Ben-DutkaWarning: the subject is controversial enough. This will not result in a war in the Comments section. Consider this a heads-up, people.
As you all know, there are plenty of video game haters out there, regardless of the advancements the industry has made in the past three decades. And not surprisingly, there are plenty of anti-pornography activists as well. So what happens when a member of the latter group comes together with legendary pornstar Ron Jeremy at this year's Consumer Electronics Show? Well, it didn't come down to fisticuffs but you had to expect that a few barbs and jabs would be tossed into the discussion. Jeremy was speaking about pornography in the age of the Internet and Crag Gross, an anti-porn activist, went at each other in "The Great Porn Debate" that didn't really feature the fireworks everyone anticipated. You can check out some of the highlights but obviously, there's one comment from Jeremy that's going to get on a gamer's nerves:
"We don't want kids to watch porn. Though if they do, there are far worse influences out there — like video games. "[Studies have] found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids."
Gross countered that while porn may not be catering to a younger demographic, the Internet has almost made this a moot point, anyway. His quote – which is great, in my opinion – says that "what we used to have to work hard to find, you now have to work hard to avoid." Jeremy quickly blamed the parents, saying they had "better start to learn the Internet." Obviously, this is an argument that could go on until the end of time and few will emerge unscathed if they really dive right in. I don't feel like getting involved; please bear in mind that I interviewed a pornstar on this site, so it would be somewhat hypocritical to fully take one side of the issue. After all, Mia was one of the more pleasant interviews I can remember, and I've done a lot in my time. However, I will say this:
I know a lot of people who grew up with video games since the age of three or four. …I do not even want to meet the person who grew up with porn since that age. No, thank you.
Riiiiiiiiiiiight…this coming from a guy who's probably had more crabs then Long John Sliver.
I played video games and turned out to be a responsible, well educated and productive male who's faithful to my wife. He turned into a pig who gets paid to objectify woman.
Sure Ron. Sure.
Ron Jeremy without the hot girls of his porn videos is just a living lol.
Meh…
Ron is just mad because there wasnt a Commodore64 under the tree. It was the Christmas that changed porn forever
Video game is the best damn thing ever to come to us and I dare someone to argue with me.
Agreed
Ron's the worst influnce… As*pirate
I think Ron Jeremy is implying that the encouragement of rebelling against lawful authority (GTA/GTA-clones) is worse than objectifying women.
What bullsh**.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/11/2010 10:16:08 AM
bit hypocritical considering Ron Jeremy advertises video games. did anyone see the adverts for fairy tale fights amongst others?
You know what, I think Ron just came prepared for that argument and probably picked up a couple of reports that use limited samples of maybe a few thousand people and found one that says violent games is more likely to lead to acts of violence by gamers in reality while porn is more likely to lead to masturbation, and guys being shut down whena asking girlfriends for sex or somwthing like that.
I mean in a sample questionaire are you more likely to answer
"When you play an action or violently orientated video game do you get agitated or excited based on the results of your efforts- if yes please explain"
or
"When you watch pornography day and night do you feel like sexuaally assaulting someone, or engaging in promiscuous activity?"
If anyone did take a questionnaire about pornography and actually happened to have these feelings, i doubt they'd be stupid, or bold enough to say yes.
" I know a lot of people who grew up with video games since the age of three or four. …I do not even want to meet the person who grew up with porn since that age. No, thank you."
That sums everything up Ben.
Last edited by www on 1/11/2010 5:06:58 AM
Agreed.
What about violent porn?
What about it?
I think its safe to say noone touching that with a "39 1/2 ft" pole.
Hey therabbitkinge,
It's not safe to say it, cause AT&T already said it….
In fact, in their commericals, they used to brag about their "big poles".
In case you don't remember it….
"Reach out & touch someone"!!! LOL
Hilarious! Seems the hedgehog (not Sonic) took the good old whipping stick argument of course…
Also, porn on the internet is just too easy to find…. how do you teach kids not to accidentally come across it? He apparently went on to say us parents "better start to learn the Internet." What an idiot! LOL That is the other whipping stick they like to use… like we all are clueless.
I'll say it again… HILARIOUS! I don't take Ron seriously, I don't think he is qualified to be in that conversation, and I don't think he expects anything more than to push buttons.
I still believe having an .xxx domain would help to keep stuff from kids… it's not like not having it is working? Wouldn't it stop all but deliberate attempts to find porn?
A couple of loudmouths yakkin' at each other in an event staged to draw a bit more attention to the Consumer Electronics Show. Gives me a perfect reason to use the word "meh".
It should be mentioned that both forms of entertainment fall on the parents to keep out of their kid's hands.
On that note, I'd like to mention that we are blessed with 2 hands. I can hold my controller in one and…..well, you get the point. Can't they all just get along?
I know a lot of people who grew up with video games since the age of three or four. …I do not even want to meet the person who grew up with porn since that age. No, thank you.
What more is there to say? After what Ben wrote, nothing comes to mind..
Ben nailed it as always.
I do have a couple of thoughts, and I would love to hear what others think.
My thoughts are not so much regarding the definition of 'porn', but wondering what kind of material Ron Jeremy is talking about when he says porn. Is he referring to solo nude shots ore the rather more common gynecological close ups that producers of adult entertainment think people enjoy? Is he referring to hardcore images, is he referring to hardcore video/movie action? Is he referring to hardcore material involving fetishes? Seriously, I ask be cause to me there is a world of difference between viewing nude and topless pictures and viewing a series of hardcore images or video. Never mind stuff that involves more than one person and actual sex.
I'm just saying that there is such a wide spectrum of content. It goes all the way from micro bikini and topless pictures all the way to sex videos with multiple participants, sex toys and other devices and beyond.
To me you can't say one thing is worse than the other unless you can quantify what you're talking about. Depending on your definition of 'porn', there are oil paintings and sculpture by the old masters that qualify. Of course I would say that anyone who considers such works of art to be 'porn' has a rally narrow mind. However the point is that there is a huge range of material that can be labeled in this way.
Of course the same is true of video games. You can look at the range of games from material like Mario all the way to gore splattered games like Doom IV, Left 4 Dead, Unreal Tournament, Manhunt 2, and so on. If Ron wants to compare worst case against worst case there are innumerable examples of so called adult entertainment that are outright offensive to any reasonable human being. For every uber-violent/gorey video game he cares to point to, I can point to dozens of utterly despicable videos made by his industry.
You have to be careful with statements comparing one to the other. Personally I think that topless or nude images (minus the gynecological close ups) are far less likely to cause a problem for anyone than playing virtually any of the M rated games is.
I think that the kind of statement that Ron Jeremy made cannot be taken at face value. You need to carefully define what kinds of game you're talking about and what adult material you're comparing against.
</JustMyTwoCents mode>
I dunno unless porn was invented by satan I think video games are still a worse influence…I only say that cuz the lady from a previous entry 😛 I love both porn and games
I think hands down video games are a worse influence.
I mean, my brother and I used to fight over and about video games all the time. Pretty much the only time I ever display a temper is when I'm getting frustrated with a video game. Come on, you people have never punched or thrown a controller, yelled at the TV, gotten into a fight with a sibling because they just kept tripping you in Street Fighter and won the match? I know I have done all of the above.
Porn on the other hand has never made me angry or violent, I have never been inappropriate with a woman, and the thought of Rape is as sickening to me as it is to anyone else. I mean, they way I see it, if porn is bad, so is sex. And for the life of me I just can't see sex as being bad.
"Porn" entails sexual activity, but sex does not necessarily entail "porn".
"Porn" entails sexual activity, but sex does not necessarily entail "porn".
Quoted
For
Truth
err… Doosharm, I don't think you need to get that angry with v-games. I don't think I've ever done that in a video-game. Heck, once I got Sephiroth in KH2 down to 1/4 of his last health bar, I tried to heal, slipped up, and got killed. Didn't get mad at all. Just tried again.
And sex is not bad at all. Sex is a human need. That's right, a NEED, just like food (although not as frequent 😛 ).
Porn, however, causes sexual arousal without providing an outlet (unless you count masturbating, but that has been proven to be harmful, I remember reading a study about this).
@Wolfcrimson
Wasn't that the so called "Harry Palms" study? 😉
I've never heard of any accredited study, medical or psychological that has suggested that masturbation is harmful.
"Porn" entails sexual activity, but sex does not necessarily entail "porn".
Indeed you're right. And I left myself open to that with my generalization of "if porn is bad so is sex."
But my point is that the average, well adjusted person is more likely to be negatively affected by the average video game (say ACII) than the average porn video (two consensual adults engaging in vaginal intercourse).
Video games are an intrinsically emotional experience. In some cases we'll feel joy (beating a game), others sadness (FFVII), and others frustration (fighting games with your brother). When emotions run high people can behave erratically. When people behave erratically, trouble is bound to follow.
Porn on the other hand is meant to elicit a physical response, not an emotional one. Its unlikely that the act of watching porn would cause emotions to run high or erratic behavior. And for many, porn along with masturbation is just a substitute for sex. So, in that way, I don't see it being any worse than just having sex. And furthermore, after having such a "release" people tend to be far more relaxed and mellow, which is certainly not always the case with video games.
I'll certainly agree that the worst porn in existence is FAR, FAR worse than the worst video game. But for the average person who doesn't have any mental issues, playing the average video game is more likely to cause a negative effect or emotion than watching the average porn movie.
I dunno I hear a lot of the things porn stars do on film vs their real life partners is a lot different. A lot of people think that whatever the people in porn do is the norm. I don't believe girls enjoy "money shots" some probably but not all lmao…I never thought I'd have a chance to say that.
@Highlander:
I don't remember the name of it, actually. But I tried looking for it again on PubMed and got this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19453891?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=13
@WolfCrimson
A few articles for you…
This first is a link to a collection of material apparently collected by a premed student;
Ooops forgot the link..
http://prep4md.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-masturbation-bad-for-you.html
The second is a link from the University of Pennsylvania (as quoted by the med student who collected the previous set of articles…
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/Sexhealth/articles/masturbating.htm
Here's what the Mayo clinic has to say, note, no warnings against the practice…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/search/search
WebMD was similarly devoid of dire consequences, the worst I could find was that over frequent use of the toy wore it out in the short term – if yo see what I mean.
Look, it's not that I am advocating frequent self pleasure, I'm just saying that it's not harmful, and the idea that it is is a myth put about by the clergy. Frankly, had members of certain clergy relieved themselves they may have left the young boys and girls in their congregations alone.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/12/2010 10:48:37 PM
Sonofabit*h…
Porn is annoying these days.
Yes, sex has a lot to answer for.
Reminds me of something that happened to a friends father:
He got struck off the register for having sex with a patient.
That was a shame because he was a wonderful vet.
I think he can get away with saying that is because a lot more "incidents" have happened with the excuse of "playing 'that' game made me do it".
You don't ever hear somebody commit murder from watching porn though.
(i know he didn't say that directly, but it's probably what he was thinking when he says "influence")
Video games are good clean fun that you won't have to be embarrassed about if your mom walked in on you (except for God of War sex scenes "what is that lady doing on the candle", nothing mom, she is just taking a ride).
@BikerSaint- hah, nice ^_^
(reply button doesn't work for me)
Actually both are bad for you. Porn is corruption that promotes premarital sex etc… and you dont exercise nothing but your fingers playing PS3 unless you have a Wii that most of you other PS3 gamers don't have. Kids and adults kill people over video games but not porn. I game but i get a good 30-1hour exercise a day. But me being a grown man I say FTW when you bring porn and games together lol XD
People don't ever kill each other over porn? Are you kidding me? Some of the shadiest people in the world run the porn industry in countries where it's not at all legal! The same folk who traffic girls and children from country to country hhave been involved in the underground porn industry for decades leaving a trail of dead business partners and associates! not to mention the cost in ruined young girls who, not unusually, end up suicidal, desperate or overdosing on drugs after slipping into prostitution and addiction.
There's a definite human cost to the porn industry in many countriess I'm afraid that put the rare, but headline grabbing, "gaming" deaths into stark perspective. And how many people still die every year in the name of whichever God they pray to? Honestly, there are few things less dangerous thaan being a gamer! More kids will dioe at school this year than will die because of gaming! So, we're banning religion, education and, while we're at it, most forms of transport, yes? And what of all those people that die in hospital? They have to go too!
Video games worse than porn? Huh… Excuse us gamers while we advert our eyes and move onto board games… What? You say they're worse than porn too? Oh God…
Find some real reasons to slander video games Jeremy. That's just ludicrous.
Can someone inject a sensible syringe into this man's thick skull. So using a controller to manipulate a virtual character to perform a certain task (not sexually intense) is worse than eye******* a visual representation (in the form of pixels) (and maybe masturbating) of real (or fictional characters if that's your thing) people. Of course it is! Now let's move on to another ridiculous non-biased and heavily evidenced argument and say that politics are indeed dangerous. Wait…JFK assassination, and Lincoln murder, yeah…nevermind.
Last edited by just2skillf00l on 1/12/2010 9:55:18 PM
I dont agree. You are much more likely to put an eye out while watching porn.
It's a worse influence, huh? Well, he certainly doesn't try to say porn isn't a bad influence. Kind of a creep, don't'cha think?
The best part of this whole article? The comments. Why? Because someone actually came in here, told a lie, got disproved, and never posted another comment. That is just golden. And as far as Gamin/Porn or the other way around… why bother comparing? Why compare gaming to anything? Maybe reading… or doing yoga… What Jeremy said was simply unnecessary and he was likely just grasping at threads to justify his argument. If that were the case, gaming is going to catch crap around many corners.