Pornography Addiction

I do not have a pornography addiction; that is my official party line. At least it was until I visited this site that came highly recommended. I’ve always maintained that guys have more addictive personalities than gals (just a personal observation - I have no scientific data to back it up). Therefore, if you are male and a porno-phile like myself, I challenge you also to take this “test.”

Dr. Douglas makes some very insightful points. One is the guilt factor associated with porn, which is quite true in my circumstance. Another good point he brings up is the tendency of the porn addict (or any addict for that matter) to substitute porn for intimacy. However, I don’t necessarily think that it’s such a bad thing to view pornography when you’re bored, nor to view pornography in order to temporarily escape your personal problems (and, no, I don‘t think I‘m wading in a famous African river with this one); as long as you recognize the activity as a brief interlude or respite in the continuing saga that is your life (like catching a quick movie at the theater), and as long as you don’t put your problems off indefinitely.

In my case, I partake of pornography as I would any other pastime such as baseball, picnicking, or watching TV.

Valid though his points were, I felt at times that his expansion for a point was nonsensical. For example, his 13th question asks if there are other forces compelling you to watch porn. But to illustrate his point, he asks the reader if he (the reader) indeed aspires to be a better individual but is hampered in that endeavor by pornography. What forces, whether internal or external, was the doctor alluding to?

Similarly, he demands whether the reader has ever thrown away an old pornography collection only to replace the collection with a new stash (question 9). Good questions. Then, however, he kind of goes off at a tangent and asks if the test-taker has ever viewed pornography or masturbated while in an altered, substance-induced, mental state. Huh?

At times, his points were repetitive. The emotional disconnect between the addict and his loved ones was mentioned more than twice.

Mind you, none of his points individually are misspoken. I just thought that oftentimes he took a faulty step in the path of his logic, and ultimately in the course of the test.

So I took the test with the same mindset I always have when I’m, ahem, engaging in porn: I can quit any time I so choose. But a small part of my psyche constantly thinks that I just may be lying to myself, and here’s why.

There have been times when I told myself I wouldn’t look at porn for a set period. But, that would only make me want to look at naked women all the more (is that a trait of porn addiction? I asked myself). It’s the times when I gave myself free reign to look at all the porn that I so desired, that the porn didn’t quite hold the same level of excitement for me. On the one hand, I guess we, as humans, do often want what we can’t have or that which is forbidden. Conversely, it could be as Dr. Doug said: you can become desensitized to the average porn and may need more extreme pornographic material to attain the same carnal elation.

Having completed the “test”, I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not have a porn addiction, per se. And yes, I did weigh several factors such as 1) my increased desire for porn when it wasn‘t readily available; 2) my tendency to view smut when I had nothing better to do; and 3) a sometimes pervading sense of guilt after a long viewing “session."

I realize that I just have an over-blown sense of self effacement due to my strong Christian upbringing. And just as some people look at oil paintings and others gaze at sunsets, I enjoy looking at naked women; it’s soothing. The female body is truly the most beautiful thing that God put on this earth. If that earns me the label of a visual (pornography) addict, so be it. I’ve been called much worse.

On the other hand, maybe it’s about time I got off this Egyptian cruise ship.

Paris looks lovely this time of year...

Have you seen the Paris Hilton Carl’s Jr. burger television commercial? (I know this is supposed to be a blog about sex toys, porn, and pornstars. Ms. Hilton seems a close enough topic, though...;-) ) Well, a consumer watchdog group called Parents Television Council had a BIG problem with it.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m usually the first to stick up for Free Speech and the rights of adults to view adult-themed material. In fact, if you check most of my entries, you will see that I always seem to come down on the side of the porn industry. Whether the industry is taking on government, the law, the Senate, conservative middle-America, what-have-you.

But even I have to admit that the commercial is a little risqué. I know that there weren’t any nipple-slips, or nudity as the CEO of Carl‘s Jr points out. But from the opening shot, when Ms. Hilton enters the garage/hangar and appears to be silhouetted nude; to the camera shot between her legs; to the one or two shots where she‘s bending over forward; to the fingers in her mouth; to her spreading her legs directly in front of the camera; to all the suds-ing down; any single one of these instances would have me concerned as a mindful parent. If there was ever a commercial that deserved an R rating, this is it. The accompanying music is raunchy all by itself.

There doesn’t have to be nudity involved for a commercial to be inappropriate (see the Herbal Essence shampoo commercial). Ms. Hilton’s movements are suggestive enough to cause some parents to shield their children‘s eyes.

That was my first impression of the commercial at least. I’ll have to watch it over and over and over again to validate that initial response.

Sex Toys in the Spotlight

It’s that whole Sex in the City effect again. I’m talking about all the recent “confessions” by celebs that they do indeed use sex toys. Somehow, since one of the characters on this hugely popular show made it seem okay (and downright fun) to play with vibrators and massagers, it’s not considered taboo to publicly admit to using and/or purchasing them. Now I’m sure famous women have been using sex toys since the gadgets have been invented. It’s just now become okay to ‘fess up to it.

Consider all the people in the news that have recently admitted to sex toy usage: Howard Stern and his girlfriend , Ozzy Osbourne’s kid , and fellow Spice-a-teers Emma Bunton (an admission that came on Stern’s radio show, coincidentally) and Geri Halliwell . By the way, no wonder the Spice Girls haven’t had time for that reunion. :-)

Speaking of Brits and sex toys, I came across a hilarious commercial online. I live in the States so I hadn’t seen it before. All I will say about the ad is that I personally have been caught masturbating by a parent; in that moment, there’s just nothing you can say to explain yourself...So if you do find yourself in such a predicament, all you do is say, “Hi Mum/Dad,” close the door again, and finish yourself off. Enjoy!

Sex Toy Ad

Porn101

Did you hear? They’re offering porn classes at the University of Iowa. It's going to be called "Critical Pornography Studies". Now, before any of you college students (especially you guys) start to get all your transfer documents in order, you might want to skip to the third paragraph of the article. "We will not be viewing X-rated materials in class, nor will the assignments require that students purchase pornographic materials," says Jay Clarkson, the course leader (and Party Pooper :-().

That’s too bad. Imagine if actual porn were involved? In all seriousness, I have some suggestions for the course curriculum:
Textbook: The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry, by Legs McNeil and Jennifer Osborne.
Lab Manual: How to Make Love Like a Pornstar: A Cautionary Tale, by Jenna Jameson.

Cumming to a Neighborhood Near You...

From the You-really-ought-to-get-out-more file, they’re opening up an adult store in Sioux Falls, IA and some people are getting bent out of shape about it. According to the member of the South Dakota Family Policy council, adult stores "...don't help families, they don't help the culture, they don't help the spirit of family and marriage in our city." Well, it seems like a certain somebody really needs to get laid...:) Why so uptight?

The mechanic that owns the shop next to the proposed adult store thinks that his future neighbor will bring in undesirable elements. To quote him, "I don't know if there's going to be protestors, but if there were my wife would be the first one to join them." Give me a break. If he’s spending the time at his new automotive shop (it just opened in April) that is needed to jumpstart the business, I’ve got news for him: his wife is going to be first in line at the porn store.

Naughty or Nice?

Naughtypod.com had its official launch party last Friday. The best way I can sum up Naughtypod is web cam site meets pay-per-view. What you do at the site is that you purchase Pod points (via credit card billing) which you can then use to "purchase" naughty videos and pictures - that is, videos and photos that have been uploaded by adult models, amateurs, porn stars, etc. Heck, see for yourself here. Obviously, the more points you purchase at one time, the bigger the point savings. If you feel you got gypped on some photos/videos that you bought with your points, you can even request a refund from customer service.

I took a reasonably thorough look at the site, and I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is some picture and video sets require 0 points. Another good thing about the Naughtypod service is that a lot of the performers take requests. If you request a set of photos and have the requisite number of points to pay for them, those photos are yours to keep. Also, you can chat (via web cam) and e-mail the participants for free. And compared to a paysite, you pay only for the photos you want (or need).

The bad news is you can’t download any pics or clips (for reasons well explained in the FAQ, but it’s a bummer nonetheless) so you have to log-in to view any purchased material. But the pictures and videos are there for as long as you’re a member. All you need for the videos are some programs and installation codecs.

Is the Naughtypod service worth it? Obviously, if you’re looking for your typical free amateur f*** and suck photos and videos, you all know how to get to your favorite corner of the web: places where you can download the content. If you’re looking for free pictures of gorgeous web cam amateurs whom you can chat with (for a price), I’d recommend iFriends - all you have to do is register and browse the individual chat archives.

But, like I’ve said on a previous occasion, I think free web cam chat is worth it’s weight in gold. And to reiterate, some photo and video sets at Naughtypod are free (0 points). So it might be worth signing up just for those.

TP vs. JJ

It’s worse than I thought. I’d always wondered if their was a rivalry between Tera Patrick and Jenna Jameson. I’d always thought of it as odd that, with all the big name industry talent that each has worked with, they’d never worked with each other. I’ve seen and read numerous interviews of both of them, and not once do they mention the other. And with all the big events - adult expos, award shows, etc - that they simultaneously attend, I’ve yet to see them in the same photograph. Yep, Ms Patrick confirmed the worst when she appeared as a guest on the KSEX radio show (which is simulcast on their website) starting at 7PM PST on Monday . Apparently, it’s an all out war between her and Ms Jameson; they’ve both sworn to destroy the other’s life; they’re calling each other names in the press; it’s catfight city -

Gotcha! Just kidding, everything’s fine. I made that all up - all except the part about her radio show appearance. Actually, what she said was that she and Ms. Jameson worked together (at least) once way back in 1999 on a magazine shoot. The magazine was only released in France, go figure.

In a feature that will be released next week, Genesis magazine’s "Porn's Hot 100" list puts Tera as number one. Jenna is number two (oooooh). But Tera says it’s all good: she’s got nothing but respect for Ms. Jameson, she thinks the world of her, she believes that JJ’s knocked down barriers for her fellow starlets, etc. It (Ms Patrick’s take on her colleague) was all nice, pleasant, and absolutely boring. (*yawn*)

But how many of you were starting to buy into what I was saying? (Okay, so I’m the only one raising my hand now.) People can be so ready to believe the worst, especially when it comes to cat fighting women. Plus, it makes a better story. :)

Ms. Patrick did admit to some lingering animosity toward porn star and resident KSEX DJ, Dee. That bears watching (somebody stop me)...

Well, Ron Jeremy finally gave that speech - which I alluded to previously - which he was scheduled (or should I pronounce that “she-jueled” ?) to give at the Oxford Union debating society. He’s not the first porn star to do so. Bill Clin - er - Jenna Jameson has also spoken there.

Adult Businesses Getting "Show"n the Door

Well, a state Senate Committee seems to have passed that Missouri bill, SB 32, after all. (I mentioned it in a previous entry.) Actually, they didn’t pass all of it, just large sections of the bill. And they passed them by piggybacking them onto another piece of pending legislation, HB 353. You can read the entire article about the bill here.

While the whole spirit behind the bill is disturbing (and let’s face it, they’re really trying to legislate adult businesses out of existence across the entire state), there are several points - in particular - that I’d like to bring up. The first point is the meaning of “sexually-oriented business”. What exactly does “substantial” mean? They were better off affixing the 10-percent rule to the definition of that kind of business.

Secondly, "two adult uses under one roof": Where does one “use” end and another begin? I could understand the demarcation point if you had, say, a cabaret and an adult store sharing the same space. But suppose an adult video store in the state has a screening booth or room. The owner could argue that he allows his patrons to preview their movies before they buy. Who could say that he doesn’t?

And the fact that a legitimate adult business - which is under suspicion for illegal activities - can be shut down (in the meantime and in-between time) pending appeal; that just rubs me the wrong way.

On a lighter note, the dance club stipulations are kind of ironic. In one of the few situations - as a guy in Missouri - where you’d want to get up close and personal, you’ll have to use a ten-foot pole. And fellas, bring your binoculars (okay, i'm exaggerating).

Also on a lighter note (and saving the best point for last), there’s just something very amusing about an “anti-glory hole provision". When was the last time you read/saw/heard mentioned/witnessed a law that contained the clause: “…and there shall be no aperture between viewing rooms…”:)

From the moment I first heard about this entire anti-porn bill, I’ve had nothing but questions, doubts, and what-if scenarios go through my mind. When it comes to porn and the adult industry, the “Show Me” state is showing less and less by the moment.