In the late Seventies, America became shocked and outraged by the rape, mutilation, and murder of over a dozen young, beautiful girls. The man who committed these murders, Ted Bundy, was later apprehended and executed. During his detention in various penitentiaries, he was mentally probed and prodded by psychologist and psychoanalysts hoping to discover the root of his violent actions and sexual frustrations. Many theories arose in attempts to explain the motivational factors behind his murderous

escapades. However, the strongest and most feasible of these theories came not from the psychologists, but from the man himself, "as a teenager, my buddies and I would all sneak around and watch porn. As I grew older, I became more and more interested and involved in it, [pornography] became an obsession. I got so involved in it, I wanted to incorporate [porn] into my life, but I couldn't behave like that and maintain the success I had worked so hard for. I generated an alter ego to fulfill my fantasies under-cover. Pornography was a means of unlocking the evil I had buried inside myself" (Leidholdt

47). Is it possible that pornography is acting as the key to unlocking the evil in mo

Another problem anti-pornography activists believe arises from regular viewing of pornography, is the acceptance of "rape myths". Rape myth is a term pertaining to people's views on rape, rapists, and sexual assaults, wherein it is assumed that the victim of a sexual crime is either partially or completely to blame (Allen 6). To help understand the rape myth a "Rape Myth Acceptance Scale" was established, which lists some of the most prominent beliefs that a person accepting the rape myth has. They are as follows:

basically a blanket which covers all types of material such as explicit literature, photography, films, and video tapes with varying degrees of sexual content.

Now that pornography has been defined in a fashion mirroring its content, it is now possible to touch upon the more complex ways a community, as a society, views or defines it. Some have said it is impossible for a group of individuals to form a concrete opinion as to what pornography means. A U.S. Supreme Court judge is quoted as saying, "I can't define pornography, but I know it when I see it" (Itzin 20). This statement can be heard at community meetings in every state, city, and county across the nation. Community standards are hazy due to the fact that when asked what pornography is to them, most individuals cannot express or explain in words what pornography is, therefore creating confusion among themselves.

Burt, M. "Cultural Myths and Supports for Rape." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 38 (1980): 217-230.

deemed to be whores. As time has passed, this definition of pornography has grown to include any and all obscene literature and pictures. At the present date, the term is

Pornography has enamored itself as a large part of our modern society. It is seldom discussed and often hidden as a dirty secret, but porn still seems to play a major part in the shaping of our morals and behaviors. Although some say pornography is relatively harmless, a considerable larger group seems to uphold the assumption the porn works in negative and disruptive ways on those who view it and participate. Nearly all the research supports this assumption, so it is evident the topic is in need of much more examination and debate.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 19 (250 words per page double spaced)