Porn filmmaker interview disheartening

I WAS disappointed that you featured an interview with a pornography filmmaker, Neville Keighley (Weekend, July 21).

Even more upsetting was the fact that no mention was made of the harm caused by these films.

There is now such a substantial body of evidence indicating the harmful effects of pornography that few bother to dispute it anymore.

For example, as far back as 1978, in Phoenix, Arizona, it was discovered that sex offences, including indecent exposure, were more than five times greater in neighbourhoods with sex shops than in those without them.

In Austin, Texas, in 1986, research revealed that in four study areas with sex shops, sexually related crimes were between one and three-quarters and five times higher than the city’s average.

In Indianapolis, from 1978-82, it was noted that crime in study areas was 46% higher than for the city as a whole.

Sex-related crimes were four times greater when sex shops were located near residential areas rather than commercial locations.

Pornographic films were the most common commodity in these sex shops.

A study by Darrell Pope, a former Michigan police officer, also found that of 38,000 cases of sexual assault on file in the state over a 20-year period, 41% involved the use of pornography just prior to or during the act.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, of the Rape Crisis Centre, recently cited research published by UCD last year which concluded that “the consumption of pornography is associated with the increase in aggressive attitudes to women; greater acceptance of myths about rape, including that women like to be raped”.

Even non-violent pornography presents women as objects rather than the beautiful human beings that we are and, accordingly, this encourages men to think of women as objects and to treat them as such.

The greater the exposure, the more prevalent this attitude becomes, hence the link to violent sex crime.

Mr Keighley’s defence of his involvement in the exploitation of women was simply a pathetic attempt at self-justification and rationalisation.

That he can’t tell his own father about the way he makes his money, or even pose for a photograph, clearly indicates the shameful nature of his work, despite his protestations to the contrary.

I would earnestly ask you to refrain from giving publicity to people who promote pornography because by doing so you are effectively supporting the shameful, demeaning and degrading treatment of women.

We deserve better.

Caitriona Connolly

Richmond

Templemore

Co Tipperary