Skip to main content

PORN: How women react to men watching pornography

Close to two years ago, a movie called "Don Jon," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Julianne Moore, hit theaters. Johansson, who plays Levitt's girlfriend in the movie, walks in on him one day as he's watching and masturbating to an adult film. That act alone caused the wheels of the relationship to fall off, and Levitt's character ends up finding a much more understanding partner in Moore, who doesn't seem to mind his habit as much. 

The movie perfectly captures how some women may bristle at the thought or sight of their partners watching porn, while others may find it perfectly acceptable.

The first group of women may contend that a guy needn't look at porn when he has a woman -- and a good one at that -- in his life. She may eventually sense that, because he finds pleasure in seeing other women naked, he must either be cheating or just isn't satisfied with her -- and, by extension, their sex life. Scarlett Johansson's character in the movie was of this mindset.

The second camp is less apt to take it so personally. They reason that a guy has his needs, and they might not always be around to meet them. Thus, they give their partners a little more leeway to release tension when the circumstances call for it. In fact, these women may even be avid porn watchers themselves. Such was the case with Julianne Moore's character in the movie. 

Here's my take on this: I don't think a guy who watches porn is either right or wrong in doing so. However, he is in the wrong if, early in the relationship, he assures his partner that he doesn't watch porn, but proceeds to do it behind closed doors. That, my friends, is being dishonest. 

If a man watches pornography and wishes to carry on with the habit even while he's in the relationship, I think he ought to be open about it. Trying to hide something from your partner can never lead to anything good. I don't blame Johansson's character for the way she reacted when she caught him in the act. He should have been upfront about it -- maybe not on their first date, but as soon as the two felt comfortable enough around each other to discuss matters of a sexual nature.

And if she feels she won't be able to tolerate it, he should move on and find someone who can (as Levitt did in the movie by hooking up with the character played by Moore). What one person might find acceptable, another will regard with contempt. 

What's your opinion?  Do you feel men should be open about their porn-viewing habits (if any) early into the relationship? Is not doing so, and later being caught in the act, grounds for a breakup?

Please share this post on social media or elsewhere. And if you want to check out prior posts, click here: How to Understand People
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...
1 comment
Read More

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it?  After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...
6 comments
Read More

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...
Post a Comment
Read More