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Here's some interesting porn news and features I saw on the net:

Even though the USA is known as the "land of the free", when it comes to porn, there's always some group of intolerant, religious zealots trying to impose their morality on the rest of us and curtail our liberty. This is true, even in 2004. Here's a couple of recent examples.

First, a small town in Oregon (The Dalles) recently got it's first porn shop, creatively called "The Adult Store". It's located near a brand new Home Depot and visible from I-84. According to the AP KGW news article, it's a "innocuous brick building" that resembles any other video store on the outside. However, as one might expect at a adult video store, on the inside, sexually explicit boxcovers are on display. This shocking discovery has caused a firestorm of controversy and protest. Local churchgoers have organized into a non-profit group called "Concerned Citizens Against Pornography."  One such protester, Lois Thienes, believe she has a "moral obligation" to keep porn out of The Dalles. Thienes is quoted as saying, "I"m doing it more for the community. This is such a nice town."

The "Concerned Citizens" have held a prayer vigil outside the store, erected a anti-adult store billboard close to the shop and printed bumper stickers that say, "Not in our town!" Similar efforts to oust adult shops in Coos Bay and Rice Hill have failed although religious groups have had some success in persuading a porn shop in Oregon City to relocate. An Oregon Department of Justice spokesman said Oregon has no laws regulating the location and content of adult shops, except child porn. For a very interesting and scary inside look at how this controversy is unfolding see the Minutes from a recent City Council meeting.

The second instance of something like this was reported by porn star Felicia Fox in a Yahoo! group. Felicia reports that "a misguided woman in Dayton, Ohio ... is starting a campaign to close ALL of the city's thirteen strip clubs." According to Felicia, the woman is a very religious, stay at home mom who is married to a local policeman. Felicia alleges she printed a flyer asking for the public's support. She provided this e-mail address as a way to contact her: reynolds1993@yahoo.com. I suggest that all of us e-mail her in favor of adult entertainment. No one is being forced to work at or visit strip clubs in Dayton. If Ms. Reynolds doesn't approve, she can simply avoid these establishments.

Another way that porn and is frequently attacked by conservative, religious groups is to attempt to show it has undesirable secondary effects, and thus should be banned and/or heavily restricted. In other words, a person watches porn and then goes out to commit some horrible crime such as rape or child molest. Usually, these causation links cannot be established, but that does not keep the intolerant groups from pressing forward with their agenda. Here's the latest example as reported by BYU NewsNet. In case you don't know BYU is a private university sponsored by the very conservative Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons).

The Sheriff's Department in Cache County, Utah (Logan) has decided to study the relationship between porn and crimes. Lt. Matt Bilodeau stated, "A lot of deputies have noticed that [porn] seems to be prevalent in the cases they are investigating ... especially in cases of sexual abuse of a child." Bilodeau also asserted he has seen an increase in porn's association with crime just as he's been working at the department. It's not surprising that Cache County of all places would decide to explore this issue.  Cache County was settled by Mormon settlers and like all of Utah, remains overwhelmingly Mormon.

Bilodeau goes on to explain, "Once we build the criteria we're going to have it checked with the [district attorney's] office and the Utah Attorney General's Office. Then we'll use that criteria to track the pornography." Bilodeau claims these actions will not affect any first amendment rights, "we're simply keeping statistics on the relationship of pornography with with crime." Then the department plans to pass the statistics on to other organizations and lawmakers to help "protect" people. Bioldeau claims the goals of this project are fuzzy. "We'll not sure what we are going to achieve." Uh huh, sureeeeeeeee.   I think we all know the hidden agenda here.

And last but not least, the Miami Herald had a feature on Jenna Jameson, who they describe as "the undisputed queen of porn." As many of you know, Jenna recently released her autobiography called, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, A Cautionary Tale (Harper Collins, 2004). Sales are still brisk -- the book is currently #72 on Amazon.com.

Jenna claims she was offered "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to engage in unnamed sex acts, but she just says "no". "'What's key here is to set your boundaries and never allow them to be crossed,'' Jenna advises. ``If you do, it will break you down, and you won't have any longevity because you'll be freaked out about the things you've done.'' Jenna also dismisses the idea that porn is degrading to woman. "... [T]he fact is that it's one of the few jobs for women where you can get to a certain level, look around, and feel so powerful, not just in the work environment but as a sexual being. So, fuck Gloria Steinem.''

-- Snowman

P.S. Speaking of Miami, what in the hell happened to the Dolphins!? It's hard to believe they are still winless after six games. When have the Fins ever been a contender for the worst team in the league? It's beyond belief. Miami fans brave enough to attend games may have to start wearing paper bags over their heads, much like sAints supporters in the early days of that franchise.

Sources:

Gorge area's first porn shop protested - Seattle Times (AP)
Minutes of Regular (City) Council Meeting, The Dalles, Oregon, 09.13.04
Cache County Utah (USA Cities Online)
Porn & Pride, an Odd Mix Affair - Miami Herald, 10.18.04