What's Up With Taboo Porn?
Today we’re going to talk about taboo porn and why feeling wrong feels good sometimes.
Why are people drawn to sexual taboos, and how does that translate to porn consumption?
Taboos - psychologically arouse us, and not just sexually. Taboos can elicit fear, shock, surprise or disgust. Sometimes we start to associate that increase in psychological arousal from taboos with sexual arousal.This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a bad thing if the taboo doesn’t match your values. This can lead to feelings of shame and guilt if not monitored properly.
Let’s talk about an example: step sister porn. What is up with this genre and why is it getting so popular?
In short, it is a type of pornography that depicts intercourse between consenting adult step-siblings.It’s often clarified in the premise or storyline that while they are not biologically related, their sexual interaction is taboo and forbidden by societal standards for obvious reasons. It isn’t clear why step-porn is more popular now than 10 years ago but we can deduce that the “wrongness” is part of the heightened appeal. In fact, if you jump on “the hub” you’re likely to see the same clip published under different titles involving the step theme and non-step theme. There is very little that differentiates this taboo genre with classic vanilla stereotypical porn, it is inexpensive for porn studios to produce.
The performers are clearly not related and just like most other videos, they are actors following a script with a premise and story. This story just happens to involve step siblings and highlighting the “wrongness” of the sexual interaction.
What is it about feeling wrong that feels so good for people?
Things that feel wrong violate some social or personal rule and there is just something human and primal about doing something you’re not supposed to. Something as harmless as jaywalking can be thrilling and provides a mini adrenaline rush because well - you’re not supposed to do it - it’s wrong.
When we integrate this feeling of “wrongness” with sexual arousal and activity, it can lead to heightened excitement. Exploration and expanding your horizons is a healthy part of human sexuality, something that feels off-limits might be something you enjoy or incorporate into your fantasy or sexual preferences. However, for some, that exploration may cause distress.
Is there any correlation between extreme or taboo genres and porn addiction?
To be clear, there’s no evidence to suggest that a specific pornography genre increases the risk of addiction over another genre. It is worth noting that a significant proportion of patients come in with issues relating to webcam models - where the monetary tipping system places a financial strain on top of existing dependency issues. Some patients report that their main porn problem is that they are consuming genres they find subjectively too extreme.
Often they report a mismatch between that category and their values preferences and sexual orientation. They might feel a sense of shame, disgust, regret or guilt after their use. Sometimes, they don’t want to consume that category, but feel drawn or become dependent on it. In more severe cases, they report a disconnect with their physiological responses - their arousal patterns start to become affected, some lose interest in real-life partnered sex or find themselves exclusively aroused to a narrow category and typically that is when they seek help.
Source: Matthew Feeney, Unsplash
When is it not okay to consume taboo genres?
There are two lines here. The hard red line your genre choice is unhealthy if it impacts your quality of life, thought patterns, relationships and functioning.
If you find you are using porn at work or that it’s affecting your intimacy and or your arousal in real life - then clearly it’s impairing your life and a red line has been crossed. The solution for this is heavily regulating your consumption or stopping completely for a period of time.
An orange line would be when it starts affecting your thoughts and preferences in a way that you don’t want it to. You may find yourself fixated on this genre, or you may find that your thoughts or beliefs are in conflict with your values. This is something you have to be wary of because the porn you watch should not create feelings of shame or disgust after consumption.
What is the function of shame? When is it misplaced in our lives?
Shame like every emotion has its place as part of being a human. There are other notions associated with shame such as being dishonourable or immoral and improper. We can think of shame as the negative feeling we get when we violate a social norm. In the context of pornography, problematic users sometimes feel shame because they see it as a betrayal in their relationships or ethical/spiritual code and have to lie about their pornography use.
Some feel shame because they are aroused by pornography that depict immoral or degrading interactions beyond the bounds of their own values and ethics, and even fear being discovered. In certain cases, shame can be misplaced or excessive to the point that it generates so much negative emotion that it affects decisions and causes individuals to withdraw or to respond in anger as a form of self defence.
What are the concerns about the porn industry pushing taboo genres into the mainstream of popular websites?
The major concern isn’t specific to any genre per se, it’s more about how consumers of pornography can consciously or subconsciously misunderstand and take pornographic entertainment for sexual education about real life.
Porn is meant to entertain and arouse but it does not address intimacy, sexual health, relationships, consent, communication or boundaries - nor is it the porn industry’s responsibility to either.People can usually see a clear distinction BUT - for those with low pornography literacy or limited sexual education, porn may influence beliefs, thoughts, and preferences in a way that can negatively affect mental and physical health.
If I am already worried about my porn consumption habits - what can I do to curb this habit and when should I seek help?
Attempt to regulate your pornography use: decide on a frequency, volume, intensity and category that fits your life without impairing your life.
For some this may require additional software support (such as porn blockers and filters) or practicing digital hygiene (such as making sure that you keep porn devices separate from your work devices). If none of these has worked out for you, then you may want to talk to a mental health professional for an opinion.
I hope this helped you better understand our fascination with taboos and what to be wary of when exploring the bounds of your preferences.