In this article, Nicholas Power tries to prove that pornography is not as harmful and dangerous as his opponents, primarily radical feminists, claim. On the contrary, the scholar is certain that pornography also has positive effects, and if people change their biased attitude towards it, they will see its value. The feminists’ anti-pornography argumentation is built on the confidence that it objectifies women, normalizes violence against them, and increases the number of rape cases. Power argues that their views are one-sided and aim to suppress natural male sexuality. He claims that pornography should be perceived as a “pure fantasy, utterly divorced from the real relations between real men and real women” (Power). In this way, pornography is harmless and allows getting sexual pleasure that might be unattainable and unavailable for some people. Moreover, Power claims that modern pornography focuses more on women’s satisfaction, and he agrees with liberal feminists who see it as a tool of female empowerment.
I agree with Power on his statement that we should stop shaming people, including women, for their sexuality and sexual desires. However, one should remember that people in democratic societies are free to do whatever they want unless their actions harm others. Therefore, one cannot put men’s sexual desires over women’s safety if any potential risk exists. Power’s view of pornography as a mere fantasy seems too idealistic to me. It is great that some scholars understand that pornography has no connection to the real life. However, many average pornography consumers do not realize that and might get dissatisfied with their real partners who do not look or act like porno actors or actresses. Moreover, this dissatisfaction may turn to aggression and violence, which, in most cases, are directed at women who are physically and, in many cultures, legally weaker. My opinion might seem pessimistic, but Power’s arguments did not convince me: some of his ideas seem theoretically correct but do not seem to be practically implementable.
Works Cited
Power, Nicholas. “Cheap Thrills: A Call for More – Pornography.” The philosophy of sex: contemporary readings. 6th ed, edited by Nicholas Power, Raja Halwani, and Alan Soble, Rowman and Littlefield, 2013, pp. 539-557.