SUPER-SEX

THE INFLUENCE OF PORN ON MALE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

Abstract

The act of recording daily life - including sexual life - has been part of the human experience since ancient times. Throughout time and space, human beings have found a variety of ways to register their own sex experiences. But only in the last 50 years we have experienced moments of greater openness when talking about sexual matters. Sex is a taboo topic in society because it deals with intimacy. Thus, pornography causes admiration and disgust. Assuming that the human behavior is socially constructed, sexual behavior is also the result of a continuous learning process. This educational process, among other things, counts on the participation of porn movies. These films act massively in the imaginary - individual and collective ones - and reinforce ideas, stereotypes, patterns of behavior that can be understood by consumers of pornography as a representation of reality and, in consequence, (re)production elements. Pornography shows a ‘super sex’, comprising extremely athletic sexual performances not greatly connected with reality. Thus, men consume an ideal of masculinity, virility and a range of practices and performances that are ‘naturalized’ and, thus become part of their desires and expectations. The further from the individual’s reality such logic and aesthetic are, the greater the degree of (sexual) frustration of the individual. Correlating to sex life studies and research about pornography, one can see that frustration in regards to performance may be a triggering factor of sexual dysfunctions and inadequacies, particularly in the male population - a priority target audience of pornographic films. The study of the influence of pornography on sexual behavior can contribute to the process of reducing such anxieties and finding a healthy(ier) sex life.