Porn in the USA

I love late night random thoughts... and so it begins:

In the US, mainstream porn is divided into two very general categories: hardcore and softcore. During my years as an American male, I have consumed enough porn to notice a few things.

First, what is the big deal about porn? How can something as basic as the act of reproduction be considered so dirty or sacred while at the same time garnering almost rock star status for its cast members? In many ways, porn culture and porn style are as pervasive as rap culture and rap style. Is Jenna Jameson really that much different than Jay Z?

Second, what is America's puritanical problem? Sex is sex. Every living creature does it... so what's the big deal? Some say sex for entertainment is wrong. What are the issues: people, videotaped or photographed, performing a natural act. Why isn't football immoral? Why isn't modeling wrong? Why aren't hunting and fishing shows wrong since they show murder on TV?

I think the root of this lies in America's self-loathing, puritanical belief system. This concept, that we as creatures are somehow more holy than any other creature simply because we are capable of reasoning is insane. We show dog's humping people's legs on America's Funniest Home Videos. Why isn't that considered beastiality? What about all of the animal porn on Animal Planet? Sure, that may be considered educational. Some have claimed that porn is educational - or corrupting just like rap music. Either way, it's entertainment. If we are the beings of reason that we claim to be, what's the problem. I listen to rap, but I don't kill people. I watch porn, but I don't rape people. Bottom line, grow up. If it is evil, hiding it does nothing more than increase its taboo factor which drives more people to it.

A very liberal opinion from a supposedly conservative person, right?
Again, we are all free people. Free to do what we want as long as it does not prevent any other person from doing what he or she wants.

Third, let's take a turn away from philosophy and toward content.
Studios and actors:
Hardcore porn is typically run by large studios starring a handful of well known actors. Softcore porn is also run by large studios or co-branded with TV networks (such as Cinemax), but it typically stars unknown actors.
Image:
I find this to be the most interesting point of all which is why I have separated it from actors. While hardcore porn is typically filled with your stereotypical bimbos (platinum blonde hair, fake breasts, etc) and your stereotypical porn studs (all in good shape, all spray tanned, California / surfer types, etc), softcore porn seems to be staffed by normal, every day looking people. Equal opportunity porn? Maybe women who want breast implants should watch some softcore to see that yes, even relatively flat-chest women can engage in sex without the need to undergo potentially dangerous, potentially unhealthy, and expensive cosmetic surgery.
Plot and production:
While all porn typically has low production value, hardcore, large studio porn (aka big box porn) tends to have larger budgets and therefore better sets. Some porn has even gone high tech with the latest CGI (such as Pirates). Plots are often secondary. Softcore porn has less room with sex, so they have to do more with plots, sets, etc. In many cases, most softcore porn such as what airs on Cinemax is almost no different than any other soap opera or weekly television show - except is has sex. However, recent offerings on FX, HBO, and Showtime have blurred the line between regular shows and softcore.
Sex acts (aka perversion level):
Given the rather strict rules placed on softcore porn by the networks (no penetration, no oral sex, no genitals, etc), softcore porn is pretty vanilla sex. In fact, I have seen more graphic sex acts on FX, HBO, and Showtime - and not on Cinemax.

My point is: what's the big deal about porn? It seems that 1) we all have sex and 2) our entertainment is increasingly becoming sexual, we might as well knock down all remaining boundaries and take it to the next step. What is that next step?

In the end, I think most people are offended by porn because it presents a level of play that few are capable of acheiving in their daily lives. This is no different than people who play football or baseball as a hobby but would not be able to play the sport professionally. Armchair quarterbacks... armchair porn stars. In that way, maybe porn can motivate the common person to engage his or her sexual partners in a more interesting way - up their game a bit. After all, if sex is entertainment, it might as well be enjoyable to all parties involved.