Porn Site XHamster Is Shaming Users Who Search 'Rape' On Their Site After The Brock Turner Ruling
Vocativ – Now, xHamster is scolding those who seek these out so-called “rape” videos. The wildly popular tube site is calling this “the Brock Turner rule,” in reference to the assailant in the Stanford case, who was found assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. Turner was convicted of sexual assault earlier this year and sentenced to just six months in jail, which has resulted in widespread outrage and a petition to have the judge in the case removed from the bench.
“We are shocked and appalled by the miscarriage of justice that transpired in the Brock Turner trial,” said xHamster spokesman Alex Hawkins in a press release. “xHamster, while an advocate for free speech, does not condone any type of non consensual sex that further propagates rape culture.”
But some sex experts say this is a well-intentioned misstep. David Ley, a clinical psychologist specializing in sexuality and author of the upcoming book, “Ethical Porn for Dicks: A Man’s Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure,” says it’s true that some people who search for “rape” porn are at risk of committing sexual violence. “However it is a gross exaggeration to suggest that all people who have a fantasy regarding rape or forced sexual behavior are at risk or psychologically ill,” he said.
In fact, such interests—which are sometimes more accurately described as “forced seduction” fantasies, as they frequently involve eventual consent or pleasure—are incredibly commonplace, particularly among women. One study famously found that more than half of women have fantasies of being “overpowered” by a man. It’s crucial to understand that these fantasies do not mean that women actually want to be sexually “overpowered,” but merely that they fantasize about it. “Sadly, this effort by xHamster may in some cases backfire and lead to people with this fantasy or interest experiencing greater levels of shame,” Ley said.
Big time slippery slope argument here and one which I honestly don’t have an answer to. At this point everyone is in full agreement that the Brock Turner situation was fucked up beyond belief and after something that egregious, having a real response to it is a good idea when you weigh it versus other social problems like shootings where there’s no obvious answer to everyone just kinda shrugs and moves on. And in that respect, as a site who literally has millions of men by the balls, I get and appreciate why Xhamster would want to try to play a part in stopping similar situations.
But porn and sex in particular is such a weird line. Like I just searched Xhamster — for legitimate research, first time for everything — and they have “crushing” fetishes (where a woman steps on a guy’s balls or, in more extreme cases, live animals to kill them), hypnotizing fetishes where a guy hypnotizes a chick and she becomes a mindless sex zombie for him, incest where dads bang their youthful looking daughter…like where do you draw the line? 100% not an apples to apples comparison but I’ve been a big fan of those casting couch type porns where a seemingly normal girl gets roped into doing more for a fictional calendar or music video or Shakespearean play (still waiting for this specific site sadly). But does that mean I’m running fake scams to bang chicks in real life? Emotionally maybe but not in terms of lies or Craigslist postings for a rap video girl. For a lot of people I think sex is supposed to be a safe place and while I can definitely see how aggression in sex can lead to aggression in other areas in life, it also might not for some. It’s so hard to say.
Overall I appreciate the sentiment and what Xhamster is trying to do. But it might be a little wiser to listen to the psychology behind it and how to handle it rather than hope porn sites can solve serious social and mental issues for a bunch of random dudes jerking off around the globe.