The Weekly Mindfuck: Politics and Porn

There are few things we don't like to think about when we're jerking off -  religion (unless nun roleplay is your thing), your taxes (unless accountant role play is your thing), and politics. It's not just that their notable un-sexiness can turn you off; it's that they can result in some cognitive dissonance. That's fancy speak for the sensation you get when your habits don't quite align with some of the beliefs you may have.

Do I experience any dissonance when it comes to porn/sex and my own values? Nope. Sorry folks. But many people do. Take, for instance, President Donald Trump. As a Republican with many extreme conservatives working under him, many folks feel scared that they may lose access to porn. But Trump's own business profits from porn channels he has in his hotels, and as someone who once appeared in a Playboy softcore, it doesn't seem that man feels differently about porn than we do here. He may be experiencing some dissonance himself, whether that's between his business and his presidency, or perhaps his own beliefs and those of his party. 

Regardless, politics do play a crucial role in adult entertainment and always have. If you are a porn fan, a porn performer, or someone who simply wants to see an inclusive, diverse amount of accessible content on the interwebs, you wanted to be armed with that knowledge. We may live in a democracy here in the States, but that doesn't mean many a politician can't or won't aggressively pursue obscenity prosecutions and prevent the adult industry from being able to accept payments from consumers via many banks. 

Take Code 2257, for example - the Daily Dot reported that it was a hot topic at this year's AVNs, as it's likely that Trump will more aggressively pursue the code in order to harass the industry. It's meant to ensure all performers are of age - hardly a deplorable measure - but the industry already aggressively monitors this, and if any documentation is misfiled, incomplete, or on your person away from the set an inspector might be checking, you face a felony and up to five years in prison. Though Trump Hotels may still provide softcore channels in the rooms, Trump has signed a pledge against porn called the Children's Internet Safety Presidential Pledge. Jeff Sessions has been appointed as our attorney general, and he has blamed sexual assault in the military on porn before among other aggressive attempts at thwarting its legality. After proclaiming porn as a public health crisis, Utah tried to pass legislation that required computers to be sold with porn-blocking software already installed. 

I'm not here to condemn any of those things - for citizens who vehemently believe that porn is awful, those politicians and their policies would perfectly align with their beliefs. Unless...they, too, are watching porn. 

See, that's the thing about porn. For the staggering percentage of the population that consumes it, very few will admit it, publically or privately. Of those who hide their porn use, some feel great about watching but know that they'll be met with condemnation from their peers or communities. Some do feel guilty because they've always been told it's wrong but get a lot of pleasure out consuming it. And then, of course, many of us are loud and proud about our porn love, and we're not afraid to show it. 

Regardless, politics have a significant impact on the adult industry. It doesn't seem that Trump has a personal vendetta against the industry, and hopes are that too little is considered obscene these days to cause a significant persecution of porn. After a year of Prop 60 and public health crises and a very right governing body right now, though, it's clear to everyone that it's not very hard to but legislation in place that would block the production and consumption of adult entertainment, and it's up to us to ensure that doesn't happen. 

So how are we aligning our vote with our beliefs and our interests? How does our vote limit the beliefs and interests of others? Are we doing either of those things at all?

Think on that today and every day. After all, cognitive dissonance may happen to everyone - but what we do about it matters.