Animated Pornography and Obsession:
One Viewer's Opinion


I've been thinking a lot about this lately and I've finally come to a decision. Pornography isn't a bad thing. Viewing pornography isn't a bad thing either (except for specific sorts of porn, such as kiddie porn - that's just wrong, not to mention icky). However, and this is what's been sticking in my mind, forcing me to think about it, what about people who watch porn habitually, even obsessively, in some cases?

I was reading an article recently called "What is a Pedophile?" in Newsweek (March 19, 2001). The article explains that pedophilia is considered a disease by the American Psychiatric Association. It is marked by "recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children." The article goes on to state that "the fantasies or behaviors must persist for at least six months, and their target must be no older than 13."

What does this have to do with porn, you ask? And further, what does it have to do with animated porn? Well, during the course of my thinking about this topic (pornography), I started to wonder about people who watch porn obsessively. This seems to tie in to the article about pedophilia, because I'm beginning to think that people who watch porn obsessively are probably doing so for similar reasons to those of a pedophile when s/he seeks out children instead of adults.

Pornography deals with idealized sexual relationships, in which there is no emotional contact, only sexual. There is no danger of emotional pain, since no deep emotions are dealt with. In this way, the obsessive porn-watcher can fantasize about a world in which he or she does not need to be concerned with emotions, only sex. Also, by watching porn, he or she can escape the dangers of sexual relationships with real people - relationships which can involve emotional commitment, pain, and adult contact.

Here's where animated porn comes in. Animated porn is the next step. In animated porn, the obsessive porn-watcher need not even deal with the idea of real people in his/her fantasy world. These are animated characters - they have no feelings to hurt, no minds with which to have an adult conversation. It is the fulfillment of the non-adjusted, socially-challenged person's fantasies, all wrapped up in one pretty, childish (remember that anime characters look young, no matter what age they are supposed to be), animated package.

Lastly, I'd like to remind those of you reading this that, though I've ranted a good bit here, I am not a psychiatrist and this is just what the title claims - one viewer's opinion.

-Bonnie Bonifield Click to learn more about Bonnie

References

"What is a Pedophile?", Newsweek, March 19, 2001
Urotsukidoji III : The Return of the Overfiend

Urotsukidoji is considered a classic hentai anime. It was one of the first horror-hentai crossovers and continues to be one of the most popular hentai.

American audiences often think of hentai first when they hear the word "anime" because pornographic anime were the first to be localized.
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The University of Michigan Japanese Animation Group
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