Similarity between Pornography & Soap Operas?

[C_S_P_B]

Since Satan is a very smart being, and will entice both men and women to sin, he provides vices that are attractive to each sex. We all know the evils of pornography and the impact and holds it has over many. I would like to explore Soap Operas in comparison to Pornography.

How are Pornography and Soap Operas similar?

Is this analogy unfair?

Do Soap Operas capitalize on the vulnerabilities of women?

Do Soap Operas legitimize immoral and sinful behavior?

Leave your thoughts either for or against.

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

C S P B:

Since Satan is a very smart being, and will entice both men and women to sin, he provides vices that are attractive to each sex. We all know the evils of pornography and the impact and holds it has over many. I would like to explore Soap Operas in comparison to Pornography.

How are Pornography and Soap Operas similar?

Very good question, and one that needs to be asked. I believe that Satan does indeed use soap’s to lure women into sin. Of course, there are men who watch them too, but Lord knows we men have plenty of other porn opportunities out there. Soap Operas are similar to pornography in several ways: first, there’s plenty of sex and skin in these programs, and the Catechism defines pornography as such: **Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. **(2354).
Soap operas do this. Many plots indeed revolve around sex, and these acts are displayed on the screen.
Secondly, women are not “triggered” by sight as men are. That’s why the vast majority of pornographic magazines are for men. Women are “triggered” by romance and touch. Thus, many women become addicted to sex novels, because they involve a certain element of romace. They lust over the “perfect” man in the steamy novel. This is how women lust. Not being a woman, of course, I can’t say for certain. But this is what I’ve heard from every Christian anti-porn group around.
I’d say soaps are simply lustful romance novels on television.

Is this analogy unfair?

No, I think it’s perfectly fair.

Do Soap Operas capitalize on the vulnerabilities of women?

I suppose I answered this indirectly in my first response.

Do Soap Operas legitimize immoral and sinful behavior?

Yes, as any other immoral elements of society do. That’s what our culture does today: tries to legitimize any sinful behavior it can, by simply making it seem silly or harmless or natural. And it’s affected the Church big time. It’s crept into every Christian organization you can name. The devil has a good hold on our world right now. I’m already preparing for the angry Catholic soap opera fans to call me ridiculous to posting this. They’ll say I’m overreacting, that I’m a Puritan. They’ll say it’s just a tv show and doesn’t affect them. Sound familiar? It’s exactly the lies the devil has fed our culture. If you stand up for what’s right these days, you’re branded as someone with no sense of humor.

 

[Benedictus]

Yes, soap operas and porn are two sides of the same coin. Same thing with romance novels and porn. I think reading a trashy romance novel is just as bad as looking at Penthouse or Playboy.

 

[mark_a]

C S P B:

How are Pornography and Soap Operas similar?

I once heard Dr. Laura describe the teen magazines as porno for adolescent girls.

Is this analogy unfair?

You have hit the nail on the head.

Do Soap Operas capitalize on the vulnerabilities of women?

You have knocked the nail through the other side of the board.

Do Soap Operas legitimize immoral and sinful behavior?

I don’t know about legitimize, but they make sinful behavior seem normal. I imagine it’s only a matter of time 'til they start showing some real skin.

Leave your thoughts either for or against.

 

[puzzleannie]

my mother, a CAtholic convert from a strict Methodist family, was death on porn hard and soft, also on profanity, gossip and other evils. She with her church circle spearheaded a successful local effort to have merchants in our town place magazines with offensive covers behind the counter where they were not visible to children. this was right after playboy came out. If my dad bought a detective paperback with a cover picture of a half-naked girl, he had to tear off the cover before he could read it.

She was also against soap operas, which were a lot tamer in those days, and she told us why. She said, you would not entertain such people living sinful lives in your own home, why would you welcome a TV show about them into your home.

She was right then, and would be even more right today. Soaps and romance novels do a great disservice to women by getting them sucked into fantasy lives, to the detriment of the marriages and family duties. To paraphrase CS Lewis, there is nothing that spoils the pleasure of a real sexual relationship than the memory of a fantasy one.

 

[the_Hatter]

UKcatholicGuy:

Very good question, and one that needs to be asked. I believe that Satan does indeed use soap’s to lure women into sin. Of course, there are men who watch them too, but Lord knows we men have plenty of other porn opportunities out there. Soap Operas are similar to pornography in several ways: first, there’s plenty of sex and skin in these programs, and the Catechism defines pornography as such: Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. (2354).
Soap operas do this. Many plots indeed revolve around sex, and these acts are displayed on the screen.
Secondly, women are not “triggered” by sight as men are. That’s why the vast majority of pornographic magazines are for men. Women are “triggered” by romance and touch. Thus, many women become addicted to sex novels, because they involve a certain element of romace. They lust over the “perfect” man in the steamy novel. This is how women lust. Not being a woman, of course, I can’t say for certain. But this is what I’ve heard from every Christian anti-porn group around.
I’d say soaps are simply lustful romance novels on television.

Huh, intersting. I didn’t know that. I’m inclined to say “no fair!”. No wonder sexual sins are such a problem for men (and us boys), when simply standing at the checkout at the grocery store is sufficient to barrage you with sexual images.
And then, of course, there are the soaps and romance novels for women. Uugh.
My answers to your questions, CSPB:
Yes
No
Yes
Yes.
Not just soaps, but much of society, is guilty of those last two charges of yours.

 

[C_S_P_B]

Your comments are similar to my thoughts on the subject. A couple of additional thoughts:

Fantasy: With porn men fantasize about the perfect women in bed, one that will fulfill his deepest desire and meet his physical need. With soap operas women fantasize about the perfect man, one that will sweep her off her feet and meet her deepest need emotionally. Both are enticed to look for fulfillment and what they can get. They we look at our spouse thru the filter of our fantasy. Of course they can never measure up.

Use: Both porn and soap operas promote the use of another person for our fulfillment.

• Porn - Look at a picture, derive your pleasure, view the person as an object, then throw it away or look at another. It is fine to manipulate a woman to derive the pleasure you deserve.
• Soap Opera – Expect to be romanced, and to get your emotional needs met. Expect faithfulness but don’t trust. Expect to be taken care of. It is fine to manipulate a man to derive the support and love you want.

Service or “Gift of Self”: Neither promote giving of yourself when it hurts. Neither promote service to your spouse. Neither promote acting in a loving respectful way regardless of how you are treated. Me first, another person is only useful so long as they give me pleasure. When I no longer receive the pleasure I deserve, I can discard that person and look for another that can fulfill my needs, all without me truly sacrificing myself.

Mortification: The thought of subduing your passion is portrayed as wrong. Seek passion instead. Where is the sacrifice for the one you love? What a silly concept.

In either case, a person is attempting to fulfill part of their emotional or physical needs outside the marriage. In either case, this is a violation of other persons, both the actors and models as well as your spouse.

With that said, the ends both men and women are seeking are good. It is just that everything is twisted. The needs that women and men are seeking to fulfill are real and deserve to be filled. It is just important to keep in mind God’s plan and not think we can do it our own way and achive what He has planned for us.