Friday, May 04, 2007

Raising the Minimum Age for Porn

Feminist blogger Garance Franke-Ruta, in a piece on the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal, has an interesting article on what should be done about Joe Francis, the auteur behind the Girls Gone Wild videos. Franke-Ruta has hit on excellent solution for driving him out of the business of preying on drunk college girls. She wants to raise the minimum age for consenting to participate in hard- and softcore pornography to 21.

"A 21-year-old barrier would save a lot of young women from being manipulated into an indelible error, while burdening the world's next Joe Francis with an aptly limited supply of 'talent,'" says Franke-Ruta. On her blog she explains that while a girl may be adult enough to fight in Iraq at 18, she is not mature enough to decide whether it is a good idea to flash the camera. "Our laws recognize that maturity comes slowly," she says, pointing out that there are minimum ages for holding elective offices. She also says that she doesn't mind so much if girls give it away for free.

Franke-Ruta's efforts to throw more pornographers and consumers of pornography in jail and make our young women less wild has been criticized by a few libertines like Ezra Klein, but I don't think she goes far enough. Can a girl of 21 really know what she is consenting to when she signs a release form for a pornographer? Does she really understand what the ramifications might be later in life? That is why I propose that we raise the minimum age of consent to participate in pornography to 65.

I think by 65 a woman has finally attained the maturity necessary to weigh the pros and cons of participating in pornography. Since she will most likely be retired or on the way to retirement by that age, there is little danger that such images will come back to haunt her in her career.

Requiring that porn stars be elderly would open up new career opportunities for senior citizens, which would be an excellent way for them to supplement their retirement and social security incomes. It would certainly prove more diverting for many than playing bingo at the senior citizen center. I think many seniors would be grateful for the chance at an exciting new second act as an exotic performer and many people would be surprised at just how much they would appreciate this opportunity. As Annie Gottlieb pointed out in her fascinating Bloggingheads segment with Ann Althouse, "Older women are really kind of bawdy. We're like honorary guys. We have nothing to lose, nothing to gain and nothing to hide. As a result we can be down and dirty with them about all the stuff that younger women would go "Oooh' at."

Criminalizing pornography featuring anyone less than 65 would not only save younger women like Franke-Ruta (who had a interesting Bloggingheads episode of her own with Althouse) from going "Ooh!," it would no doubt also greatly cut down on the supply of this terrible scourge. It would force consumers of pornography to disgorge themselves of most of the porn they already own or face legal consequences. Finally, anti-pornography crusaders would achieve most of their aims without actually having to pass a law banning obscenity per se, which might have been stricken down on First Amendment grounds. The sight of small towns across America holding porn bonfires would warm the cockles of the hearts of those who have crusaded for years against the degeneracy of our culture. And think of all the perverts that would be rounded up and hauled off to jail protecting our society from their deviancy. It would be enough to provide Dateline NBC with enough material to run 24 hours a day.

I also think Franke-Ruta may have found a way in which pro-abortion feminists and those opposing abortion can finally agree. If a woman is not mature enough to have control over how her body is being used in images when she is 18, how can we say she is mature enough to have control over her body in deciding to get an abortion? Raising the age of consent laws for abortion to 21 would certainly cut down on the number of abortions, but think what would happen if we raised the age of consent to 65. Abortion would be completely eliminated.

Franke-Ruta may have hit on the solution to healing our divided nation, even though she doesn't go quite far enough. Raising the minimum age for participating in pornography to 65 would just be the first step to returning America to the greatness it had before the 1950s when sex began to warp our culture.

Young men would begin to think of sex as something their grandparents do to make a little cash and could put the energy they once used to search for porn on the Internet into fighting terrorism or curing cancer or pursuing more difficult quests on World of Warcraft. Young women would once again be coddled and protected from having to make decisions that their unformed minds can't handle. Grandma and grandpa would no longer have to worry how to pay for their prescription medications. And if the terrorists no longer saw our country as being so decadent, perhaps they would finally leave us alone, which is a point Dinesh D'Souza made in his book The Enemy at Home.

Franke-Ruta modestly calls her suggestion "more a general principle for legislation than a fully worked out proposal (I'm no lawyer)." But even if she was just proposing something off the top of her head without really thinking about it, she may have stumbled on an idea that, with just a little tweaking, could actually save our country.

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60 comments:

Jaesoreal said...

I love my elderly porn! The wrinkles turn me on! Something about them seem forbidden, like I REALLY shouldn't be seeing wrinkled thighs.

Anonymous said...

As a hospital nurse, I see waaaay more over-65 naughty bits than the rest of you unlucky sods combined. Envy me! Except I generally see these parts in conjunction with wiping unmentionable substances off them, sticking catheters into them or occasionally after they're dead. Some people might find that appealing, although it doesn't do much for me. Yet if it was the only video nastiness available, who knows how that might change my mind?

I think ElderPorn is a wonderful idea to solve the healthcare financial crisis. Pornography is a massive money-maker. If hospitals could sell movies filmed when elderly patients were in states of undress, they might start performing surgeries for free just to get fresh footage.

I plan on bringing my mobile phone with the camera to work from here on out to start collecting clips for when this new market develops. Although government regulation of pornography like the Over-65 Rule is inherently UN-conservative, entrepreneurising capitalists like me know how to profit in the face of it. I won't be spending much time filming the faces, though.

amba said...

You should've also quoted Ann's comment that maybe the best way to combat porn is to make it boring.

(Verification word:

hvkspu [and wipe your mouth afterwards, please])

James Higham said...

Where's the paper bag?

James Higham said...

By the way, Focus is up.

NewsCat said...

A very Swiftian idea indeed. For the U Marylander amongst us, there's going to be a porn-antiporn debate between Ron Jeremy and anti-porn good-looker Craig Gross on May 8. I just *wish* I could be in the room for that.

Chuck Butcher said...

We could move on to call girls, legalizing the activities of the DC Madam providing her employees were of an age capable of consenting to the idea of coupling economics and sex...

Anonymous said...

A most excellent proposal. You forgot to note that implementing it would also go a long way towards combating our social prejudice against the elderly and the sexuality of mature woman, although I notice that a couple of other commenters have already hit on that point, albeit obliquely.

Anonymous said...

you are an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Great idea. Let's see, I'll be 59 this year, so only 6 years to go. Paris Hilton, eat your heart out!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I apologise in advance if this is a bit off topic. I was looking for a contact form on your site but didn't see one.

Anyway, a while back I got kind of pissed off flipping between the O'Rielly Factor and Democracy Now, not so much because the had such completely different views, but rather because they both claimed to be objective. So I started coding a website that would allow people to be called out on biased opinions, where the community would decide which ideas get the most recognition. Well, after 6 months of work, today I’m finally launching it: http://VocalNation.net

Anyway, I’m placing the control of this site, and control of the debate, largely in the hands of those who read this message. I'm starting things off by just picking a handful of conservative and liberal blogs to mention this to so that it will at least start off with a good balance of opinions from either side. I'm hoping that you could mention the site to your readers? After that, I guess it'll be the side with the strongest arguments that'll take control dictate what direction the conversation goes. May the best side win.

Also if you don't want this post on your site, could you please at least let me know so I can add another blogger in your place to keep it balanced to start off with?

Thanks - Tony
VocalNation.net

Anonymous said...

I think Bitch and I are on sort of the same wavelength here; I've seen some pretty hot-looking grannies. Still, new ideas must always be approached with practicality, and "wrinkles gone wild" is no exception. To begin with, the format is going to have to change. A couple of 65-year-old women involved in a pillow fight might well result in both being expressed to the emergency room. Maybe Gran could invite the elderly paper boy in for cookies or something, that's a believable storyline. Also, nothing outdoors - old people get cold easily. Oh, and that "Baow chicka-chicka" soundtrack is going to have to go, it doesn't jibe with senior sex. Maybe Tommy Dorsey or the Benny Goodman Sextet. You may really be on to something here!

Anonymous said...

As a member of Concerned Women of America, One Million Moms, and Focus on the Family, I absolutely support this wonderful idea!

John

Anonymous said...

I note that you have fallen in with the feminist viewpoint. Are our young men not worthy of the same consideration? I'll admit that there may be some problems involved with only having older men active in pornogaphy, but we have chemical remedies for that nowadays.

Connecticut Man1 said...

While they are at it they should raise tthe minimum enlistment age to around 55 to 65 and have no maximum age.

Not only would it give those who used deferements at a younger age a chance to redeem themselves for their unpatriotic stints at parenthood and college, but it wouldn't be such a big deal when they were killed at war since they were so old they were going to die sonn anyways.

Miss Cellania said...

Fantastic idea! We should also raise the minimum age for enlistment in the military accordingly.

OutOfContext said...

I wonder what this would do to porn producers. I'm sure the casting couch would get less use (perhaps a Craftmatic bed to replace it). This could go a long way towards cleaning up the industry, not to mention the sets. Just think what stain removing experience would be brought to bear. The Kraft services budget could be slashed as well, with the performers not allowing anyone to pay for food when they can make it better themselves. Of course, golden showers would always be a surprise possibility.
A month ago, this proposal would have been unappealing to me, but after that saucy photo of Martha Mitchell you used to illustrate your post on her, well...

Anonymous said...

There is no need for all this. Florida should just pass a seasonal burqa law.

Anonymous said...

I've fallen and I can't get off.

RF said...

wow, super creepy. generally lurking here brings me joy but way to gallantly stick up for women's agency when nobody was attacking it in the first place.

i don't see why we have to dismiss out of hand the idea that MAYBE we all -- of any gender, sex or sexuality -- could use a gap in between "legal childhood" and "we can now treat you like shit and pay you peanuts for the privilege" as a safe space for feeling out our sexual comfort zones without systemic intrusion or abuse. i seem to recall that we DO have labor laws, such as "you must pay wage workers for their overtime" and "you may not pay employees less than $xx/hr" -- and even "you may not hire anyone under 18 to work in porn [even though they can start legal employment in other fields at 16]". none of those are seen, at least not today, as coddling or insulting anyone.

it's just weird that the immediate response is not anything like "good point, but would the details work out in practice?" but rather "you're an anti-sex prude for thinking young people shouldn't be abused, mocked or wedged into painful stereotypes of sexuality for others' profit".

Anonymous said...

As my Aunt Nettie says:

"I honestly think that what we really have to keep off the Internet is Granny Porn. This is far more insidious and dangerous to the species. Now, speaking personally, I used to have a set of shanks and a front porch that caused men to pop their toppers at a clean hundred yards distance, but today, anyone who caught a glimpse of me in the buff would go blind or insane. You put a couple of centerfolds from the American Journal of Geriatrics up on the 'Net, and you’d be able to hear gent’s equipment sucking back so far up their insides they’d be singing soprano in the church choir. So help fight Granny Porn and Save the Males! Send your generous contributions to nettie@dearauntnettie.com and I will put them to good use."

Anonymous said...

And think of the opportunities this would open up for Hollywood actresses who become has-beens after the age of 39 in this youth-obsessed culture!

Anonymous said...

The obvious flaw in this otherwise magisterial proposal will be the influx of geriatric titillation from liberal foreign climes with a more generous retirement age.

And though I look forward to the 'Barely 65' subgenre featuring ladies who could pass as, say, 55, one fears for teenagers demanding plastic surgery that makes them look old enough to slip under the censor's gaze. It'll only be a matter of time before surgical sag and chemically-induced wrinkles are the order of the day.

OutOfContext said...

"you're an anti-sex prude for thinking young people shouldn't be abused, mocked or wedged into painful stereotypes of sexuality for others' profit"

A liberal or libertarian might say, "Burkah Burkah...Perhaps we should work to remove the stigma from a bare breast."

Fortunately, I'm not one of those and that is why I have no problem with either proposal, 21 or 65. Personally, I would like more things to be re-fetishised, like the knee and the navel. I think culture has become much less imaginative and sensitive.

RF said...

A liberal or libertarian might say, "Burkah Burkah...Perhaps we should work to remove the stigma from a bare breast."

what?

i feel this makes little sense as a response to the snippet (or mine) that was quoted above it. maybe it wasn't meant to be one.

Anonymous said...

When I was in Tokyo, I saw a poster for a film called "Silver Lesvians" (sic) outside a porn store.

OutOfContext said...

Sorry Roula, but my nom de klavier is outofcontext, after all. Maybe, I should change it to makesnosense. Perhaps I shouldn't drink when I comment; I begin to type irresponsibly. I forget what I've written five minutes later, but my incoherence is on display forever...

Anonymous said...

Aren't we forgetting who the REAL victims of pornography are? Men, that's who, and nary a mention from Mr. Swift.

You call your. Self. A conservative.

Do men have boobs that can be jiggled in exchange for goods and services? No. The knocker gap keeps us forever at a disadvantage.

And the very IDEA that it's the WOMEN whose youthful naivete is being exploited, when there are men out there still PAYING for porn!

My brothers, it is time to stand with our free fists raised.

Batocchio said...

Brilliant, Mr. Swift. Bravo.

Bald Headed Geek said...

Love the blog, Jon, and I have added you to my blogroll! Thanks for stopping by mine, btw, and I hope that visit more often!

BHG

High Power Rocketry said...

: )

Anonymous said...

Maybe that's what the conservative Youtube called Qubetv is for.

If you thought Conservapedia was good, you ain't seen nothing yet. Check out the Qubetv Conservative TV!

Move over Fox News. here Michelle Malkin comes.

Anonymous said...

GEnius.
And a very Modest Proposal.

Tybalt said...

And the very IDEA that it's the WOMEN whose youthful naivete is being exploited, when there are men out there still PAYING for porn!

I agree wholeheartedly; the obvious next step is a National Porn Tax on all women that will be used to subsidize mandatory breast implant surgery on all men on their 18th birthday.

Equality For All!

evilisgood said...

Do you know what I love even more than octogenarian porn? You, Jon. That's what.

Anonymous said...

"I've fallen and I can't get off". Damn, that's funny. Monsieur Rapide, you are attracting an audience which contains members as funny as you. Watch out for the revolution.bcnnh

Brando said...

Very, very funny, Mr. Swift. And think of how much better C-SPAN would be if they televised the GILF lobby in action!

Kris said...

Perhaps with the minimum age being raised, a "GOLDEN GIRLS GONE WILD" series could then ensue. Young women should be focusing on their studies; not on starring in soft porn anthologies. Plus, Bea Arthur could use a new gig.

It's a win-win situation.

Anonymous said...

I just want to add that, as in many areas, the founders were ahead of us (http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bdorsey1/41docs/51-fra.html)

From Benjamin Franklin, Advice to a Young Man on the Choice of a Mistress (1745):

"...in all your Amours you should prefer old Women to young ones. You call this a Paradox, and demand my Reasons. They are these:

1. Because as they have more Knowledge of the World and their Minds are better stor'd with Observations, their Conversation is more improving and more lastingly agreable.

2. Because when Women cease to be handsome, they study to be good. To maintain their Influence over Men, they supply the Diminution of Beauty by an Augmentation of Utility. They learn to do a 1000 Services small and great, and are the most tender and useful of all Friends when you are sick. Thus they continue amiable. And hence there is hardly such a thing to be found as an old Woman who is not a good Woman.

3. Because there is no hazard of Children, which irregularly produc'd may be attended with much Inconvenience.

4. Because thro' more Experience, they are more prudent and discreet in conducting an Intrigue to prevent Suspicion. The Commerce with them is therefore safer with regard to your Reputation. And with regard to theirs, if the Affair should happen to be known, considerate People might be rather inclin'd to excuse an old Woman who would kindly take care of a young Man, form his Manners by her good Counsels, and prevent his ruining his Health and Fortune among mercenary Prostitutes.

5. Because in every Animal that walks upright, the Deficiency of the Fluids that fill the Muscles appears first in the highest Part: The Face first grows lank and wrinkled; then the Neck; then the Breast and Arms; the lower Parts continuing to the last as plump as ever: So that covering all above with a Basket, and regarding2 only what is below the Girdle, it is impossible of two Women to know an old from a young one. And as in the dark all Cats are grey, the Pleasure of corporal Enjoyment with an old Woman is at least equal, and frequently superior, every Knack being by Practice capable of Improvement.

6. Because the Sin is less. The debauching a Virgin may be her Ruin, and make her for Life unhappy.

7. Because the Compunction is less. The having made a young Girl miserable may give you frequent bitter Reflections; none of which can attend the making an old Woman happy.

8thly and Lastly They are so grateful!!"

On my own behalf, I should like to add that it is wise to remember in all this that Joe Francis is a complete and total scumbag. (http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-gonewild32aug06,0,5620406.story?page=1&track=mostviewed-homepage)

People in the Sun said...

One reason this may not work is that of course something like that will only push the 60-65 year-old porn to the black market. And what about strippers? Sliding down the pole is one thing, but climbing up is a whole different story.

Unknown said...

LMAO!

Anonymous said...

Don't stop there. I think you should dig up some dead pensioners and donate their newly declared moral earnings to charity.

Anonymous said...

ElderPorn! Yes, every little girl will want to grow up to become a Geriatrix!

Unknown said...

There is a reason they're called sexagenerians.

Darryl said...

With tears in my eyes I share the following excerpt from my best friend's recent email. He is a High School teacher.The problem is FAR WORSE than what you indicate here.

Before I go I want to share something with you about school that may or may not shock you. As you know, I teach at ****, which is a rural, all-white, christian, high-achieving school. The school uniform seems to be Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch (fashion retailers). And the right of passage is now porn. Yes, PORN. The new trend - and I mean trend, not just a few select cases - is for girls to send picture-texts of themselves naked to boys. They also make strip-tease videos and post them on youtube and myspace. It's gotten so bad, that the district FINALLY was forced to acknowledge that this was taking place (they tried really hard to deny it) when pictures surfaced of two kids having sex in a bathroom at school. The admin even sent a letter home to parents about the dangers of possessing and passing child-porn and banned having cell phones in class (an edict that is mostly ignored and just encourages the kids to do it more). I had a conversation with a girl who was bragging about her video and tried to explain how she'll be very embarrassed about it one day. That strategy failed because she sees a world in which celebrities get rewarded for their sex videos and naked photo-shots and her world is now one in which that's actually cool, and why would she ever regret being cool. It's unbelievable. And this is the country in ****** county. Imagine the state of city schools. And here's something else of interest. My senior girls find this as appalling and despicable as I do. They can't imagine what's going on with those slutty freshman and sophomore girls. And what I've realized it that the younger girls were very young and impressionable (10-12 years old) when youtube and myspace hit big and when Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton and others got lots of positive reception and press for naked photos and sex tapes. The culture is to reward for that behavior, not ostracize. So these girls have grown up with that being positive and something that is trendy and accessible do to the WEB. My senior girls, on the other hand, are just old enough to still perceive that behavior as deviant and to have not grown up with using those technologies for pornographic purposes. In other words, thanks to technology, the generation gap seems to have been whittled down to about TWO YEARS! Every two years, the next generation is hip and the old kids are obsolete. And the age keeps getting younger. Junior high kids are now the trend setters and the techno-masters and the high-school kids are over-the-hill. Sometimes I think school is where I'm needed and sometimes I think the ship is sinking and it's time to get out of education.

I have passed this around to as many as possible. If you think it will help, pass it around some more. Truly tears in my eyes. For my part I have written a novel series which, instead of glorifying this degredation, puts it into real life context. It may be found at www.thefaithwalkerseries.com.

Do you think it is about time that we who have a conscience should at least put forth as much passion and energy into protesting vehemtly all that garbage, as much passion as those who promote it? Of course that would mean taking some serious time to ORGANIZE a large front against it. Not just blog. Noit just talk radio. take a lesson from the libs propaganda machine. This doesn't have to be about religion, how 'bout INTEGRITY. An integrity movement and the only qualification to get in is that you have some or want some and want others to have it, too.

Darryl said...

One more comment, please. I also read your hillarious blog on abstinence sex-ed. The idea of misinforming kids about sex is brilliant, along with raising the legal age for porn participatiuon to 65. Your satire powerfully makes the point. But let me also make the point directly.

What is a person? The person lives inside the body ALL THE TIME. Joining bodies together to mate,or cojoin in some way, wihtout loving the person inside tht body, this actually puts down the person inside that body because they don't want to have anything to do with that person. The closer the bodies get with no love, the deeper down the toilet the person gets flushed in their feelings of being a human being. The person just simply has no value. After sex, you have to live with that no value. So, go out and have more sex to forget untill...ooops, you can't forget and the sex isn't even enjoyable any more. Ever wonder why so many of the lib women who liberated themselves but are now dried up prunes, ever wonder why they are so bitter? Hey young sexed up girls, your future awaits you! Teach them that and bring into class for show and tell these bitter, ugly and loveless women. Then go out into the countryside or other places and find decsent women who are at least 10 years older than the bitter women. Show and tell them and they will see shining, vibrant faces full of love, beauty and respect for life and that they look a heck of a lot YOUNGER than the dried up libs.

Rick Rockhill said...

as usual, you've done an excellent job with an unusual topic....fun stuff.

Rick

Anonymous said...

I love your sense of humor, but I would just to remind everyone that on the International Woman's Day, a 17 year old "woman" was gang raped by 10 normal, everyday, ordinary guys.

One of them found her in a bar (because any woman who drinks should be gangraped), and then convinced her to come to an apartment that he had rented for the night. Then he called his friends. They took turns ejaculating on her, raping her, and took pictures to show their friends. Because that is what normal, ordinary, everyday guys do for fun. These were not monsters -- do not use that excuse -- they were normal guys who went "a little" too far.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7114&page=1

http://feminazi.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/porn-statistics-and-research/

Anonymous said...

Well, you know, all we have to do is ban porn like they do in Saudi Arabia, and abuse of women will stop immediately!
Also, it's wrong to cite a case just based on the second hand reports of some biased blogger who misspelled 'bukkake' and who presents details of the case that don't appear in any other media source. There has been no trial in the case mentioned - in fact, since there doesn't seem to have been any follow up in the media, the accusations could have been dropped.

Fernando pizza said...

Maybe Madonna will still be hot at 65!

Anonymous said...

click here for free hardcore porn movie clips

Anonymous said...

It takes a sick individual to want to see an elderly woman naked. Even elderly men don't want to. We (Men..and yes, some women) love our wild, under 30, sexually corrupt females. And you're damn straight they know what they are doing when they agree to do the videos.

Anonymous said...

Hey, actually i have a diferent idea, i live in mexico and here the age of concent is 14, so why if we allow them to have sex we dont allow them to do porn?, we should lower the age to do porn and that way we wouldnt have so much trouble with child pornography since they will look like childs anyway ; ), just a liberal opinion.

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