Why Porn Can Be Good For You (And Society)

Easy access to porn is blamed for everything from a decrease in male desire to poor body image in women. But are there social upsides?

  

A 2006 New York magazine story by Naomi Wolf warned that pornography is so seriously turning men off to real women that now, six years later, you’d think it’s a miracle there are any children in first grade. 

Porn has always had plenty of detractors, but since the web has brought it into our homes on demand, a multitude of 21st-century criticisms have been leveled at it. The breakup of relationships, violence, sexual pressure, body image problems for women and sexual addiction and dysfunction in men have all been blamed on the avid use of porn.
One could argue that all these things existed before search engines did; Henry VIII handily exemplified two or three. And is there no upside to having a world of human sexual wonders at your grown-up fingertips? Is the world in no way better for having a film called Bitanic? Let’s take a look past the implants and see if -- and when -- a little voyeurism is a good thing.

Boston University hockey team has culture of 'sexual entitlement,' report says

By Lisa Dillman
September 7, 2012, 12:20 p.m.

The sobering and straightforward account of a task force assigned to examine the culture and climate of the Boston University’s men’s hockey program was revealed in a letter and report on Wednesday on the website of BU President Robert Brown.

"The Task Force concluded that the unique culture of men's ice hockey, played at the highest collegiate level, and the preeminent status of our team on campus contribute to a celebrity culture and an isolation of these athletes from the majority of our student body,” Brown said in the letter.

"I believe this situation is exacerbated in men's college hockey where professional teams frequently draft players before they enter college, an observation contained in the Task Force's report. This insular and elevated status can lead to unacceptable and destructive behavior, including a culture of sexual entitlement and abuse."

Boston University Hockey Team Sex Assault Details Released, Coach Jack Harper Loses Title In Fall-Out

By William McGuinness 

Posted: 09/07/2012 5:43 pm Updated: 09/07/2012 6:26 pm

"Sexually entitled" could be a soft-core description of a hockey team out of control and drunk on victory and its trappings, according to a report obtained by the Boston Globe. The newspaper describes a debauched Boston University hockey teamto which victories -- and academic and criminal troubles -- came easily.

A task force commissioned by BU President Robert A. Brown reviewed the culture, academic quality and disciplinary history of the hockey team after two players were accused of separate instances of sexual assault within the 2011-12 academic year. Brown released its findings on the university's website but didn't release interviews and evidence. University officials said it was to protect the privacy of students interviewed in confidence.

Sexual Assaults On Campus Prompt Heightened Security, Required Courses On Prevention

The Huffington Post  |  By Tyler Kingkade 

Posted: 09/01/2012 8:57 am Updated: 09/01/2012 12:03 pm

The University of Montana is now requiring all students to watch an online video tutorial about rape prevention and score 100 percent on a quiz afterwards.

If they don't pass the quiz on stopping sexual assaults, they cannot register for second semester classes.

UM is trying to fight Missoula, Montana's reputation as the so-called "rape capital" of America after more than 80 cases of rape were reported in the town over the last three years, including 11 alleged sexual assaults involving UM students over the last 18 months alone.