Pornography and male sexuality

Abstract

Men look at pornography, but we do not see it. We read pornography, but it is not literature. We watch pornographic films, but we are indifferent to narrative content or cinematic technique. Men consume pornography, using pornographic images for sexual arousal, usually without considering the relationship between what's in the pictures or stories and the sexual pleasure we seek. What matters with pornography is its utility, its capacity to arouse. Its value appears to be contained in its function. © 2005 Michael S. Kimmel. All rights reserved.