The truth is out there!
May 20, 2004 4:16 PM   Subscribe

Viewing porn will make you want to kill, kill. KILL. And Dr, Science will prove it. He has a degree in science.
posted by Wulfgar! (35 comments total)


 
and utah-based! of course
posted by bob sarabia at 4:19 PM on May 20, 2004


Well, with that as a premise and enough fundamentalist scaredy cats, I'm sure they'll be able to conclude their premise.

I'm not but I think want to kill, kill, kill is the leading cause of wanting to kill, kill, kill.

Porn generally makes me want to jack off or have some sex. And then the killing can begin afterwards.
posted by fenriq at 4:20 PM on May 20, 2004


Umm, in the article they talk about using MRI to determine whether porn is addictive. I do neuroimaging research for a living these days. It is impossible to demonstrate causation in the way they propose. They may see an area of the brain "light up" when exposed to pornography, but this in itself proves nothing. Put simply, and slightly overstating the case, very little is known at present about what neuroimaging data mean.

They may, however, show that porn causes the same changes in brain activation as do cigarettes or other addictive substances. In that case, they haven't demonstrated much. Observation of human behavior makes it clear that "porn addiction" can occur in a way similar to other addictions. They are only trying to make some pretty pictures to wave in front of a jury.

This article is craptactular.
posted by dr_emory at 4:27 PM on May 20, 2004


so, we can assume of course, that the same techniques might be applied to determine if prayer is addictive.

worse, i have long suspected that SCIENCE is addictive. just look at the people who do these studies. obviously, suffering from addictive behavior! should we immediately prosecute all scientists?

just because something is "addictive" doesn't mean it's bad. i mean, we're all pretty "addicted" to food, aren't we?

my point is, suppose porn IS addictive? so what? it doesn't actually damage you like tobacco. in fact, i read recently that lots of wanking may prevent cancer.

leave it to Utah! i'd love to know how much "product" from the fernando valley is postmarked "UT".
posted by muppetboy at 4:30 PM on May 20, 2004


heh.

So they'll hook someone up to an MRI, then take a reading, give them an addictive substance, then get a reading, then give them porn, take a reading, and the readings for both post-addictive substance and porn will be the same, right?

Seems like a cheesy way to use established devices to meet their ends. I bet their results will be highly disputed.
posted by mathowie at 4:30 PM on May 20, 2004


I'm starting a study on how stupidity is addictive. I'd like to subject
Dr Science to a CT, for starter.

If we start saying that any activity that bring its own reward is
addictive and should be prosecuted, well, the end of the world
as we know it is near.
posted by NewBornHippy at 4:33 PM on May 20, 2004


Hey, that's not Dr. Science!
posted by Zonker at 4:43 PM on May 20, 2004


They may see an area of the brain "light up" when exposed to pornography
Are you sure that is the brain you are looking at?

Surely anything that produces a positive feeling in the person viewing/smoking/drinking/eating something will give the same results? I guess you could use the same technique to prove that looking at photos of cute bunnies is addictive.
posted by dg at 4:44 PM on May 20, 2004


Viewing porn will make you want to kill, kill. KILL

well, most people do kill billions of spermatozoa because of pornography. so in a sense porn does lead to killing, yes.
posted by matteo at 4:51 PM on May 20, 2004


the truth may be out there, but the lies are right there in your head.
posted by quonsar at 4:57 PM on May 20, 2004


"It starts first in fantasy, and then always leads to some kind of reality," Cline said.

That about says it all. He's just a crackpot. I think I learned the saying, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," when I was about ten. Apparently Cline never clued in.
posted by stoneegg21 at 4:57 PM on May 20, 2004


well, most people do kill billions of spermatozoa

*sigh*

I can just see them lying there on a dirty tube sock, exclaiming, "I coulda been somebody!"
posted by jonmc at 4:58 PM on May 20, 2004


"It starts first in fantasy, and then always leads to some kind of reality,"

Been visiting "CheerleaderOrgy.com" for three years now. Still waiting...
posted by jalexei at 5:10 PM on May 20, 2004


So, the last words of a murderous sociopath and schizophrenic are now considered to be the source of a valid thesis?

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot?

Considering that nearly every home media format or form-factor has been literally explosively driven by the art of pornography, we can safely assume that it is a wide-spread and not a new phenomenon. From the kewpie dolls of the kinetoscope era to 8mm and 16mm home movies and projectors to Polaroid instant film to VCRs, cable television, and on up to the internet.

In fact, it can easily be argued that nearly all art - at least good art - is pornography on one or more levels of interpretation and intent. David? Venus? They are erotic - and beautiful - no?

So. Let's assume for the sake of this argument that "pornography" - hell, let's call it what it is - that erotic art has existed for nearly as long as the written word.

Shouldn't we have a whole lot more mass murderers, then? Granted, we've had more than enough, but really now.

Straw man, meet BYU.

BYU, meet straw man. Be advised that straw man is highly flammable and may combust spontaneously without warning.

The euphoric feeling of church and groupthink are also addictive. Let's CT scan some people praying and/or meditating and/or getting a buzz off of that peculiar energy you get from any singly-minded crowd of people, be it the Super Bowl, church, or dancing at a rave.

Life is addictive. So is sugar. (How many Mormons does it take to screw in a lightbulb? 40. 1 to screw in the lightbulb and 39 to bring sugary death^H^H^Hrefreshments.)

Now, who wants a little sugar? Form an orderly line to the left, there's plenty for everyone.
posted by loquacious at 5:12 PM on May 20, 2004


I view porn and kill kittens.

Case closed.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:12 PM on May 20, 2004


You had me at "Utah non-profit group." *sniff*
posted by PrinceValium at 5:21 PM on May 20, 2004


I view porn and kill kittens.

There's a pussy pun in there somewhere.
posted by eyeballkid at 5:22 PM on May 20, 2004


I thought God killed the kittens! Man, I've got a lot of catching up to do...
posted by NortonDC at 5:44 PM on May 20, 2004


Well, this is obviously true, otherwise it wouldnt be on the internet.
posted by lkc at 6:23 PM on May 20, 2004


The only "killing" that people want when viewing pornography is le petit morte. And I don't need no scientist to tell me that.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 8:52 PM on May 20, 2004


"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is le petit morte..."

Likes porn. Not inclined to kill anyone any time soon. Thinks Ted Bundy was a psychopath. Thinks Utah non-profit groups are as unbiased as Charlie Rose.

Now, where's my hand lotion...
posted by FormlessOne at 9:11 PM on May 20, 2004


Nope, eyeballkid, just a Fark cliche.
posted by PrinceValium at 10:01 PM on May 20, 2004


Errr.. Fark cliche. (How did that creepy mustard guy get in there?!?)
posted by PrinceValium at 10:02 PM on May 20, 2004


Perhaps one should conduct such study on religious experiences, so that governments everywhere may shut down places of worship before they produce more addicts!
posted by clevershark at 10:30 PM on May 20, 2004


Metafilter: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

The ex-ham in me is proud.
posted by drezdn at 11:10 PM on May 20, 2004


Well, when studies finally prove that repressiveness causes psychological harm, a lot of these Utah-based mofos are going have to pay out.
posted by mokey at 11:31 PM on May 20, 2004


It is essentially just bad science. At times I can be a critic of Science in general but if you are going to use it be damn sure you use it correctly, it is evident they have predetermined their results. Under such circumstances the whole process is flawed and in serious methodological doubt. And as alluded to before in the tread, if porn caused murder than with the fast and pervasive distribution of porn via the internet we should have seen a dramatic uptick in murders, which we have not. It is like when they blamed dungeons and dragons for teen suicide. Hell if your teens are killing themselves there is a bigger problem than RPG, likewise if people are murdering then porn is the least of their problems. Post Hoc argument, if someone looks at porn than kills someone does not mean looking at porn caused them to murder, sheesh. Those involved are no doubt sincere and are concerned about pornography and about violence. We can not pass judgement on their views of porn, that is a divisive subject and I can at least respect people who dislike it for whatever reason, and we can not fault them for deploring violence which is an ongoing bane of our existence. the problem is in trying to tie the two together with bad science. I would actually be interested in seeing a neutral 3rd party tackle the topic to see what they say.
posted by edgeways at 11:54 PM on May 20, 2004


Erm, so killing and sex are different?

That so explains my dating problems...
posted by Samizdata at 1:51 AM on May 21, 2004


Holy Shit!!

Samizdata WINS!
posted by Dr_Octavius at 7:10 AM on May 21, 2004


Finish him!!!


FATALITY!
posted by Jart at 9:05 AM on May 21, 2004


Study: Breast Baring Popular in 1600s
Damn that Christopher Columbus...
posted by thomcatspike at 9:55 AM on May 21, 2004


Damn me, that was after his time.
posted by thomcatspike at 9:58 AM on May 21, 2004


more than bad science, it seems illogical.

"If we can use the MRI studies to prove that pornography is addictive, much in the same way that violence has been found to be addictive in previous research, then we can hold them [the pornography industry] financially liable for the harm they are doing, and virtually cripple the industry," Harmer said.

if that was true, wouldn't the firearms industry be out of business? alcohol? tobacco?!?!? maybe it should be the ATFP.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:09 AM on May 21, 2004


Not to mention football, wrestling, and the military. If violence is addictive, then wars should be illegal, right?

Oh, wait...
posted by zoogleplex at 11:45 AM on May 21, 2004


I'm pretty sure more people have been harmed or killed by other people in the name of God than because of watching porn. Should religion be banished because of that?
posted by Down10 at 1:04 AM on May 22, 2004


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