Wow! Quite the thread! I didn't read all of it, but I think I remember the original question....

So what do I think about porn? I have to say: I'm not particularly offended by it. I would agree that a lot of it is degrading to the participants, but I also think some or them are choosing to participate in it because they view bodies and sexuality differently than I do. And some of them no doubt got that from abusive pasts. Others may have chosen that route for money or because they might consider it easier/faster than going to school for years and years to build a career -- I don't respect those kinds of choices, but I suppose it's their right.

I don't watch porn myself, but one of my ex-boyfriends really liked it. It never bothered me that he watched pornography. I would have been bothered if I thought the participants were unwilling, but they were just typical porn stars (not sure what led them to choose that lifestyle, but they had chosen it). I would certainly have kept it away from children if there had been any children present.

And now that I've said that I don't like to watch porn, I should mention that I do like to read pornographic stories sometimes. Curious how people view those who write porn stories?

But on the subject of viewing: I have sometimes enjoyed being photographed during sex or foreplay and have liked looking at those pictures afterward. And, although I've never shared any of them with anyone other than my lover at the time, I have occasionally thought about posting one of them on the Web on a site that would want them. They aren't particularly graphic (probably more erotic than pornographic but sometimes a bit of nudity), but some part of me enjoys the thought of an unknown person out there looking at me solely as an object and becoming aroused. I guess occasionally I like being seen as a sexual object. Not all the time of course, but sometimes it feels good to be seen as an object of desire. Other times I want to be seen as a person and not an object. Maybe I have a little bit of exhibitionist tendencies, I don't know. But the fact that I sometimes think I want to do something like that (posting on the Web) leads me to think that some people in the porn industry might like what they're doing (it's not an impossible stretch for me).

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Hope not to offend...
Sidony