For women, porn can be beneficial because it provides information.
(from "A Feminist Defense of Pornography"; can be found by Googling it; originally included the link but post became dead immediately after submitting and I think that's why.)
"
* It gives a panoramic view of the world's sexual possibilities. This is true even of basic sexual information such as masturbation. It is not uncommon for women to reach adulthood without knowing how to give themselves pleasure.
* It allows women to "safely" experience sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity. The world is a dangerous place. By contrast, pornography can be a source of solitary enlightenment.
* It offers the emotional information that comes only from experiencing something either directly or vicariously. It provides us with a sense how it would "feel" to do something. "
I cannot vote you down in my head hard enough simply because you have completely discounted the entire sexual experience of many women by relegating female sexuality to the emotive realm.
Women use and enjoy porn the same as men do - visual to physiological and to release. Period.
Porn is beneficial to women in many ways as consumers. Until people wake up to this, revenue streams and culture (of consent and equality, experience and discourse) alike will be hobbled.
Your heart is in the right place. But you're missing the rest of reality, as is this entire HN discussion.
I didn't relegate female sexuality to the emotive realm; I just listed some additional benefits of porn that I found posted in an essay targeted toward the woman's perspective. (And I then indicated that I feel the same benefits can be had by men as well.)
The post I replied to asked "Well, what's the benefit of porn?" and I felt the physiological aspects were already covered. There was no need for me to correct it to say "women like the physiological aspects, too" since I already know that to be true and didn't see anybody stating otherwise who needed to be corrected.
(from "A Feminist Defense of Pornography"; can be found by Googling it; originally included the link but post became dead immediately after submitting and I think that's why.)
"
* It gives a panoramic view of the world's sexual possibilities. This is true even of basic sexual information such as masturbation. It is not uncommon for women to reach adulthood without knowing how to give themselves pleasure.
* It allows women to "safely" experience sexual alternatives and satisfy a healthy sexual curiosity. The world is a dangerous place. By contrast, pornography can be a source of solitary enlightenment.
* It offers the emotional information that comes only from experiencing something either directly or vicariously. It provides us with a sense how it would "feel" to do something. "
I'd think the same would also be true for men.