Why is porn legal in the US?

OIC

Prostitution laws were by and large in place at a time when a bunch of old hag religious nuts implanted the idea that prostitution was a system of white slavery, where white women (most important here) were forced against their will to serve Johns in seedy brothels across the country.

It was all bullshit, but that didn't stop the laws from passing. Now prostitution is still illegal based on similar claims, where women aren't consenting to the act of prostitution, or the dangers involved in pimping and violent Johns. These claims are made without considering that the dangerous nature of prostitution is a result of its illegality, and that in cases where prostitution is legal (see: Nevada) it's a safe industry.

It is as if legally, one cannot consent to offer oneself sexually for money.

Edit: The reason pornography is legal contrasted to prostitution is because, quite simply, it was never ubiquitous throughout history to the point where those kind of "white slavery" stigmas could be put in place.

The fact that the Bible frowns on prostitution had no wherewithal in that? They continue to use the "white slavery" argument, no doubt, but I suspect the main reason is simply "My pastor says this is wrong, therefore I will pass legislation outlawing it." It got us prohibition, anti-sodomy laws, and it's still against the law to sell liquor on Sundays around these parts.

None of which ever stopped The Institution. The Catholic Church ran brothels, and nunneries were practically a pussy buffet for priests until The Reformation started demanding that everybody be more moral.

None of that carried over formally into the US, despite the Puritans and all of that other self-righteous bullshit. Prostitution was a taboo for all the reasons you described, but nobody cared enough to illegalize and crack down until they started believing in the lie of White Slavery.

The simple solution, of course, would be Nevada's: Legalise, regulate and tax prostitution, then crack down hard on unliscenced prostitutes, although legal brothels would really damage their business, I imagine.

Originally Posted by Bradylama

The Catholic Church ran brothels, and nunneries were practically a pussy buffet for priests until The Reformation started demanding that everybody be more moral.

Are you being melodramatic, or did the Church really run brothels, because I can't find anything about that.

Originally Posted by BlueMikey

The main thing is there is a major psychological difference between being paid to have sex with someone else who is being paid to have sex and being paid to have sex with someone who is paying for sex.

Like most laws, they are tradition based, as well.

From a utilitarian standpoint (hate to quote Wikipedia, but):



The same can't be said about prostitution.

I agree with the major psychological difference. I'm sure a lot of the people who do porn regularly really get little to no sexual enjoyment out of it anymore, and it's just a job to them, whereas with prostitution at least one person is in it just to get off. Of course anyone watching the porn is in it just to get off, but if the people performing are just acting out a role and never have to see the random guy jacking off to them, I guess that disconnect makes it easier for people to view porn as legitimate while prostitution is "immoral" I don't know, my two cents.