Ask 100 guys if they like porn and you’ll get 100 different answers, most of which will go something like this: “Oh God yes, gimme gimme gimme!” It seems like sex and visual stimulation are hard-wired into the male brain. Give us a copy of Hustler and we’re happy. Don’t have a Hustler handy? Hell, the bra section of the J.C. Penney’s catalog will do. As long as there are naked (or nearly naked) women you will have our undivided attention.
Women are another story altogether. Or are they? For years the common-sense answer to “Do women like porn?” would have been a resounding “No!”, probably followed by a swift slap in the face. But I set out to test the waters of the female libido and see if much, if anything, had changed.
My first stop was with porn-for-women-pioneer Jenn Ramsey.
Jenn was good enough to give us an insider’s view of what women really think of porn and erotica.
MM: How do you think men and women differ in their porn tastes?
JR: Interesting question. Before I got into this business, I would have said that few women were as interested in porn as I was (am). Now, after 4 years of research in the industry, I’m continually surprised at how many women respond positively to pornography in general.
I used to think that stereotypically, women wanted to be intellectually stimulated and males visually stimulated. And while that’s often true, I’ve found many women (like myself) that love raunchy gonzo porn and can’t stand the teases found on Cinemax.
MM: What percentage of porn surfing do you think is done by women?
JR: The numbers I’ve heard unofficially are that traditional, ad-laden in-your-face porn sites have about 30% of their subscription base from women, and that the sites that spend more time on presentation, or that fill a niche have a higher percentage. Also, sites with a personal touch tend to attract more women.
MM: Why do you think there is more of a negative stigma attached to women viewing porn (as opposed to men)?
JR: I think the negative stigma attached to women viewing porn stems back to the negative stigma surrounding women enjoying sex. For men to do the same…they are studs…women are sluts. It’s been a long road for me to learn that enjoying sex, and watching others enjoy it, is a natural act.
Also, the few bad apples that degrade women in porn (mostly in the past) have given it a bad name and caused many women to steer clear of it. How could they enjoy porn if it degrades women? Now that more sex-positive porn is available, that attitude is (finally) changing for the better.
In an effort to find out what the average woman thinks I poled (oops!), I mean polled some women about how they really feel about porn and erotica.
Do You Enjoy Porn/Erotica?
Mary: “Yes. Erotica, while not as visual, leaves more to the imagination and characters are usually better developed. Basic porn is good foreplay.”
Yolanda: “I, as a woman, love porn. And as an oddity I have found that I am very into lesbian porn. I think because I don’t get to experience the lesbian side of my desires as often as the straight.”
Why do you think there is more of a negative stigma attached to women viewing porn (as opposed to men)?
Jessica: I don’t think there really is anymore. I would think that women are viewed to be more sexually liberated if people know they watch and enjoy porn.
Joy: For a few it’s not a stigma, but for those many that see it as such: From a woman’s perspective porn is immature, selfish and exploitative; these are not socially accepted states for women. At some level, the ‘mother’ image of women is at play here (keep the kids safe from the evils of society).
Melinda: Because of that double standard again. If men are into sex, have lots of partners, own or watch/view lots of porn, they’re studs, sex gods, etc. But if women have lots of partners or are into porn, they’re sluts (and not in a good way), immoral, dirty, etc.
Men and porn go together like beer and chips or Sundays and football. You just can’t imagine one without the other. Until recently though, the idea that women enjoyed porn as much as (if not more) than men was ridiculous. I don’t know if we can call this a second sexual revolution or not, but one thing is for sure, women are shrugging off the societal shackles that have kept them (and their libido) in check. You’ve come a long way baby!
Until next time?Happy Swinging! (& enjoy your porn with your girl, she may like it too)
~Major Mojo
(Virginia Beach, VA)