Pornography, in a diverse range of mediums, has existed for many decades now—and while the harmful effects on society are pervasive, they may not be well known to the public. The reach and depth of pornography’s influences has been a continually debated issue amongst feminists in many scopes, both individual and societal. Here, I present the two differing perspectives held by feminists on this issue and seek to dissect and analyze the arguments held by both sides in relation to the battle between sexual autonomy and safety. While anti-pornography feminists assert that pornography use is just as harmful to the consumer as it is to the women being objectified, coerced, and abused in its production, sex-positive feminists argue that restricting
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These influential individuals came to stand ranks for a wide range of issues that were encompassed by the anti-pornography movement, most prominently stood for the concern of the treatment of women during pornography production. Many notable feminists, including Catherine MacKinnon, argued that women endured treatment that was physically, psychologically, and sometimes even economically coercive and abusive (1984, p. 327). Recent research has found that sex workers often times experience the highest rate of workplace violence, from both employers and co-workers alike (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). It was also asserted by anti-pornography feminists that this was very likely to be true even when pornographic images and videos depict the woman as an eager, willing participant in the affair. This concern is especially true when it comes to violent pornography—in that it is inherently brutal in the treatment of the women involved. Video and images depicting women being abused often give way to normalizing that type of violence in the eyes of the consumer. Many had not previously considered these issues when widespread pornography production was still in it’s infancy, but as the second-wave movement came to a roaring head, these issues became much more prominent for both feminists and the general public
These influential individuals came to stand ranks for a wide range of issues that were encompassed by the anti-pornography movement, most prominently stood for the concern of the treatment of women during pornography production. Many notable feminists, including Catherine MacKinnon, argued that women endured treatment that was physically, psychologically, and sometimes even economically coercive and abusive (1984, p. 327). Recent research has found that sex workers often times experience the highest rate of workplace violence, from both employers and co-workers alike (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). It was also asserted by anti-pornography feminists that this was very likely to be true even when pornographic images and videos depict the woman as an eager, willing participant in the affair. This concern is especially true when it comes to violent pornography—in that it is inherently brutal in the treatment of the women involved. Video and images depicting women being abused often give way to normalizing that type of violence in the eyes of the consumer. Many had not previously considered these issues when widespread pornography production was still in it’s infancy, but as the second-wave movement came to a roaring head, these issues became much more prominent for both feminists and the general public