Dr. Gail Dines encourages students to "Stop Porn Culture"

Dr. Gail Dines presented "Sex(ism), Identity and Intimacy in a Pornographic Culture" March 6 in the Mount Union Theatre as the Women's History Month featured speaker.

Her multimedia presentation explored the ways in which images in the media affect gender perspectives and our daily lives.

"We live in an image-based society," said Dines, who has been studying media images for years. "These women in print advertisements are airbrushed, fabricated women. They are not real, but it doesn't matter how many times I tell you they're not real. You're still going to compare yourself to them."

Dines discussed how media images speak to people, and the dominant image right now is a young and sexualized woman.

"We are paying the price for those women who are being depicted in these images," said Dines.

While pornographic images flashed on the screen, she explained that these women have no past and no future; just a selection of body parts for male consumption.

Dines said, "We live in a culture where the abnormal is normal and normal is abnormal. How are you to develop a sense of who you are?"

An image of a woman's lower body was shown while Dines explained that this is how women are scrutinizing themselves in front of the mirror.

"We are starting to lose sight of our body," said Dines. "We turn ourselves into separate pieces that need work. "

These images of the ideal woman are used to sell products and make money off our self-images that are much less than "perfect."

"We are called 'sluts' for wanting to attract men. We want relationships, we don't want to hook up just for sex," she said.

Dines explored ways in which we can stop the porn industry. "The only way to stop the porn industry is through a feminist movement," said Dines. "One way we are putting up a fight against the porn industry is through the organization Stop Porn Culture." For more information about this organization email stoppornculture@gmail.com.

"If you think it's bad now, what do you think it will be like when you have kids?" asked Dines. "We have to learn how to put up a fight." The porn industry can't be stopped by just an individual effort; it has to be a feminist movement for the equality of men and women.

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