Archive for March 2006
Legalizing Prostitution
Although many people in U.S. think that prostitution is a victimless crime and should be legalized, I completely disagree for a number of reasons. First, the number of STD cases is increasing on a regular daily basis and mainly among minority groups. Many women involved in sex tourism are from ethnic groups because these women often are promised to be “rescued” from poor conditions in their native countries. Many women involved in prostitution in industrial countries such as the United States are trafficked from foreign countries and are forced to work here against their will. Their passports are taken away the minute they arrive to their destinations and are treated inhumane. They are beaten, raped, pissed on and sometimes even killed if they attempt to escape. Those who support sex tourism, support prostitution and support rape and violence against innocent women whose economic status is taken advantage of.
Is pornography prostitution? To an extent, it is. Today, many of these women who are trafficked into industrial nations are forced to have sex on camera and these tapes may be sold. In this case, I believe pornography should be outlawed. However, there are people who perform these sexual acts on camera willingly, who want to earn their living doing pornography. However, these people like Jenna Jameson are very rare. Based on research, most people involved in pornography are doing this unwillingly or out of desperation. Prostitution and human trafficking is a result of corruption in a society. If these underprivileged countries were given the education they need, the money and resources necessary for survival, women would not seek out such opportunities as a means to make money. However, the capitalist countries have always taken advantage of poor countries and for years, have been exploiting them for resources. The big giants such as U.S. will not stop prostitution although it may seem like they are taking action against it because pornography brings in millions of dollars each year. It is one of the top 3 largest sources of income for our nation.
1 comment March 22, 2006
Tijuana Bibles
Tijuana bibles which were little underground comic books that were illegally published during the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s and featured pornographic drawings were not only a beginning to print pornography but the demeaning depiction of women. However, the comic books offended not only women but also political leaders and legends. From this I conclude that the comic books portrayed the people with power, the power of the leaders in the society as well as the sexual power women think they have. For many years, women have been treated as property whose selling point was their sexual attractiveness. Women have been objectified and men were threatened by this sexual attractiveness as it was used as a tool to control their minds. This is why women believe that their sexual attractiveness empowers them and will get them farther than those women who are less sexually attractive. Some women think that good looks will get them far or at least assist them achieving a successful career and they maybe correct because the sexual power given to the women in the media shows just that. There are two ways to look at women being portrayed sexually in the media during the 1930′s when the Tijuana bibles were published and today- sexual portrayal of women is demeaning or the portrayal of sexual attractiveness gives women power over men. Today however, women want to be seen for more than just looks but for what they think and what they do and not how they look.
It is interesting that the Tijuana bibles gave rise to the pornographic magazines and pornographic photographs and content in them yet are similar now to the computer-generated pornography today. We thus transitioned from fictious pornography to real pornographic photography and now back to fictious pornography, which unlike the images in the Tijuana bibles look more believable due to advanced technology we have today. Once again, technology and pornography are intertwined. It is also interesting how in the early cartoons; pornography consisted simply of nude cartoonish dolls unlike now where pornography is made up of sexual acts performed by the subjects.
1 comment March 22, 2006
