we assume this needs to be spoilered

to get it out of the way:

libertarian-alert libertarian-alert libertarian-alert

so like, the argument we hear is that watching it supposedly makes ppl more likely to start watching real material (which is made by harming and exploiting children, and is obvsly bad because of that) or harming kids irl. supposedly there are studies that point to that being the case, and other studies that point to that not being the case. personally we dont rly buy that, because it just sounds like the same exact argument ppl used/use to say that “violent video games” or BDSM or whatever would do the same, or even like the old “weed is a gateway drug” stuff that also had a number of (extremely flawed) studies to “prove” it. what exactly makes this different from any of that other than just feeling more yucky and “wrong”? are there other arguments, are we missing something?

we dont personally watch that stuff tbc (tho if u already think were a filthy pedophile for even asking all of this theres no way were gonna get u to change ur mind lbr) but we dont want to base our feelings on this on just “that feels gross therefore its bad”, we all know where that logic leads, and were struggling to come up with a legitimate reason

Edit: ty for the replies everyone doggirl-thumbsup

  • BattleshipPokemon [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    41·
    9 days ago

    it just sounds like the same exact argument ppl used/use to say that “violent video games” or BDSM or whatever would do the same

    Leaving aside loli stuff etc, i think we really do need to revisit the “violent video games” thing thats become a bit of a thought terminating cliche, because at the time everyone reflexively hit back at it mainly because they liked violent video games and it was only being thrown out as an insincere distraction from the very serious issues with american gun control - but like, there are plenty of other countries with loads of guns floating around that don’t have the same issue. It feels like violent video games are just one part of a larger American culture that adores gratuitous violence, atomisation and nihilism, there are material causes for all these things being so prevalent but the cultural products extolling these things even further make them become cool.

      • EmmaGoldman [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
        15·
        9 days ago

        2 out of 3 ain’t bad, but lemme just crack open that middle one.

        Pornography may not increase physical/sexual violence towards women, but the overwhelming evidence points to the fact that it is now one of the primary cultural drivers of misogyny.

        It may not be directly tied to IPV or SA, but it is a major proliferator of toxic masculinity and use correlates highly with acceptance of SA culture/myths.

      • BattleshipPokemon [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
        11·
        9 days ago

        I don’t think individual exposure to porn or GTA or whatever causes someone to lash out, nobody plays doom one time and immediately becomes a school shooter, but it seems closeminded to not think that an entire culture made up of a million John Wicks, Rambos, Neos, Al Pacinos, John Waynes, Clint Eastwoods, etc that adores the lone gunman and exhault the gun to a political icon in of itself doesn’t holistically make people see violence more positively. If media doesnt shape people’s views and actions then why are such immense amounts of money spent by powerful people to shape it the way they want?

        On a sidenote I never see people caping for films like Birth of a Nation or Stagecoach saying “racist films don’t cause racism”, or saying imperialist films like American Sniper and Iron Man don’t encourage imperialist attitudes.

        • BattleshipPokemon [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
          12·
          9 days ago

          Likewise, watching porn one time won’t make someone a misogynist, but it encourages a holistic culture that catalogues woman by their hair, skin colour, bust size, ass size, age, height, etc viewing them like cuts of meat on a menu. What’s far more damaging than one porn clip in of itself is millions of adverts featuring a near naked woman as a prop, films where the hero’s given the beautiful leading lady as a prize at the end, youtube thumbnails with a provocatively posed woman to get 20% more clicks, etc all teaching young men that the main economic use for women is to appeal to male desire and as a reward for good behaviour. Porn is just an accelerant on an already pornographic society.

    • BattleshipPokemon [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      9·
      9 days ago

      So yeah, imo in the same way that anime can give people all sorts of messed up fetishes it seems kind of reasonable to assume loli could give someone a kid fetish, even if it couldn’t i definitely wouldn’t trust a guy into that stuff around children or even youngish women.