Myself and my girlfriend both of us enjoy watching porn movies together. Is there anything wrong with that in the long run?

Long term, porn viewing destroys the participants ability to relate emotionally and spontaneously with human beings in a sexual manner. I think eventually, the individual becomes increasingly impotent and increasingly desperate, and then increases his porn viewing in hopes or recapturing a destroyed sexuality which only worsens the situation.

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with 2 consenting adults who like to watch porn together. The only time it becomes a problem is if you need it to get you in the mood, and you can't get in the mood without it. Otherwise, it's a healthy addition to a normal, fulfilling sex life

I'm not so sure I agree with choux. It really depends on how the couple views porn. Do they sit on the couch, after dinner, with a glass of wine, and just chill watching porn? Or do they use it to enrich their sex lives? If it's the latter, I see nothing wrong with it.

Anyone who thinks porn is harmless is kidding him or herself. The "long term effects" are pretty horrific. I'm talking about bad effects on relatively normal people, not folks with anti-social or narcissistic personality disorder, and so on.

Societal warnings about activities are there for a reason... it is difficult to take them seriously when young and feeling bulletproof, or wanting an easy way out of a difficult problem... For example, smoking cigarettes... long term effects are very bad. Incest... bad. Quitting school... bad. Watching porn... bad. Taking drugs... super bad. And so on... **Long term effects**... that's what kills you.

Yep. It's not healthy at all. Sexual intimacy is designed for 2 people and only two people to share with each other. Introducing other people, even if only in pictures, will create emotional issues down that road. Don't do it.

ANYTHING that's not done in moderation is bad.

Taking religion too seriously? Bad. Giving to others to the point where you're suffering yourself? Bad. Denying yourself good food because it might make you fat? Bad.

I see no problems with porn, especially if it's done as a couple, if your relationship is otherwise healthy.

Like candy, charity, helping your family, dieting, whatever--it's good if it's done in moderation, or as a treat. HAVING to have it is bad, but so is being addicted to ANYTHING.

No---sexual intimacy that works for YOU is designed for 2 people. My husband and I (we've been together 11 years) have no problem viewing porn. Other people I know manage the swinger lifestyle and the polyamory lifestyle just fine.

It's a matter of what's okay FOR THAT PARTICULAR COUPLE. If they BOTH enjoy it, both love and trust each other, and have no other problems, it's not a problem. If there is self-esteem issues to begin with, or lack of complete trust, or overwhelming jealousy--then it's not good.

Porn is FINE when it's okay with BOTH people. If one is uncomfortable, or just doing it to please the other, or when someone NEEDS it to get off, then it's bad. But if everything else is okay--where's the issue?

Ok... so this is just MY opinion, and I'd really appritiate it if I didn't get any nastly letters afterwords. It is fine if you don't agree with me, we all have different views on this kind of stuff.

I agree with some of you guys on some points, and others on other points. However, I think porn is not a good idea. All it is is having to look at someone else to get your "jollies" off (don't laugh... it's a term I use all the time!). That is what your partner is for. You shouldn't have to look at someone else to get in the mood. In fact I told my husband, and he agrees with me, that I think looking at porn is equal to cheating. I wouldn't want my husband to look at that and he has no interest either. If he wants to look at a naked women, he has a wife to look at. Looking at any other naked person and getting turned on whether that person was on a TV screen or right in front of you is in MY opinion cheating.

The person on the screen is not an imaginary person... it is an actual human being that is being humiliated in front of the world. It is someone's daughter, or sister. Would you want your daughter or sister involved in that kind of stuff, and then your best friend watching it, and thinking it was all right? I'd hope not.

The only long term sexual acts I would worry about is unproteced sex. You can always find negative long term effects in sex. Communicate with your partner and try to be honest in what your looking for and things will either work out, or they will not.

I think the important question is, what does porn mean to you? If you look at it fully cognizant of the fact that it is contrived, the participants are paid to do it and it is a form of entertainment, fine. The guys in porn flicks are just as "victimized" as the women. Sure, some folks are coerced or don't realize that they are selling a visual of their body. Most know exactly what they're doing.

In our developed countries, where porn exists, the incidence of rape and physical abuse is quite high. In certain third world countries where parents and teens have sex right in front of children, the incidence of rape and physical abuse is almost non-existent. Why? That's what is wrong with porn. Porn isn't "bad," the mystery, sinfulness, worship and secretiveness we surround sex with is.

I work in the Adult industry in the market research dept. of one of the countries largest providers of adult video on demand. The way I feel about it is that anything can be bad if not done in moderation. I don't see anything wrong with a couple using porn occasionally to spice things up in the bedroom, but if it becomes frequent to the point of becoming an obsession, then yes it can be harmful in the long run. It's kind of like alcohol. I see nothing wrong with an occasional drink in social settings, but drinking frequently can cause you to become an alcoholic... it's the same with porn... moderation is the key.

Ah I'd be careful about that idea, check out places like Ethiopia and Rwanda and others-I doubt that rape and abuse is "almost non-existent". I know people who were children and have witnessed sex between adults-the sexual abuse of children follows really close by! So watch that. Some abusers feel that if a child sees the sex-then that child is old enough to have it/be sexually abused as well-this is pedophilia at its worst.

Are you seriously trying to say that my porn watching for nearly 20 years is going to kill me? OMG no you are not!! I'd really like a list of these people who die of porn watching!

stonewilder,
I just happened to notice the rating on mjl's post, and I think it was rude of you.

I think it is pretty bad that you guys think that porn is so great. Its pretty bad that anyone needs porn in their lifes to be happy.

...

Incest is bad. Taking drugs is super bad.

So smoking some weed is worse than boning your sister? Nice.

Okay... since no one is posting any "facts" (and, in fact, I doubt there could really be any here) this is an opinion thread.

Let's all take it easy on the reddies, okay?

This could start getting nasty really fast, and there's no need for that just for a difference in opinion.

If someone posted hard evidence on why it could be good or bad, that might be different.

But really--this is like all relationship questions. What works for one couple could be really bad for another couple, and vice versa.

Posting what works for YOU is fine, as is posting why you feel that way. Dictating to others how their sex life should be based on YOUR preferences is crossing the line, in my opinion.

Basically--let's just try to be nice here, okay?

My position on the porn issue is that it limits a person's ability to develop their super orgasmic and sublime sexual experience/ identity. Excess porn watching creates inward directed masturbaters. Years of that and the good and loving parts of a person are ruined. Sexuality and love and kindness are all part of the same complex human emotional sexual response. Separating these emotions from the act of sex eventually kills sex. An individual becomes a lonely mechanical masturbator, barely able to function in a sexual contest.

NOTE:: Heterosexual porn is simply directed toward men and is *glorified masturbation*... in and out in and out pump pump... the porn actress playing the part of the man's hand, in effect. Women are an object with whom the man has no emotional interest... all the various scenarios porn scenarios play to the masturbation fantasy... the penis machine, the female toy.

Choux disagrees: The "walking dead", dude; good and positive emotions gone forever.

Oh please, and I'm not a dude dude.