to less obscene material and a domino affect will occur.  We should not be worrying so much about minors observing obscene material.  Let the parents deal with this for they took on the responsibility of their children at conception.

Zoning Sex

            Zoning laws are a crucial part of the structure of a residential area.  Without them a factory or a business could bring heavy traffic to a once quiet area.  I know I would not want some factory with smoke stacks to be anywhere near my home when I get older.  That is why it is called a residential area because it is separate from the business district and the industry sections of town.  The lecture this week discusses the zoning laws pertaining to adult movie theatres and bookstores.  I mostly agree with what Seattle and Detroit wanted when it came to their zoning laws. 

            Just as many of the fast food restaurants or little shops are on its own strip on a boulevard or in their own plaza I feel that adult movie theatres or bookstores should be in their own little district.  This would, of course, make for more competition for they are all in the same location, but it makes it more convenient to have them all in a centrally located place as well as them not being all over town.  Adult movie theatres just hold that stigma of being unsanitary and sketchy.  I would not want to sporadically see them throughout my town.  I would rather they all be together so that I could simply avoid that area of town or congregate to it if I felt the need for sexual enjoyment.  I know there are a couple adult video stores in my city and I feel it somewhat degrades the city.  The buildings do not seem to be kept up very well and the people that enter and exit these stores seem shady.

            I also agree with Detroit’s view on the adult businesses that there should only be one per zone.  Depending on how big the zone is I feel this is great for the city as well as the business.  Some would say that it eliminates competition and forces those in the area to be a consumer at the single store or theatre.  The negative business aspect is that if I wanted to open up a bookstore I may have to travel quite a bit to find a zone that does not have one yet.  I have nothing wrong with the adult businesses in local cities or towns I just gave in to the social stigma.  I just feel those places are dirty. I know I am being ignorant for the fact that I have never been in one, but I cannot see anything sanitary or sophisticated about going into a public movie theatre and watching a hardcore pornography.  I guess I will have to make it one of my goals to at least enter an adult video store just so see what it is all about and then reevaluate my position.

            Overall, I believe zoning laws are mandatory for the comfort and needs of a homeowner.  Many of those who own a home choose it for its location and that location is compromised if a factory is built next to it.  I definitely feel there should be zoning laws in conjunction to adult movie theatres for much of our society does not agree with them and for those that do they should put in the extra effort to find them.

“Sex in the Syllabus”

        I coach gymnastics for my job and the perks are that little kids love to give gifts to their teachers or coaches for the holidays.  They may not be the best of gifts, but it is awesome to see the look on their face when they give the present.  One little girl gave me a subscription to a magazine.  I could pick from a variety of magazines so I chose Time.  I never thought I would read any of them for my number one pet peeve in school is that I have absolutely no time to read anything for enjoyment because I have to read too much for my classes.  Every once in a while I skim through the magazines and find something interesting to glance over.  April third’s issue had an article titled, “Sex in the Syllabus.”  As soon as I read this I read the class blog where Dr. Halavais posted that the school was featured in this article.

            I found this article to be fascinating and backed me up for taking such a unique class.  I was unaware that some colleges assign sex and pornography into anthropology classes.  Since that is my major I was very excited.  Now I can say that COM 497 is relating to my major.  After reading this article I realized that it does relate to my major quite a bit.  It is dealing with our culture and the history, reactions, and consequences of a certain variable that has comes full circle in our society.  This class is teaching us how our culture deals with this variable and how to think about it. 

            The other thing that I did not realize was that by actually viewing porn helps in studying it.  Although in this class we are learning about pornography in relation to society and much emphasis is put on the legal aspect of it I feel that by viewing it, even if it is just one scene, may help to study it and comprehend it better.  I consider myself a very open-minded person so I bet anything that I would view concerning porn would not shock me (unless it was bestiality).  Those who have more of a sheltered, conservative life would definitely benefit from watching porn in connection to learning about it.  Watching it gives one a first hand experience on what it is all about and helps explain the minor details and pieces the puzzle together that definitions, cases, and texts cannot. 

            Finally, I feel privileged that our University is being featured in this nationwide magazine.  It is depicted our school as diverse, unique, and liberal.  Not many school around here offer such classes and many are flabbergasted when I tell them of this communications class.  Once one graduates how many will be able to say that took a class on pornography and learned about the different aspects of it and how it affects and relates to society?  I believe this class will make me more culturally aware and less ignorant of the industry.

Obscentiy: A Part of Our History

            Not everyone feels the same way about obscenity.  Like almost everything in life different individuals have different opinions for obscenity where some may thing hardcore porn is obscene and others may not.  I agree with the fact that anything obscene is considered illegal, but there are always those stubborn individuals who will say, “Well, it shouldn’t be illegal since I do not feel it is obscene.”  Ultimately, it is the government’s decision whether something is obscene not the individual.  So something that I feel is not obscene will more than likely be considered obscene to the government and I will be thrown in jail for distributing that material.

            I was very surprised to learn this week in the lectures of all the cases and historical value of obscenity in this country.  Over the years the laws and decisions for obscenity have been refined and I feel the laws are fair and justifiable.  This is how the laws dealing with children and porn on the internet should be treated.  The government is looking for a quick fix for this problem, but like anything good to happen it takes time.  There needs to be some laws enacted and eventually over time the problem will be maintained and handled.  Until then, the government should not lose any sleep over this problem for there is nothing more they can do right now.  Anyways, the cases that dealt with obscenity over the years have shaped what the laws are today and although not all were fair it turned out to be a successful set of regulations and laws.

            Where I feel the disagreement comes into play concerning what is obscene or not is with Bennet Cerf and Random House.  It was stated in the lecture that Cerf had showed a book that he felt was not obscene to a judge and two other men.  After viewing the book the three men were no turned on by the content and decided it could not be considered obscene.  What was not taken into consideration was the fact that if a person with a weaker mind got hold of the book and was immediately turned on by it would it now could be considered obscene?  In some cases it is just too subjective for something to be considered illegal or not.  This is why I agreed with the Miller Test that says it should already be stated what is considered obscene and offensive by the state before the material being questioned it thought as of being obscene.  Since not every person feels one thing is obscene it is hard to clearly know if one will be arrested for certain material.  The Miller Test is providing us with information on what is considered offensive so that we do not create, sell, or provide anything obscene.  It gives us a definite answer of what is obscene so that there are no if, ands, or buts about the situation. 

            Although I feel that this obscenity issue is being blown a little out of proportion it was still handled well over the years with justifiable outcomes.  My personal feeling is that if you do not want something obscene simply don’t look at it.  There is almost always a warning on a piece of obscene mail or email.  If you receive something just do not open it.  For those who do not want anything to do with this material or who do not want it in the reach of their children these obscenity laws are great and will probably remain and even be modified to whatever our media and internet come up with next.

I Thought Masturbation Was a Good Thing

          If sex is considered a healthy “activity” as long as it is safe and clean, then what is wrong with masturbation?  I recently read a blog by garzaman22 discussing how Kellogg was a crazed man obsessed over the evils of masturbation.  I know this topic was discussed in last week’s lecture, but now fully understand the agenda of Kellogg after reading this blog.

            After listening to the lecture and reading this blog about how mutilating the genitals of your offspring will aid in the prevention of masturbation it reminded me of certain practices in third world countries and the Middle East.  Circumcisions are very common in this country so I see no problem with that except the fact that it does not stop one from masturbating.  I definitely do not agree with dumping acid on a female’s genitals.  This is reminiscent of when I took Cultural Anthropology last year and learned that in some Middle Eastern countries a woman’s genitals are sown together to prevent sexual intercourse until marriage.  Only a little hole is left for urination, which is often painful.  After learning about this heinous practice to prevent sex I find it just as extreme as pouring acid on the clitoris to prevent masturbation.  I know there is a loose connection between the two, but it all boils down to the over dramatization of sex and masturbation.  I also know that different countries have different practices and traditions with different viewpoints on sex, but overall I believe they are making sex into this big ordeal.

            I feel sex and masturbation are a healthy way of relieving sexual tension or aggression.  This practice is done in the Middle East to prevent the female from being perceived as a whore, but people have sex with more than one partner all the time.  I feel there is nothing wrong with multiple partners as long as one is not in a relationship and practices safe sex.  I feel the same way about masturbation for 99% of males masturbate and I bet many more females masturbate than most people think.  If people did not masturbate we would be horny 24/7 for the reason of it is to release the sexual energy one has.  Once the person is relieved they feel better and go about with their lives.  Kellogg and the Catholic Church are making masturbation out to be some evil act that will corrupt the lives of all.

            Although Kellogg’s practices seem today to be obsolete to the purpose of preventing masturbation I still feel they are absurd.  Not only do they physically scare our children, but if done at an age any later than infancy it can be mentally and emotionally scaring.  When these grotesque rituals are performed in the Middle East they are done around the onset of puberty and often leave damaging emotional scars on these poor females that affect them for life.  All I have to say is let our children masturbate and have sex just as long as they do not harm themselves or anyone else.  If they believe it is moral and not evil, then they should be able to do as they please.

Are There Really Straight Gay Porn Actors?

        The whole connection between the straight and gay porn actors seems a bit unclear to most people.  One of the blogs posted states that pornography viewers enjoy watching a straight man have sex with a gay man.  I do not think this is the case.  If I am correct this person is deriving this conclusion based on the fact that straight actors get paid for money for gay sex.  If this is the case, then the blog is incorrect.  Straight actors get paid more money because the gay porn industry is totally different from the straight one.  The straight porn industry has mostly male consumers that want to see women with the men as the minor characters only used to give the woman pleasure and not because the viewers want to see them.  In gay porn men are also the viewers, but want to see naked men having sex so the male porn actor is in more need in this industry.  It is not that the viewers of gay porn like to see straight men having sex with gay men; it’s the fact that straight men do gay porn because of the money.  Most of the time one cannot tell that a gay porn actor is gay or straight as it was explained in one of the lectures.  One of the major gay porn actors in the industry is straight, but definitely does not appear to be on camera.  Although it could be a fantasy to see a straight man give into the gay world and have that be a scenario in a pornographic movie, I feel that there is just a great prevalence of straight actors in gay videos due to the high demand and this is where the popularity of the straight actors is derived from.

            Also, the blog stated that these “straight actors” cannot be 100% straight if they are having sex with men.  I somewhat agree with this viewpoint.  Although Viagra is viewed as a miracle drug and money can drive some people to do almost anything, it just does not add up that a man could be totally straight if they are having gay sex.  Some of the excuses are that they are open with their sexuality and the most common is that the money is too good to refuse.  Most straight men who are 100% straight would not even fathom the idea of having sex with another man even if they were offered one million dollars.  Let them tell us that they are straight and married, but if they are going to have sex with another man there is something that attracts them to this job other than the money.  One of the reason’s the “blogger” thought the straight actors were having gay sex was the fact that they were bisexual.  Personally, I do not believe in bisexuality.  Bisexuality, to me, is an excuse to not be an extremist or to feel less vulnerable.  Many people who are unsure of their sexuality or know they are homosexual will say that are “bi” for the mere fact of not wanting to let go of normalcy or a heterosexual lifestyle.  You cannot like both no matter how hard one tries to convince themselves.  My philosophy is to be at either end of the spectrum.  Like Einstein once said, “Great spirits encounter violent opposition for mediocre minds.”  One should not be in the middle and decide to be a little of both.  They should make up their mind and stick with it not doing anything in life half-ass. 

       In conclusion these “straight” actors are not straight no matter how many times they tell us for no matter how much money or drugs they are given for a truly straight man would never have sex with another man.  They also cannot be bisexual for if you like men a little chances are you like men a whole lot.  So I guess that leads me to believe that all gay porn actors are truly gay, but that is just my opinion.

Fearing Sex

       After attending Catholic school for nine years I have come to the conclusion that most of this religion is established to put fear and self doubt into our lives.  I know that statement is extremely pessimistic and something that a private schoolboy should not be saying, but in some ways it is true.  There are dozens of examples in the Bible of what a person should not do or what it considered evil.  Of course there are stories that tell of the right and moral things to do in life, but whoever remembers those dull stories?  The only ones we remember are the bad ones that occur due to sin and poor judgment.  Some examples would be Noah’s Ark where the entire race was greedy and evil so God decided to make the entire world flood.  Another would be Adam and Eve where Eve betrayed the word of God and ate the forbidden fruit.  These stories of evil and wrong stick out in my mind more so than any of the moral stories.

            Of course Christianity is going to have some negative thing to say about sex.  Sex should only occur between a man and a woman to procreate.  Not for kicks and giggles or to masturbate, but to reproduce.  Whether the Pope wants to admit it or not sex is part of our human nature as well as greed and lust.  I know God says to overcome these evil temptations, but every person on this earth succumbs to lust or greed at least once in their life.  One of the lectures for this week stated that Christianity has had a long tradition and relationship with the legal system involving sex.  Has anybody ever heard of separation of church and state?  Let the legal system do as they please when it comes to sex and pornography.  It should in no way be influenced by the Catholic Church or Christianity for their beliefs are at an extreme.  That is the single reason why church and state cannot mix.  Religion is radical and very nationalistic for they are set in their ways giving no leeway to any other viewpoint.  Christianity should just be set aside with their view of porn as a reference not affecting the way our country reacts or treats sex.  Although Christianity is a big part of our society it still should be separate from our legal system.

Superior Blogs

       The first blog that I feel is the most interesting is Country Girl.  The blogs are very personal and relate to her everyday life.  I get a hint of her personality, humor, and view on life with every blog posted.  They are also well written discussing relevant and different topics that I would have never thought about.

            I feel this blog could help me to become a better blogger by adding some of my personal life and past experiences into them to make it more interesting.

            I also like to view Laur’sBLOG because the blogs are short and sweet.  They may not be the most interesting, but they get right to the point and I agree with many of the things discussed in the blogs.

            What I can learn from this particular blog is that short is not always bad.  I tend to go into detail and often get off topic.  By keeping it short it allows me to get to the point and say what I initially wanted the blog to be about.

            Although the name of the blog, UB online class, is not the most interesting this student has some pretty original and interesting titles to the blogs posted.  It catches the eye of the reader and makes them want to read the blog.  Most of the posts are just as intriguing and entertaining as the titles themselves.

            I feel that I have pretty good titles, but I bet I could be a little more clever and thoughtful putting more energy into the blog rather than just picking a title that relates to it.

The Theory and Practice of What?

         I do not believe there are different degrees or forms or rape.  Rape is when a man forces sexual intercourse on to a woman, or vice versa, without verbal consent of the woman.  The key word here is force.  Like so many people my age say, “you can’t rape the willing,” rape is only valid when one of the partners during intercourse does not want it to happen.  I became nauseated reading chapter eight, by Morgan, about pornography as the theory and rape as the practice.  How long can one go on about our society as male dominated and that rape is almost an epidemic.  I agree that rape is a serious issue and that it should never be tolerated, but I do not think that pornography is directly connected nor do I see a clear connection in the reading.  Also, I feel that rape is a clear term with no grey areas in between and that excuses should not be made for why it happens.

            I will admit that I am not the best at reading in between the lines for I do not understand why pornography is the theory and rape is the practice.  If I tried hard enough I bet I could make something up that would sound relative to me, but there was little said about pornography in the reading.  It just went on in detail about our patriarchal society and that rape is all about man perfecting their sexuality.  Give me a break!  This is obviously a propaganda article written by an almost radical feminist.  How ever Morgan is trying to relate pornography to rape is unclear to me, but in my perspective I feel that there is some relation between the two, but it does not really affect the prevalence of rape. 

I stated in a past blog that watching porn is sometimes like a gateway drug.  Some people with certain personalities and thresholds use regular porn as a gateway to other types of more raunchy and hardcore porn even developing an interest to child pornography.  This is the one instance where I feel pornography can lead to rape.  If a man is constantly watching pornography where there are scenes of a man or men raping a woman, then eventually maybe that man would feel, in his mind, that it is alright to rape a woman or that since he has been watching rape so often, that he has the urge to rape himself.  Pornography can do this to some men, but I do not believe it happens to every person.  Pornography can simply be a way for men to release some sexual tension, while others become addicted to it.  It all depends on the individual for we all react differently to it.  In all other instances I do not believe that pornography is related to rape.  Yes, there may be tons of sex movies that involve rape, but that does not necessarily mean that it is portraying our society or that the viewer will be more inclined to rape.  Not everybody goes with the saying, “monkey see, monkey do.”  Although rape in pornography is degrading it is a way of expression and it does turn on different individuals.

            The other issue I wanted to attack is the examples of rape.  In the reading Morgan discusses that sometimes society gives excuses for why rape occurs such as when a woman dresses scantily and draws the rapist to them and then tries to deny the sex.  All these different scenarios mean nothing to me.  Rape is when there is no verbal consent between the two engaging in sex and the sex itself is forced upon the victim with no relevance prior to the bedroom.  No matter what the situation may be that is when rape occurs.  I do not care if the woman is leading on the man for days and then decides she does not want to have sex, it is still rape and the woman should not be blamed.  Granted the way she dressed or acted led the man on to believe that sex was in their future if the woman decided at the last second she did not want sex, then that is her decision.  I do not like when people make excuses that our society and the media give excuses for rape.  Let people dress and act whatever way they want.  Who cares if it encourages sexual activity.  Every person should know when the line should be drawn about rape.  No consent, no sex.  Lead me on all you want with your miniskirt and low cut shirt. If you tell me you do not want to have sex, then I guess I will be sleeping alone tonight.

These Arn’t Myths…They’re Facts!

  After viewing the entertaining link to the Porn Myths I decided that I was Pro, which concluded that I would have to write a blog from the opposite point of view.  On the site there are eight different myths, which I supposedly do not think are myths.  I will focus on two of them. 

The first myth that is obviously factual is myth number six stating that women in the porn industry are empowered because they get to call all the shots.  This is obviously not a myth with evidence from the lectures and readings.  In straight pornography women are paid at least triple of what male actors are paid.  They are able to tell their male co-workers what they can and cannot do during a sex scene and most of the time are able to choose who they work with.  If you think about men are the major consumers of this industry and want to see a naked woman having sex and being pleasured.  Without that variable there would be little or no audience so the female actor is a very crucial and important part of this industry.  The actress will put on a better performance if she feels more comfortable during a sex scene and if that means that the male cannot stick his fingers up her butt, then there will be no fingers up her butt. 

Of course this leads on women to believe they are empowered because they finally get a say in the workplace.  Even after the suffrage of women and equality laws men always have the upper hand in many industries and workplaces.  The adult film industry is all about the female and her wants and needs.  The female actors are catered to and chosen before any male is even thought about.  For these obvious reasons myth six is definitely a fact.

The second myth that is factual would by myth four that states, “Men like a variety in women so porn use helps a man stay faithful to his woman.”  Nine out of ten times a man is going to think with his penis before he thinks with his brain.  This is simply human nature.  If there was no porn a man may not necessarily become unfaithful to his woman, but could definitely become uninterested and the sex like could become dull.  Porn is a way to let a man fulfill his fantasies.  Maybe some men like women of all races and colors.  The use of porn helps that man become satisfied with other types of women and allows him to still sleep with the same person.  By fantasizing about another woman and getting off about thinking about that other woman replaces the man from wondering off to physically have sex with his “fantasy girl.”  Since the porn is fulfilling his fantasy he has no need to become unfaithful for he has been satisfied and will still remain content with his girlfriend/wife.  Pornography can also give a man different ideas of livening up his sex life.  He could take the ideas and actions he views from the movie with his “fantasy girl” in it and relay it to the bedroom with his significant other.  By letting a man explore his sexual fantasies online or at home with a video it allows him to remain faithful for he does not feel confined and strapped to the same woman or fantasy.