Is porn good for moms?

By Tom Quiner

“50 Shades of Grey”, the movie, will be released on Valentines day next year. The trailer for the film was just released, which is a good reason for me to re-run my post on the subject from two years ago:

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Mark your calendar.

The year is 2012 and porn has gone mainstream with Moms.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is a New York Times best seller. The target audience for this pornographic novel? Women.

How do I know it’s pornographic? I haven’t read it, nor will I. I’m basing this judgement from reliable critics of the culture, such as Al Kresta of Ave Maria Radio.

A blogger describes the premise of the book this way:

In the book, the lead male character, Christian, sweeps a young virgin, Ann, off her feet. As a pseudo-relationship is forged, however, the women is asked to sign a contract in which she agrees to essentially become the slave — sexual and otherwise — of her new superior. “The Dominant accepts the submissive as his, to own, control dominate and discipline,” agrees the couple, “for purpose of discipline [and]…for his own personal enjoyment.”

Branded as a romance novel by the publishers and their marketers, cultural commentators express alarm at the mainstreaming of porn with … women.

So the question is asked, anything wrong that? Yes, says Dr. Meg Meeker, pediatrician:

“If you’re a mom and reading (or enjoying) the blockbuster 50 Shades of Gray, shame on you. Not only are you setting a

Dr. Meg Meeker

horrible example for your daughter (or son), you will embarrass her if her friends find out, you will be participating in the moral demise of your culture and most importantly, you will be hurting yourself.”

Strong words. The novel evidently portrays the woman as an object. She consents to be used as an object of a man’s lust. I thought the woman’s movement has spent the last 40 years working against this sort of thing? Dr. Meeker continues:

“These are strong words but indulge me with an explanation. Every woman feels lust. That’s a good thing, because it keeps us wanting to be closer to our mates. But when we take that lust and channel it into voyeuristic, distorted and downright unhealthy ways, we end up emotionally dull and even depressed. I have never heard a woman who has read pornography (or “erotica as some of you who play mind games with yourselves), say that it enhanced her life. Not one. But I have listened to many parents (mothers and fathers) who have felt the intense pain of emotional and family destruction because of it. Don’t fool yourself, it’s powerful stuff. And the place that it takes you is nowhere good. I can guarantee that.”

Dr. Meeker characterizes the risk of this type of “literature” as the potential to destroy a family. I’ve been listening to Dr. Meeker on the radio for years. She’s bright, no make that a genius. She’s a mother and best seller author. Don’t discount her warning:

“I believe that it is a parent’s responsibility to keep their children from humiliation. When a mother has an affair or a father is found cheating on his income tax, they aren’t the only ones harmed. The children stand in the wings and endure tremendous embarrassment. There are so many ways in which we unwittingly hurt our children, refusing to read pornography is a really easy way to avoid this.”

Dr. Meek reveals the disturbing risk of consumption of this type of stuff:

“But I say shame on you who read for another reason. Studies have clearly shown that reading or watching pornography is intimately tied up in child abuse. No, not everyone who reads becomes a child abuser. That’s not the point. But ask yourself if you want to participate in something which causes so many others to hurt children? When you read porn, you entertain yourself with the same material as child abusers. Is that really something that you want to do?”

The year is 2012. Is this the year we allow the culture to plummet lower? Or is this the year we fight back?

Join me. Let’s fight back.