Gender Porn Gender, Sexuality, Violence Term Paper

If not inherently in the acts of sexuality themselves, often in the exhibited sense of entitlement and dominance, male sexuality is prone toward the undermining of femininity in favor of the satisfaction of male desire. In a great many of its incarnations, Jensen argues, pornography facilitates this orientation. Jensen asserts that as a consequence of the "patriarchal system in which we live, a key site of men's oppression of women -- a key method of control and domination -- is sexuality." (Jensen, p. 48) in other words, because our society is so notably tilted to favor the empowerment of men and the sublimation of female desires, sexual intercourse will frequently function as an extension of this imbalance of power. And as Jensen ultimately argues, the act of using pornography to arouse one's self is tantamount to reducing femininity and women to mere objects for the satisfaction of male sexual desires. The result, Jensen argues, is the effect of pornography reflecting back to us the worst possible qualities of our own masculinity.

Unfortunately, the Jensen arguments do not hold water, primarily because they rely so heavily on constructing a sense of guilt for the impulses of male sexuality. While it is clear that working conditions in the pornography industry are highly exploitive and frequently give way to acts of abuse and violence against women, Jensen extends his argument to suggest that masculinity itself is a problematic force. This notion, that men should impose guilt upon themselves to repress the sexual desires that may overshadow romantic gender-driven impulses, is both unrealistic and dogmatic in nature. Here, Jensen conflates the social construction of gender roles with the propensity toward sexual desire. In doing so, Jensen also undermines the notion that women are also moved to act by sexual desire rather than always by male imposition.

Works Cited:

Jensen, R. (2007). Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity. South End Press.

Renzetti, C.M.; Curran, D.J. & Maier, S.L. (2012). Women,…