Myths

This week we're supposed to do an argumentative entry on either Porn Myths or the Morgan article. Well, I've not decided which one to write on, much less arguing for or against. Anyway, this entry here did a pretty good job with the Myths website. I have to agree that it's disheartening to know that some parents actually do consider their children as assets that can be bought or sold. This reminds me a little of soccer players who are very much like entities that are sold, and traded between clubs. Of course the soccer players are alot more willing to be doing what they are doing.

As for the part on men who are fooled, or women too, I feel that porn may not be the main reasons here.  My cousin was fooled by her boyfriend. Well, the guy wasn't a stripper or in the porn industry. Maybe it's love that's playing the trick here, or the belief in the existence of it. The myth where porn helps men stay faithful to their women may not be entirely false. I mean not all porn watchers are unfaithful. Maybe it does help, at least for some of us.

1,2,3…

The first blog which caught my attention was that of Way2Much's. The entries are well-thought of and the humor factor really catches on.

The second blog is Cyberyporn and Me-sounds good. The layout of the blog is eye-catching with the pictures and all. They make reading the entries alot more interesting.

The third one is Eat, Breathe, Think. The entries are well written and organized. On top of that, some of the responses to the lectures made me think, "Why didn't I think of that?"

It’s gonna be Friday, smile a little!

Since we’re on the topic of pedophiles, I thought I’ll put up a few prints I saw on T-Shirt Hell. The website has more extremely funny t-shirts which some of us may find very offensive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

 

Here, is a very candid account of a Singaporean blogger’s first visit to a porn theatre. Her blog won her the title of Best Asian Weblog for 2 years running.

And to sum it up, this one’s for all the professors out there! Nothing related to porn but I just find it highly amusing. Got it from a January 1996 edition of Reader’s Digest that I was flipping through from my dad’s collection.

A university student has to know everything. A teaching assistant has to know in which books to look for what the professor wants to know. The professor has to know where to find the teaching assistant. -Contributed by Adrienn Kiss

Of burgers and steamed buns.

Is there an indirect correlation with people engaging in extra-marital affairs or cheating on their partners, and porn-watchers? A research in this area could very well be considered. For me, I do believe that pornography does somewhat have an effect on a more promiscuous sexual life. If it doesn’t introduce it, it certainly increases it to some extent.

Look at it this way. To be watching porn, the individual most probably is comfortable and acceptable of this kind of activity (watching porn). And to be able to have this mindset, there involves a certain level of openness towards sexual matters. I am not implying that all porn viewers are agreeable with the idea of cheating on their significant other. But the notion that porn unknowingly puts naughty thoughts into our mind is justifiable. That said, one with a sexual fantasy unable to be fulfilled by their partner may jolly well look for other more willing individuals.

I was, and still am trying to see if there’s a relationship between westernization of the Asian society and decline in morals. Wait, stop! Don’t shoot me yet. I absolutely agree that Westerners are of high morals, but the Asian society is still pretty conservative in comparison. Maybe I should instead say that westernization is causing Asians to be more liberal. When I say Asian, I really do mean South East Asian as they are who I’m familiar with.

Just last week I came across this article on Indians who worked in the call centres for British and American companies. 1/5 of them have admitted to having affairs in the workplace, and one in four of them said they regularly had casual affairs. It is said that traditional Indian values are at threat. Click on the article “Are call centres casual sex den?“  to further read about this issue.

I grew up in an era when Western influence was extremely dominant and changes can be seen on a daily basis. Everything from food, clothing to technology, were taking on a more western look. In grade school, I wrote endless essays on effects of westernization on the Asian society. When I was a kid, I played with marbles and plastercine. Kids nowadays have computer games, and Play-Doh just to name a few. In a way I consider myself fortunate to be able to live in two different “worlds” so to speak.

With the incident of Tammy which I related in one of my posts, we can see that Asians are indeed becoming more sexually adventurous. Maybe the younger generations are more welcoming towards this new “trend” but the government does not seem to think likewise. I do not see the lifting of the law banning pornography anytime soon. Just to show you a glimpse on how conservative the societal values are, “Brokeback Mountain” is banned in some countries there. Maybe it’s due to reasons like these that piracy is prevalent.

So, after all the ramblings, where does pornography come in? The Chinese have their fair share of ancient porn. The Indians bask in the glory of the Kamasutra. Therefore the idea that porn was introduced by the West is thrown out the bag. Hence my theory is that western influence resulted in the Asian society to be more receiving of sex, and the possibility of tendencies towards numerous sex partners.

Porn 101…or so it seems!

My sentiments exactly!! For those of us who aren’t so comfortable talking about sex with our parents, porn really is very educational in a way. Like I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, the internet was probably one of the ways I learned about sex. Well, Kamasutra has been in print for years. Cosmopolitan provides the females with tips and ideas on pleasing their men. Males, what do we have? Magazines the likes of Playboy and Hustler only provide some form of visual stimulation. What better way to learn about sex than from porn videos? 

Although the society is now becoming more open towards the subject of sex, I’m pretty sure I’ll mumble throughout the whole conversation. That is if I last even 2 minutes without fleeing away. 

Sex definitely is a skill. Anyone who says otherwise, let’s set a date for a debate. I don’t mean wham, bam and we’re set. People are lowering their inhibitions and crave for more excitement in the bedroom, or somewhere else. It takes a certain level of knowledge in order to please the partner. Especially nowadays when sex is not just a satisfaction of the male’s urges, rather it has become an “enjoyment” for the ladies too. Maybe enjoyment is not such a good word but you get the drift. Although sex is not the main factor in keeping a relationship going (I hear some protests already!), but it certainly is one of THE factors. 

 

Venezuelans Pose Nude

It’s back to school again after a week long of sun, sea and sand. No, I wasn’t talking about the beaches of Jamaica. It’s just an imagination conjured in my mind, having been stuck with the Buffalo weather for most part of the break. For those of you who are lucky enough to show off your perfectly “sun-kissed” body courtesy of endless visits to the tanning salon, good for you! The rest of us can just sit in front of the computer, and possibly come across news such as the one below, to add a little touch of spring to the mood. As usual, the weather’s not helping! Anyway, what’s spring break without some amount of nudity, no?

 

 

Venezuelans pose nude in public for art! I know we’re way beyond the justifications of some materials to be art or pornography. But hey, I’m don’t think we came to a conclusion. This may be an interesting read on a dull rainy day.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – More than 1,500 Venezuelans shed their clothes on a main city avenue Sunday to pose for American photographer Spencer Tunick, forming a human mosaic in front of a national symbol: a statue of independence hero Simon Bolivar.

As Tunick shouted commands through a megaphone, nude people of every shape, size and skin tone gathered on the avenue and stairs in front of the statue just before dawn.

“There are some people over there with clothes, get them out of there!” said Tunick, an artist from Brooklyn, N.Y., who has been documenting groups of nude people in public places around the world since 1992.

For the volunteers, being part of Tunick’s art meant letting go of inhibitions and enduring a two-hour series of sometimes uncomfortable positions on the pavement.

Harold Velasquez, a thin 23-year-old university student, said he was nervous before the 4:30 a.m. event – but felt free while posing.

“I put the lightest clothes I had on this morning because I knew I wouldn’t have them on for long,” a smiling Velasquez said. “There were good vibrations, a good positive energy among all the people involved. I felt liberated.”

The nude subjects posed standing, lying down and on their knees as the warm Caribbean sun emerged on the eastern horizon.

Occasional cheers and movements in the enthusiastic crowd made shooting tough at times, Tunick said.

The artist, who has been arrested multiple times while shooting in the United States, said he was happy to have darker-skinned subjects. Most Venezuelans are considered mestizo, a mix of Spanish, African and indigenous bloodlines that gives many a brown skin tone.

“I want people of colour to pose and come out and participate in my work, so I was very lucky,” the artist said.

© The Canadian Press 2006

 

It’s a fish eat fish world.

Although there’s some truth to the post about corporate giants but I guess there’s always a possibility for exceptions. Hustler and Playboy are in a way, the big names in the porn industry. Don’t forget Penthouse which also has its fair share of fans. Seriously speaking, I don’t really know the ropes of the porn industry and how it differs from other business in terms of the nitty gritty stuff. I mean, every business has its own secret “recipe” that makes it tick.

If looking from the general view, small companies that are making a name for themselves usually get bought over by the giants of the industry. Furthermore, the giants have the capabilities to bring the “product” to a higher level, with larger budgets and distribution channels. Additionally, the  company has already established the grounds for the product.

Larry Clark’s Kids

We need to protect our children. But to what extent? I hated it when I was told that I can’t do this, I can’t do that, I can’t go here, I can’t go there, etc. As a teenager, I thought I was old enough for lots of things, many of which I now find amusing. It’s really ironic that someday I myself may be telling my children the same words I heard from my parents.

Now, on to the topic of Larry Clark, a legendary photographer, artist, and film director, and his “shock-mock documentary” Kids. The movie was an ugly potrayal of inner city youths resorting to drugs, sex, and violence. It caused quite an stir when it was released. MPAA wanted to rate it an NC-17 meaning those under the age of 17 weren’t allowed to watch it due to the graphic nature of the material. Ugly as it was, Kids was unfortunately dangerously close to reality.

“Janet Maslin of The New York Times called it a wake-up call to the world…”

And that was in 1995. Having come 10 years from then, the society sure has changed and children are growing up faster mentally. What is a good age to educate the children on sex? Although the legal age is 18, we know that many teens engage in sex even before that. When a father gives his 14-year old son a condom, what message is it sending? We have the law saying no sex before 18, yada yada yada. Then we have the parents sneaking condoms into the kids’ lunchboxes. Hello…I’m getting confused here! I was just pulling your leg, I’m not really. I see where we’re trying to go from here. Better to be safe than sorry. But I must say it’s quite a conflict of interest!

Jidohanbaiki!

 

Cigarette vending machines in Tokyo, with promotion girl. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Referring to this post about UK having sex toys in vending machines. Well, it may seem like a fresh idea but it really isn’t. We are pretty much surrounded by vending machines dispending candies, drinks, and newspaper. We even have one for ice-cream. How cool is that! But I think the Japanese aren’t the slightest bit impressed with what we have.

In fact, Japan has been home to varieties of jidohanbaiki (vending machines) selling goods from the regular candies and gums, to pornographic material. There’s vending machines selling live lobsters, flowers, and even travel insurance! You name it, I think they probably do have it. And it has been going on for ages!

“Estimates suggest there are 5.6 million vending machines which works out to be one for every 20 people in Japan. Sales from vending machines in 2000 totaled $56 billion! The most common are drink and cigarette machines followed by machines with pornography.” PhotoMann

Although fast and convenient, but I definitely would prefer the chance to chat that cute bartender up, instead of getting a beer from the machine.

You’re Wild. No, I’m Not. Oh Yes You Are!

Referring to the post on the girl who’s suing Girls Gone Wild, I feel that she has credible reasons to sue. Flashing her chest to a thousand people is way different from having millions watching it on tape. Furthermore, when you’re out partying, your inhibitions are lowered and may just end up doing stupid things you wish nobody remembers. Who knows, she might be this little proper lady having a double life. It’s a possibility. On a less serious note, maybe she’s in it for the money!  ”Hey, if it’s raking in the cash, I may as well get a cut of it.” No, she didn’t say that, I made it up.