Adult movies are not a new thing. Neither the stigma around them. According to many sources, the first pornographic movie appeared in the late 19th century, and from that first moment this industry has experienced many changes, but one thing hasn’t changed until this day, and that is – they still are both popular and a taboo.
Although there has been much research that shows what are the benefits and the advantages of watching adult movies, it seems like people are still afraid of admitting that they love to watch porn, either occasionally or regularly.
Furthermore, it could be said that adult movies are put in the same category as gambling or even doing drugs. What is the reason behind this? The answer is simple – all of these activities may lead to a certain form of addiction, and being addicted to something is a phenomenon that has been judged by society.
Although sometimes knowing that you will be judged by society can be a good thing – because it prevents you from certain behaviours, such as committing crimes, on the other hand, knowing that you will be judged by certain people that are close to you, can oftentimes be a bigger burden and can prevent you from exploring important things about yourself, and can also prevent you from having fun or experience different types of pleasure.
This is exactly the case with adult movies. However, modern technologies and their rise have allowed millions of people around the world to get access to websites, platforms, apps and generally speaking – content that’s been forbidden or simply unavailable. This is the case with online casinos, and it’s interesting to mention that online gambling is even more popular than brick-and-mortar casinos; in other words – online casinos, for the same reason and that is – stigma around the very process of gambling. So a logical consequence is the fact that people enjoy playing their favourite casino games in the comfort of their home privately pand incognito, rather than going to a casino and being seen by other people.
According to TopPornGuide.com, when it comes to adult movies, the situation is more internal than external, especially when it comes to certain feelings that may occur when being in contact with this type of content. What do we mean by this? Recent surveys showed that the majority of men who watch adult movies are not ashamed of admitting they are watching them. This means that they are more open to experimenting and sharing their own fantasies with their partners as well as openly speak about masturbation and other sex related topics.
When it comes to women, this is quite different. We’ve already mentioned that rather than being judged by society (which would be an external consequence), when it comes to adult movies, there are internal conflicts. Therefore women are usually ashamed of watching adult movies because they feel guilty of doing that.
There could be many reasons for this phenomenon. When asked, women would often refuse to talk about this because they would think that a lady would never openly talk about such a topic. So the first reason for not being ready to talk about adult movies, could be feeling that it is disrespectful towards the person who’s talking about it. Women just don’t want to put their morality in question, and this is understandable.
The other reason is far more understandable and that is – women are afraid that they would be made fun of, if they talk about this openly, so they would rather keep this information to themselves rather than having to deal with other people’s reactions. We all know that certain things are quite normal for men, while others are still being stigmatized when it comes to women. This is the case with changing partners, sex toys in the bedroom, the number of partners that a person has had in their lifetime, and finally – pornography.
The third and the most recognised reason why women are ashamed to talk about porn, and about watching it, is the fact that in today’s adult movies the majority of women are represented as toys, rather than persons and this is something women don’t like when watching pornography. Women cannot identify with females they see in these movies, because they are portrayed as something that is more aesthetically pleasing and sexually arousing to men rather than women.
This is why it is so hard to find movies or clips which are relatable or interesting or arousing to women, and finally, the reason why they often skip watching adult movies.
However, if they do watch them, they might like certain categories that include having different or multiple partners at the same time, which is often something that would not be accepted appropriately by their partner. Double standards, therefore, are a big reason why women are still not quite confident about this topic, especially about sharing their deepest thoughts, fantasies and preferences.
One of the other reasons why men and women may feel ashamed of watching adult movies, could be the fact that these movies have paid actors in them, actors that are paid for having sex, and this is considered immoral in many cultures and countries. Also, adult movies usually collide with religious and other beliefs, which makes them globally stigmatized.
Finally, there is concern (and this is something that women usually recognize more than men) that the scenes in adult movies are not very realistic, and that they set unreal expectations and standards when it comes to sex, and the sexual relationship between partners. On the other hand, people who are aware of the fact that adult movies are just a fantasy, a staged activity that is quite similar to scripted Hollywood movies, feel ashamed for liking to watch this content, since they are afraid they will be judged for liking something that’s somewhat different from reality.
However, all of this should only be analyzed in order to make changes in this field. Adult movies have numerous benefits, since they allow people to understand what they like, explore their own sexuality and even communicate with their partner in a more open and healthier way. Whether you are a woman or a man, you should embrace all the positive aspects of adult movies, and more importantly, you should try to judge other people less, whether it’s about pornography or anything else!
