Where Do Statistics About Porn Come From?
Mood:  quizzical
Now Playing: Mrs Jones- Hole
Topic: Baffled

Evening,

I have just finished reading an article in today's Guardian about the Playboy stationary on sale in WH Smith.

The article follows on from an earlier article on the same subject and consists of readers views on this most serious of issues. I have to say I'm fairly indifferent to the whole issue, as far as I am aware the stationary just shows the Playboy logo and I can't see a generation of children being traumatised by that. It's been many years since I saw a copy of Playboy, I think I was about eight when I chanced upon a stack of abandoned girlie mags in a lane. I remember thinking Playboy was the best because it didn't have open crotch shots like some of the others which I thought were most unladylike. Mind you I also remember informing some of the other giggling children present that the ladies had their legs open because they were going to have babies, so my eight year olds perspective might not be particularly helpful here. Anyway given that we children were amused by the actual magazine and rather indifferent I can't see that a bunny head in silhouette is likely to bring about the decline of western civilisation.


However The Guardian readers are less than amused. One writes that '....reports indicate that perhaps 80% or more of porn that is routinely viewed shows women and girls being raped and enjoying it.' Really? I must confess that I am not a regular viewer of porn but I do like the odd glance and can only think of one occasion where I have seen rape depicted. In fact the vast majority of porn I have seen depicts women who are in a permanently cartoon like state of sexual arousal and willing to the point of nymphomania. And girls? I can't say I've ever been particularly convinced by barely legal porn and suspect most of the actresses and models are rather petite looking fresh faced twenty somethings. I have never in my life seen anyone who appears to be underage in any type of pornography suggesting this might be something of a rarity.

I'm not particularly fussed about the depiction of rape in pornography given that it is all fantasy and wishful thinking aimed at the still largely male audience. I'm just a bit sceptical about this 80% figure. Where did it come from? Who watched this 'routinely viewed' porn in order to arrive at the figure? How is 'routinely viewed' defined? Most porn that one sees is of the soft variety, a bit of tit here, some implied lesbianism there, but no sexual assault that I'm aware of.

I make no claim to be an expert on porn and am quite happy to be set straight if I've missed something, however I'd be very grateful if anyone could enlighten me as to where these peculiar statistics come from.


Cheerio