Porn is a magnificent art. Once you look beyond the thrill of it, deeper than the excitement for gratification, or the simple curiosity of wild and far-off sex fantasies, you come to see porn as the perfect marriage of performance, fashion, and cinema. But some disagree.
Recently, I’ve been inundated with anti-porn propaganda. This has taken the form of social media posts, ads, and even email spam. And, of course, there are the talking heads making more frequent appearances on newstainment op-ed talk shows.
It’s no surprise. Pornography has long been controversial, and recently, anti-porn groups have coalesced around new angles like labeling porn as an addictive drug and even seeking regulatory restrictions as called for by The Heritage Foundations’s “Project 2025.” An odd choice considering the administration’s stated focus on deregulation and freedom.
”If porn happens to be one of those passions, then own it, and don’t give in to those who would control your interests.”
Indeed, there’s a lot of cultural pressure at work to cast shame upon safe, legal, and responsible porn fandom. But that’s nothing new to me.
I grew up in the Deep South, a highly conservative part of the United States’ “Bible Belt,” with a long history of sexual shame. As a product of that culture, I even shared strong anti-porn views from adolescence through early adulthood. Thankfully, I discovered the beauty of Andrew Blake’s pornography and found what would become my life’s passion.
What’s Happening to the Porn Fandom?
But I’m concerned about what’s happening to the porn fandom. We’ve shifted toward Gooning, which is a super fun way to enjoy porn. But we’ve embraced the lie that porn in itself is some sort of addiction. But according to psychologists, it’s not. While it’s true that compulsive porn consumption could be one symptom of an underlying issue, it’s not the porn that’s the problem.
Most porn superfans are just that–fans. We love our pornography and look forward to seeing our favorite pornstars’ latest creations. And many of us in the porn community love to discuss and debate pornographic topics, even going so far as to craft detailed brackets or power rankings. That sounds less like addiction and more like an engaged sports fan.
Porn is our passion, and as long as it’s not interfering with your life, that’s okay. It’s no different from having a passion for music, gaming, or sports. Most porn fans don’t watch all that much pornography. According to Psychology Today, only 1% of Pornhub users view one to two hours of porn in one sitting. Among the top percentile, that’s still less time than a typical game or non-porn movie.
Embrace Porn and Own It
In twenty years, I’ve seen a lot of porn-passionate people come and go, and that’s a real shame. I think it’s important to embrace your passions and stick with them. If porn happens to be one of those passions, then own it, and don’t give in to those who would control your interests.
