With a certain movie that glorifies violence against women coming out this Valentine’s weekend, it’s clear that our culture has adopted a certain double standard when it comes to pornography and sexual violence. Our culture has accepted as normal the degradation of women shown in pornographic outlets, but this seemingly private choice of entertainment creates some very real public concerns.

The popularization of violence against women has stemmed from our current pornographic and overly sexualized culture that accepts violence against women as a form of entertainment. What was considered hard-core pornography a few decades ago is now considered soft-core, and what was considered soft-core pornography we now call weeknight television. Over the past few decades, our society has pushed further and further the limits of what is considered sexually acceptable, but these “advances” are not without their consequences. “Fifty Shades of Grey,” like most pornography, promotes violence as sexually gratifying and as a form 
of entertainment.

The porn industry is basically a prostitution business, paying people for sexual acts. Of course, these sexual acts are then recorded and transmitted to the entire world so people can use them for their pleasure. The portrayal of women as objects of male sexual desire, like “Fifty Shades of Grey,” has turned female bodies into commodities or mere products, and if something can be bought either through pornography or prostitution then it can definitely be stolen. Enter sexual violence.

Thanks to the hormones released as a result of pornography, many men report their sexual desires becoming more and more extreme and admit to feeling 
controlled by their sexual desires.

The rising popularity of pornography as a leisure activity has led to adoptions of unrealistic attitudes about sex, such as women being sexual objects at the disposal of men. This can help explain the popular attitude of victim-blaming – that women want to be raped. As basic economics can explain, the commodification of women’s bodies for pleasure leads to the overall 
cheapening of women.

Sex is natural, supporters of pornography say. Of course it is. But watching other people have sex isn’t. And using another person, whether he or she is a porn star or a real-life partner, only for one’s pleasure, instead of loving him or her, contradicts his or her humanity. Intimacy with images on a screen deadens our ability to experience any sort of true love or authentic romance, and often sexual violence fills this void. Pornography’s regular portrayal of women as existing solely for the purpose of male pleasure hasn’t done much to promote goodwill between the sexes or greater respect for women.

Pornography isn’t intimacy; it’s using a porn star who has feelings, hopes, desires and wishes as a means to an end. It’s the opposite of love and respect.

If we’re serious about ending sexual violence, let’s address the reasons men feel entitled to commit these violent acts in the first place. Let’s stop calling the 
degradation of women “entertainment.”

Joe Puchner is a sophomore majoring in 
mathematics and Spanish. His column runs biweekly.