‘Porn away’
Rubbish! That’s just the same as saying that eating fast-food increases sexual crimes. If anything, viewing porn may help someone take out his or her frustration. All that pent-up sexual energy needs an outlet. If you don’t have an active sexual life and don’t want to pay for sex then I would say “porn away.”
Meena Sarin, 28, event organiser
‘Sexual release’
That just doesn’t make sense. So if I watch a movie filled with gore and blood, will that make me want to kill everyone on the street? Does that mean I’m sadistic and a psychopath? I think this is a baseless assumption. Porn provides a sexual release for both men and women. I’ve found it educational and have learnt some of my best moves from watching good porn.
Rahul Seth, 22, student
‘Lopsided perspective on sex’
Oh my God! Are you kidding me? Even though I personally can’t watch porn – (I find it sickening) – I’m certain watching it doesn’t make men or women want to rape. But, I do feel impressionable, younger minds may get the wrong idea about sex when they watch porn.
Porn does tend to show a rather lopsided perspective on sex. Sadism and masochism and other kinds of violent sex are often portrayed in porn so it’s easy to have a warped understanding about sex. What may help to counter sexual crimes is if parents and schools are open to having the “sex talk” with kids and speak to them about the importance of safe sex and respecting consent. Instead of it being a taboo or a purely biological subject, the emotional and pleasurable aspect of sex needs to be addressed. I think that would help reduce the number of rapes in our country.
Deepti Kukureja, 26, law intern
‘From the land of Kamasutra’
I often wonder what has happened to the land of the Kamasutra where sexual pleasure was considered an art form. Porn is just an extension of pleasuring oneself sexually. Why porn has become something so bad that certain people feel it propagates rape, is beyond me.
Honestly, most men, and I’m sure many women, enjoy porn. And none of them I know are rapists. I mean think about it. Rape stems from feeling of frustration, rage, lack of respect for women, no fear of getting caught or maybe even an abusive past. Rapists would commit such heinous crime even if they didn’t watch porn.
Abhay Kumar, 22, student
‘Biased moral code’
I can’t believe this is up for discussion. Porn is so easily available that pretty much every Tom, Dick, Harry and Anna is watching it in this country. I refuse to believe that every man in this country is a rapist or a potential one. As difficult as it is to accept, men in my family must have watched porn at some point in their life. But none of them are gallivanting the streets, trying to rape. Horrific crimes such as rape happen all over the world and I don’t see people in other countries correlating rape and porn.
So why is it happening here? Because a few so-called upstanding and respectable citizens want to uphold a biased moral code and ban anything that hurts their sensibilities. I can only hope that such distorted thinking changes and we become more open-minded and accepting.
In my opinion, rape stops when women are empowered and men can accept that we are all equal. Now this is worth a discussion.
Sheetal Arya, 21, student
Do you agree with the opinions expressed here? Or do you feel that watching porn can lead to rape? Share your comments here or on Facebook.