LOS ANGELES—I have interviewed Hustler publisher Larry Flynt twice in front of large audiences, but it never occurred to me to ask him a Dear Abby-type question. But Dear Abby has, and appropriately it was for a question about porn that the current "Abby," Jeanne Phillips, felt she could not answer properly. The question itself describes a dinner party debate that has probably been repeated at tables throughout the nation, and probably more frequently than ever now that Rick Santorum's so-called "war on porn" has been elevated to topic number one on the presidential campaign trail.
The question and answer are, as follows:
Q. Dear Abby: At a recent dinner party, the men and women got into a heated debate about porn. The men said men love porn because it shows women enjoying sex with abandon. We women protested that women who behave this way in real life are scorned by both men and women. Do men not realize this makes no sense? If you can’t answer this, maybe your male readers can. —No Fan of Porn
A. Dear No Fan: Not being an expert on the subject of pornography or why men enjoy it, I posed your question to a recognized expert—Larry Flynt. His answer is different than the one given by the men at the dinner party.
He said that men love porn because men are aroused by the visual. Then he added that women are more turned on by the written word, which is why torrid romance novels are so popular.
P.S. Women who enjoy sex with abandon are not necessarily tramps. Many of them have high morals, are very happily married and find it stimulating to watch porn with their husbands.
It's safe to say there have been few times when porn has received as much public attention (and support) as it is right now, all thanks to Rick, who has even managed to bring Dear Abby, arm-in-arm with Larry Flynt, into the conversation. The world will never be quite the same.
