porn vs prostitution

[kipperthefrog]

"in prostitution, it illegal to pay someone for sex. in porn it legal to pay a couple to have sex with each other and film it. am i missing something here?"

 

I love porno, but what if that argument shows up?

[Darth Avlectus]

Ok, seriously??? (You have a real knack for bringing up this kind of stuff. lol)

 

About prostitution? It's really more of a discretionary thing and whether or not the authorities want to enforce such a thing. I would think this is a rather horrid way to live but maybe some of these people have no other way to live. Out in NV there are bunny ranches (whorehouses--similar to prostitution) and it's legal, though honestly that doesn't mean there isn't "pimping" of sorts going on behind the scenes. You just probably never see it.

 

So far as porno...After awhile watching it just gets boring. Seen one, pretty much seen 'em all. Leaves your conscience feeling filthy once the fun is over, and not in the good way either. Call me prude nowadays, but I got sick of it and haven't gone back to it though I'll make a joke once in a while. I'm pretty indifferent about it personally.

I suppose this is an area where I'm a libertarian b/c I don't care what goes on behind closed doors that is consensual or what you watch for the most part (provided it *is* legal)--don't wanna hear about it.

 

However w.r.t. the legal part of things for both areas:

 

In porn there is as least some (admittedly patchy) semblance of screening, checkups, and licensing. If filming is to be distributed professionally and commercially, much like any other part of the film industry, it *has* to meet certain standards like making sure all involved are at least 18 years if age or older at the time of filming. I'd imagine hentai and cartoon "porn" is a legal gray area (it isn't exactly human), but I haven't checked on that (feel free to knock yourself out).

 

Whereas prostitution pretty much is "How old are you? Do you have I.D.? Are you clean? What's the going $$$ rate?" and it would seem nobody cares after that point, at least until someone gets hurt.

 

If you're asking a comparison between the two, there's probably not much difference. If you're worried porn will get banned, don't. For a dying industry it still rakes in quite a lot of $$$ and there will always be a demand for it, I'm sure.

[edlib]

I believe the main distinction is this: In porn everybody involved is getting paid for their efforts. There are business contracts and such. It's considered "entertainment" and the people involved are "performers" or "actors" instead of sex-workers.

 

In prostitution one person is paying, one is "performing." An imbalance of power.

 

An interesting question would be: If a man pays a prostitute (in an area where it's against the law), films it (with her knowledge and permission), then sells the tape for profit, is that considered more illegal or legal? Technically: they both have given consent, and are both getting paid for it.

[Kurgan]

Same thing (when it comes to so-called "hardcore" where the people are actually having sex on camera), in my opinion.

 

Arguing that prostitutes are treated worse so there's a moral difference doesn't fly. Some porn "stars" are treated worse than your street prostitute, and some high priced "call girls" (whether self employed or part of "legal brothels" in Nevada) are treated better than your average porn "actor."

 

People love porn and it makes profit, so it's not going away anymore than prostitution. Morally speaking, I must oppose both for the same reasons... it turns sex, which is supposed to be for the intimate bonding of two people for life, into a commodity to make profit (usually off of lonely individuals) and encourages people to sin. Never mind the other exploitation, drugs (you can make the same argument against professional wrestling if you want to go that route), and side negative effects like giving people distorted views of sex and relationships between women and men.

 

Porn isn't about values, it's about money. Making the biggest profit for the least effort. But it does have the side effect of providing all sorts of dangerous messages. A lot of young people get their "sex education" from this stuff, sadly. Part of the problem is parents don't want to educate their kids, but another part is that the pushers don't care who gets hurt so long as they get paid (like every corporate entity, one might argue).

 

The simulated ("soft core") stuff might be in bad taste, but it's little different than simulated violence in movies. It's art (just not everyone's cup of tea).

 

I've got a Christian worldview, so yeah, "of course I'd say that," people will say, but that's where I stand.

 

But the "distinction" between porn and prostitution is largely imaginary, I'd say. Put a peephole in a brothel and charge people admission, let them bring cameras, it's the same.

[Blix]

I think that the distinction is pretty clear: a dressing room with a view and a limousine with room for a sauna and a pony. I think exotic dancing (or "stripping") would be a better profession anyway, since you can make enough monkey to pay off a car payment in one night and you don't necessarily need to make physical contact with anyone.