Book Review: The Porning Of A Generation

The Porning of America: The Rise of Porn Culture, What It Means, and Where We Go from Here is a new book by Carmine Sarracino & Kevin Scott that traces how porn culture left adult theaters and became a part of our children's reality.

A well written book that includes some wonderful historical data to counteract the desensitization we have all experienced, a chapter about power, one about women, and most importantly for me, one about where we can go from here!

No matter how hard we try to protect childhood, it does not take a genius to see we are losing - big time. People market thongs to children, high heels and corsets are every day fashion items, very few teen girls are satisfied with their bodies, and the television or Internet brings sex into every household in America. Just spend a little time on MySpace or Facebook to see that youth are imitating pornography - the poses, the behavior, the come hither looks, the clothing, and the lack of chatter about emotional relationships.

What is super scary to me is that no one knows what the impact of this sexualization will be on this generation. Since they were babies, they have been marketed to with sexual images and the promise of sex and happiness, all theirs with the purchase of the right products. The process is obvious if you watch preteen stars transform as they become adults. Most start off sweet and innocent and then end up "pornified" by the time they hit 18 - I have watched my own kids lose interest in Britney Spears, the Olsen twins (don't even get me started), and most recently Lindsey Lohan as they become sexualized.

I can say that while teaching a class on sexuality over the last 10 years at a local university I found it sad to hear that sex was a huge let down for many young women and that they consistently wished they had waited longer to start being sexually active. That, and the fact that an alarming number of young women feel the need to shave their genital area in order to feel attractive is enough evidence to make me fear for their future.

OK, so you do not think I am being critical of only the younger generation, I realize that my generation has not escaped this "porning" either. I am aware of how many middle-aged moms are out there learning how to pole dance to reignite their own sex lives, shopping at Victoria's Secret, and trying every known process to firm their aging skin. It is obvious we have not escaped the pressure to "be a porn star."

Photo credit: pena2

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