Tuesday, December 8, 2009


Deviance today has so many definitions that the online porn industry is subject to some or many different forms of social deviancy. For one thing, the simple promiscuity behind pornography in general can be classified under sexual deviance. For those who take part in pornography as actors, it can also be a type of self-destructive deviance, where it can link to sexual addictions or mental disorders. But in the end who labels what deviance truly is? It boils down to perspective. To those in the industry, pornography is a way of life and a job.

To a Christian sect, it is deviant and is ultimately a sin. So is the term deviance helpful to describe the online pornography industry? Like most deviant or semi-deviant behavior, the term deviant is helpful because in the end it is what it is, it is “deviance”. The degree of deviance is where perspective comes in to play. Depending on the angle you choose to look at this cyberspace deviance, you can tell whether the term is in fact helpful or not. Pornography is a business, generating revenue in exchange for a product. In that sense, looking at the capitalistic world of the U.S., pornography is on the same playing field as something as innocent as a baby’s clothing outlet store. The product itself though is actually deviant.

Sex is beautiful but at the same time can be used for capital gain, and the internet has helped it achieve larger profit margins. So all in all, the term “deviance” is not only helpful, but can describe the actual scene of online pornography today.