Poll: Is Porn Prostitution?

[Lexodus]

I'm a little confused here. From a legal standpoint, prostitution (defined as 'Engaging in sexual activity with another person in exchange for compensation, such as money or other valuable goods') is wrong/immoral/illegal etc., but pornography, which is effectively the same thing with only the difference being a camera filming the act, is all fine and good (in fact, good enough to claim on an MPs budget, apparently). My questions to you, Escapists, are these: is there a difference? Should one be legal and the other illegal?

My viewpoint is that they should both be legal, because that way you can protect those involved (i.e, medical help, counselling, getting rid of the pimps etc.) and also get enjoyment from both. What's yours?

 

[Explosm]

Hmm you bring up a good point. Ive never thought about this before.

But prostitution is like directly selling yourself. Porno's can be just casual concented (Consent past tense?) sex but just filmed

 

[Kapol]

I don't think that porn is the same as prostitution, mainly because prostitution is really one person paying you to have sex with them. Porn stars get paid like normal actors just doing Dirtier activities. That's how I think of it anyways.

 

[Emperor Platypus]

Well where I'm from both ARE legal. And yes I agree that both should indeed be legal..... no I'm not saying that because I have a stake in either...... stop looking at me like that!

 

[cerebus23]

I think prostitution should be legal period. Now let me preface this by saying i never even been with a prostitute, but it is the oldest profession, and forcing women that are going to get into in onto the slums and the hands of pimps and the like, does not make a stable and safe work environment.

Men want sex and as long as men are willing to pay for it, there will be women that fill that job. Poor men goto prostitutes, rich men hire escorts, and the rest of get by on plying women with beer, dinner and flowers.

Professional porn tho people are tested regularly for stds, they are done by people that get payed to be there, there is no one sided exchange of money to get someone into bed. Now amature porn i not sure how that all works some of it i think is more akin to out and out prostitution.

Now back to the fapping.

 

[Rakkana]

On porn I'm neutral. I'm against prostitution.

I would be neutral on it if people weren't forced into it.

 

[Keava]

The difference, as usually is in details. Prostitution is act of sex for money, one part pays the other only for sex. In porn, as far as i understand, sex is not the part you get paid for, at least not directly. Legally, you are paid for acting in a movie that involves sex.

As for legality, both should be legal. Illegal prostitution is much more closer to abuse, when you can control something and have boundaries set by law whats ok and whats not, it limits the abusive aspects and grants basic workers rights to prostitutes.

 

[Srdjan]

In California, no. For me no either, but it's bad anyway.

 

[loremazd]

Prostitution is usually illegal for the associations with the practice. In general, the pimps go to the women, the women are alot of the time controlled by drugs, there's no STD testing, and abuse isn't looked into.

Porn (at least most of it) doesn't suffer these issues. Personally, though i'd not partake, I think prostitution should be sanctioned with rules and standards, because it's -going- to happen, and it might as well have some sort of control put on it.

 

[Vampire cat]

Both should be legal. YES, I said that. But I think that governments should set up their own controllable brothels to ensure the safety of both male and female prostitutes. Where condoms and other things would also be available for free. Maybe rooms would be "rented" to the prostitutes, but I guess that would make the government a "pimp", and no one wants that XD.

 

[bobknowsall]

Well, last time I checked, prostitutes don't get royalties for what they do, and they're not necessarily doing it willingly.

There is a huge difference between pornography and prostitution.

 

[crudus]

Porn is more regulated than prostitution is. Prostitution is generally more, I want to say abusive(I can't think of the right word). I will admit that I watch porn and really only support the websites that don't force people into porn or into certain situations (from the evidence provided).

My viewpoint is that they should both be legal, because that way you can protect those involved (i.e, medical help, counselling, getting rid of the pimps etc.) and also get enjoyment from both. What's yours?

You forget soft-core porn my friend.

 

[LongAndShort]

This issue is far to complicated to be explained away even in this forum, and usually comes down to which moral/ethical stance you take. For example, moral legalism would say that the simple fact that the law separates the two, separates the two.

I do believe there is a separation. The act of creating pornography may in itself be a form of prostitution, but porn itself (in my view) is not. This is because much porn does not actually involve a sexual act literally taking place. If someone writes a story, or makes a hentai, this could still be porn. Of course I'm following the definition of pornography as being any sexually explicit material meant to create sexual gratification amongst the audience.

I've been studying porn and morality at Uni lately.

 

[AngloDoom]

Yep, it is. Here's another thought.
A man and a woman go out on a date to a restaurant. The man buys food for the woman. As a result, that woman has sex with the man. She is now a prostitute. Same deal with gender roles reversed, but that doens't seem to happen very much.

...Sorry, but I don't agree with this at all. Isn't that like saying if a man or woman takes their respective partner out on a date, gives them a wonderful time, shows off their best side, takes them back to their place, keeps them chatting and supplied with some beverage of some kind, and then they their partner decides "I like this person" and has sex with them is prostitution? Call me crazy, but I'm not sure how else you go about it.

Relationships will always involve some degree of emotional and material investment. I believe you have to often 'earn' your way into someone's life (for relationships) or quickly into their bed (for more casual affairs). That's not the same as being hired to someone's home and bending over for them because they gave you le monies.


On-Topic: Both should be legal, and I believe that both are technically the same...I just consider prostitution a kind of 'private hiring' where you get all the extras and such to yourself. Buying a DVD rather than cinema viewing, if you will.

 

[Darth_Dude]

It's basically the same thing though, both inlolve sex for money, or vice versa.

 

[deathandtaxes]

Australia de-criminalised prostitution a long time ago, since then it has lead to a healthy regulated sex industry.

This does not however mean that prostitution is a good thing, it is inherently dangerous and psychologically damaging. In addition people often find it hard once they enter the industry to leave as for some the money is simply too good and for others the lifestyle to appealing.

However it has been shown time and time again worldwide that criminalisation of the industry simply leads to the exploitation of women as they have no where and no one to turn to. It means less safe working conditions and uncontrolled spread of STDs.

Vice will always exist in human society the way to curb it is not to wage war upon it but to regulate it.

 

[Marter]

I don't think they are the same. Often times people who are in porn don't even get paid, and the ones that do are paid to be in a movie, not to just have sex. Legally, they are in the clear.

Also, they haven't been shut down yet. This leads me to believe they are fine.