Apparently we already have an MP in Canada that is gleefully waiting to propose this for us, so I am quite concerned about this.
One of our more famous and popular Prime Ministers, Pierre Trudeau, said that the government has no place in the bedrooms of the people. Very true. This idea of a porn filter is a very disturbing step on the slippery slope of censorship and morality control.
I have concerns on multiple levels, even with the idea of banning "rape" porn. While I am an outspoken opponent of rape culture, I am also a passionate advocate of freedom of expression, and that includes sexual expression. 50 Shades of Grey has brought the BDSM and kink worlds into the mainstream, so it is more acceptable for people to be able to talk about the fact that being tied up or spanked or somehow forced to do something sexually can be sexually exciting in the right context.
Let me be very very clear: anything non-consensual in real life is absolutely, unequivocally not okay. But when we are talking about fantasy, and fantasies that are acted out by consenting adults, then the control of viewing being proposed is now talking about the government deciding what is and isn't acceptable for legal, of-age citizens to think about/be turned on by/fantasize about. This should scare the hell out of all of us.
Nobody but us should be deciding what gets us off. And we legal adults should be allowed to access whatever really turns us on - as long as it is provided by consenting adults.
I worry about the potential ramifications of opting out of a porn filter, but I worry even more for those who seek out completely legal, consensual expressions of sexual fantasy that push into the area deemed taboo.
Here is an example that I think might be very possible (particularly after 50 Shades has become so popular): imagine being put on some kind of Perv List because you watched two consenting adults (ie, two of age porn actors who willingly participated) act out a fantasy of a schoolgirl being spanked and sexually manipulated by her teacher.
Is this okay in the real world? Absolutely not.
Is it okay as an interpretation of sexual power dynamics in a context that CLEARLY defines it as consensual, legal, and fantastical? Yes. It is a fantasy. It is a performance. The event being depicted did not actually happen.
And if this is not okay, then where do we start (or stop?) censoring the ads/movies/TV shows/art/f****ng Hallowe'en costumes (!!!) that clearly portray these ideas as being acceptable in more mainstream fashions?
Whatever gets you through the night, it's all right it's all right - as long as it is between consenting adults. Right?
And as an adult and a parent, it is my job to talk and educate and discuss sexuality with my kids. Because no, they should not be learning about sex through some random porno they found online, but they also should not be learning about sexuality from the softcore T&A that is in their faces in every grocery store check-out in the developed world. These images are everywhere. Parents need a strategy and an awareness of their kids and good sex ed in schools (a course that is not afraid to define and explain what consent is, for example), not freaking government mind control designed to cut off access and drive sexual expression and freedom further underground.
