A group of students in Connor Residence Hall on Monday night kept on their clothes but began stripping away some of the stigma surrounding pornography.
The talk among 13 students — mostly women — was organized to discuss the influences of porn on society and culture that we might not notice because it’s so rarely talked about.
It didn’t solve any of the moral or social dilemmas surrounding pornography, but it was a first step.
“Porn is something that’s become extremely prolific, because its affecting everyone,” said Ginny Stone, who moderated the event for Carolina HOPE, a student group providing assistance to students facing unwanted pregnancy or other sexual problems.
But despite porn’s presence on the Internet, cable television menus and newsstands, there isn’t much talk on the subject.
“No one really talks about it a whole lot, especially in public,” Stone said. “Students should be talking about it.”
Stone had a number of ways for students to break into the conversation, including a roundtable talk, lists of facts and statistics, scenario discussions for small groups and book recommendations.
Junior Anna Gribble said her background as a women’s studies minor and previous exposure to similar events, such as “I Heart Female Orgasm,” convinced her to attend.
“I think it deserves more discussion,” she said, adding that talking about porn can help people make better, more informed opinions.
The subjects varied from how to talk to a boyfriend or girlfriend about porn to when and how parents should broach the subject with children.
And while they did talk, the students didn’t come to many conclusions or agreements.
But Stone said that was OK, reiterating often that the goal of the meeting was just to get the discussion started.
One thing most students did agree on was why men like to look at porn: compared to a real relationship, it’s easier.
“No one gets pregnant when you log off the computer,” one participant said.
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Carolina HOPE hosts pornography discussion in UNC residence hall
Ginny Stone (right) of Carolina HOPE led a porn discussion panel with students in the Connor Hall conference room on Mon March 22.
