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