Don’t be ashamed of indulging in porn

Hidden under the bed, buried within the abyss of sock and underwear drawers, or even filed away on hard drives under stealthy pseudonyms lies a possession so revealing that we’ve come to fear the day it is uncovered by another person. No, I’m not talking about that secret stash of herbal healing you never got around to smoking. I am also not referring to that Wiccan book of spells you bought because you couldn’t accept the fact that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just a theme park in Orlando. I’m alluding to the rather playful pleasure of pornography.

While conservative conceptions about the industry would have us believe that porn is a social evil created by lost souls to tempt and trap the innocent into lives of meaningless lust, I must politely beg to differ.

After all, what is so horrible about pornography? It’s legal, responsible, enjoyable and perhaps even empowering. Why do people engage in such self-loathing behavior as hiding their porn as they would hide their own Horcruxes? Why do some publicly shun others who openly share their involvement, whether passive or active, within the industry?

Though the answers to these questions may be idiosyncratic in nature and only uncovered via extensive introspection and potentially overwhelming philosophical conversation, I’d like to offer just a bit of personal insight.

The adult entertainment industry is a growing subculture with roots that date back several millennia. As such, it deserves the respect and social legitimacy given to an array of other subcultures, not its current image as a tainted institution burdened with the negative connotations associated with a social taboo.

Instead, porn is a fantasy factory enjoyed by people of all identifications. Just as mainstream arts and entertainment are a business of aesthetic pleasure and professional sports are a business of competitive pleasure, the adult entertainment industry is one of carnal pleasure. All three provide varied, unquestionably legitimate routes of satisfying our escapist needs and wants.

As young adults, many of us are following the winding road of self-discovery and have yet to reach our sexual prime. I encourage all of you to feel comfortable exploring your fantasies, honestly talking about your desires with your partners and openly looking to porn to help facilitate such exploration.

Let us reclaim this wrongfully hidden, lost art of indulgence so we can all reach sexual transcendence.