This week I read an article surrounding the topic I am covering for a research paper: the effects of pornography on women. I have been very invested in this topic recently and felt I might as well dig a little deeper. The article is entitled: If Porn Saps A Guy’s Manliness, What Does It Do To Women? Written by Amelia McDonall-Parry, this piece goes into detail regarding her opinions about Brett McKay’s views on the effects of porn on men and women alike. McKay has made it clear that he disagrees with the use of porn and how it can negatively affect the people using it, as well as their relationships. McKay owns a company with his wife called the ‘Art of Manliness’ that they use to expose the negative effects of porn and promote healthy relationships. Some of McKay’s main points are about how the use of pornography disrespects women, complies with a “filthy industry”, provides individuals with false sexual expectations, takes away from sexual pleasure, and decreases the confidence of users.

While some of these points may prove to be controversial, I find myself agreeing with a lot of what McKay has to say as a result of the research I’ve conducted for my paper. I believe that porn absolutely objectifies women, and portrays sex as some trivial, meaningless act. Pornography often has a strong focus on women and how they are expected to meet the standards of what is considered visually pleasing to society. Something else that came to mind while reading this article was the aspect of sexual violence that is associated with, or is said to surface as a result of porn. It is often hard to prove that a strong connection exists between the two, but there is no denying that this unfortunate factor is prevalent within this industry. I believe the large sums of money that circulate within the porn industry make it extremely hard to control the distribution and usage of porn. It is something that people are addicted to, and rely on – porn is not something people are quick to give up. This sad reality is concerning. Where will we draw the line? When will enough women and relationships be harmed in order to make room for a change?

While lots of concerns regarding porn are aimed towards women, Parry made an important point that men, too, can be objectified in these situations and are subject to these issues as well. I did not agree with everything she had to say about porn and the ‘Art of Manliness’, but felt she brought up some important points that I probably would not have thought about otherwise. Men too feel pressure to look and act a certain way in sexual circumstances as a result of the standards imposed by pornography. Legislation to combat these problems has definitely made progress; however, this has taken immense amounts of time and effort, and I feel that there are still steps we can take to combat these issues. The anti-pornography movement is still very much alive and has fought many battles over the years. One important step taken was the proposal of the Anti-Pornography Civil Rights Ordinance in the 1980’s. It pushed for women’s protection against porn and their right to report any injuries or abuse resulting from pornography to court. This did not end up gaining much support, but it did manage to get a lot of attention. I admire the McKay’s and their willingness to donate so much time and energy to this important cause. They are truly doing their part to raise awareness of the physical/emotional harm that can stem from the porn industry.