Pornography

[Mr. Atoz]

I think this would be an interesting topic for conversation, actually.
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uom-ate120109.php

How do you define pornography? Could women's romance novels be considered a kind of porn?

Is it always bad? Does it really disrespect women? Does it give us unrealistic expectations?

[Niemz]

What is the world coming to...

[Mr. Atoz]

What do you mean? If you don't think this is an appropriate topic, you can delete it. I won't be offended. I just thought it would interesting to talk about. I mean, I look at light, softcore pornography every now and then, but I wouldn't say it does anything to lower my respect for women.

[Decind]

All I know is looking at porn online=spam and viruses...Stay away from online porn.

[Mr. Atoz]

That certainly is a good idea. I don't bother with online porn either. I'm talking about a Gallery, Playboy, Maxim magazine every now and then. Stuff like that.

[Thallassa]

I think it makes sense for men to like pornography, in an evolutionary sense. Males evolved to spread their genes as widely as they could, so you're always looking for attractive potential mates. I'm not saying women aren't attracted by looks, but we're more stimulated by touch and by emotion, which is why we tend to like romance novels rather than pictures. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

[Mr. Atoz]

I can't help but agree. It's a natural part of what we are. Are you saying romance novels are like porn for women?

[Thallassa]

Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way, but if you define pornography as an artform whose primary purpose is to make you think about sex, romance novels would fit that definition. It's more conceptual sex than the visual sex that men like, but it's similar. My exhusband used to try to get me to watch porn with him, hoping it would "heat things up" in the bedroom, but frankly it bored me to death. It was just strip off your clothes and get down. And they're always trying so hard to squeeze in as many different positions as possible, there was no romance to it. Frankly I could never understand the appeal.

[Mr. Atoz]

To be honest, I don't like porn movies either, for pretty much the same reasons you mention. My speed is more like a Gallery magazine every now and then. With a still picture, you can take the time to think about the girl, fantasize about her a little bit... Say, have you ever tried cybersex?

[Thallassa]

I'm not sure what you mean by the term. Isn't that like hooking up to some kind of virtual machine?

[Mr. Atoz]

No, it's what you were talking about, conceptual sex. Like being ain a role playing game...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybersex

[Thallassa]

I don't know... it sounds kind of interesting. I tried to get my exhusband to roleplay, but the best he would do is make love in the costumes we wore to Star Trek conventions. Not quite the same thing.

[Mr. Atoz]

I've never actually been to a convention so I don't really have a costume like that. But what I'm talking about is making love in imagination. You know, just describe what you're doing, what you want the other person to do to you. That kind of thing. I've only done it once myself, but it was fun.