#FoodPorn
I remember when I first startedusing hashtags…
I was very unfamiliar with how theyworked and thought the idea of putting a random “#” in front of a word or phrase was just plain silly.
#Blessed
#Car
#Cookie
#LifeGoals
Like, really? Why is this a thing?
To showcasemy dislike (and complete ignorance) I would put long, ridiculous hashtags onEVERYTHING! A favourite of mine was #RealLifeHungerGames in which friends and Iwould discuss topics and how they relate back to one of our favourite book series. This hashtag was used during text conversations, gmail chatsessions when we should have been working, lengthy emails, and, of course, reallife conversations (because who doesn’t let a few “hashtag, basic white girl”or “hashtag, P-T-L” phrases slip out of their mouth every now and then).
#Blessed
#Car
#Cookie
#LifeGoals
Like, really? Why is this a thing?
To showcasemy dislike (and complete ignorance) I would put long, ridiculous hashtags onEVERYTHING! A favourite of mine was #RealLifeHungerGames in which friends and Iwould discuss topics and how they relate back to one of our favourite book series. This hashtag was used during text conversations, gmail chatsessions when we should have been working, lengthy emails, and, of course, reallife conversations (because who doesn’t let a few “hashtag, basic white girl”or “hashtag, P-T-L” phrases slip out of their mouth every now and then).
As hashtags became more popular(and as I figured out their real purpose and began to understand their significance) I became intriguedwith the hashtags people were choosing to use. I found myself both using hashtags when posting photos of my baking adventures on Instagram, and searching hashtags as I would browse social media. Since I was frequently looking up baking related hashtags it wasinevitable I would stumble across the raunchy and distasteful #FoodPorn.
 |
| #FoodPorn, the second highest search related to food. |
Why, internet?!
This does not make sense! Why areglamorous and enticing images of food being categorized as equal to an industrythat ruins the lives of everyone it touches? Is it some kind of metaphor—like thedetrimental state of your health after over indulging in sweets (or too much cheesy goodness, or too much carb-filled deliciousness) will actually ruin you and make you suffer? Is itattempting to illustrate how our gluttonous lifestyle can seem ok at first, butthen breaks you down the way porn wrecks everyone it collides with? Those arethe only connections that actually make sense in my head, but we all know the real reasonthe general public has chosen to associate #FoodPorn with delicious lookingitems— It’s not as a warning but as encouragement of the ecstasy which comesfrom experiencing something almost too good to be true, something you know you shouldn’t.
There are many reasons thishashtag bothers me. One of the biggest reasons is the connection between pornographyand human trafficking. The below video really nudged me forward into creating this post. Please watch it-- trust me, it’s worthit.
In my research on how the pornand human trafficking industries are connected, one of the most disgustingquotes I came across is as follows:
"Amateurs comeacross better on screen. Our customers feel that. Especially by women you cansee it. They still feel strong pain." - Carlo Scalisi, Owner of 21 SexuryVideo
They still feelstrong pain. Why is this ok? Why is this somethingthe general public is ok with watching while ignoring the deeper issues involved in the production of the film?
While researching, the below facts and quotes about the porn industry really stood out to me. Reading these insights, while thinking back to how we associate hashtags like #FoodPorn to mean something amazing, really makes me question the validity and general social acceptance of the hashtag-- and why more people aren't outraged at how porn in it's delusional definition has become so common place.
- 88% of scenes inporn films contain acts of physical aggression, and 49% of scenes containverbal aggression.
- A 2005 studyclaimed that pornographers were travelling to poorer countries where they coulduse and exploit women and children with fewer risks. Budapest, Hungary wascited as Europe’s capital for the production of porn films because, as onepornography executive put it, Eastern European actors ‘cost less and do more’.
- “The Department ofJustice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children bothrecognize that pornography is an element that adds to the serious problem ofsex trafficking. Many traffickers are found with filming equipment and camerasto create and sell pornography”
- "[Performers]usually ‘consent’ to the acts only in the degraded and demented sense of theword (common also to the law of rape) in which a person who despairs atstopping what is happening, sees no escape,… is often trying to avoid beingbeaten or killed, is always economically desperate, acquiesces in beingsexually abused for payment, even if, in most instances, it is payment tosomeone else.”
I’d share more of these horrific tidbits with you, but just reading the quotes from those formerly involved in the pornography industry, and the plain facts my mind doesn't want to accept as true, make my stomach turn and my heart ache. Just watching the documentary "Hot Girls Wanted" on Netflix showcases how demented the pornography industry is-- how those involved feel they don't have control over the situations, how many have been taken advantage of in their past leading them to choose this lifestyle, and how degrading it is to the women involved. Pile on top of that the insane situations or 'fantasies' these people are 'acting' out for the viewers-- I just can't handle it.
While the above information is great to share to educate how pornography negatively affects the individuals involved, those trafficked into the situations, and thosewho choose to view porn, why has there been no research done on the connectionbetween the various forms of ‘porn’ society has become numbed to viewing on social media (#FoodPorn#HousePorn, #CarPorn, etc)? I’ve attempted to research the connection, knowing it would present a great viewpoint for this post, and the only information I canfind is how #FoodPorn can lead you to make bad choices regarding your owndietary needs… Surprised? Me neither.
One of the mostunsettling things about all this is seeing peers in the anti-human traffickingspace use the hashtag. What message does this send about our commitment toseeing exploitation come to an end? It’s definitely not a good one.
I’d like you to takea bit of time and read through some of the sources and resources available at the endof this post. Educate yourself on what is really happening in the porn industryand know that any reference society can get away with only encourages the pornography industry to continue what they are doing—exploiting individuals for the viewing pleasure of those whose lives will subsequently be ravaged. It’s an endlesscycle and we don’t need things like #FoodPorn to become so common place thatporn itself, without a pre-cursor word, becomes accepted until it’s toolate—the moment the downward-spiral entangles friends, family and those closest toyou.
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Sources andresources:
Hot GirlsWanted—Documentary available on Netflix
XXX Church
XXX Church
**Note, as a blog, this is purely my opinion and a presentation of facts. I understand that as pornography becomes more main stream in our culture, my views can be considered 'old school' or 'close minded'. I know magazines and websites promote pornography as a way to have a healthy and happy sex-life, I know pornography is promoted in innocent ways, but the facts I've been presented with portray the realistic, behind-the-scenes portion of the industry many people either don't know or choose to ignore. Let us not turn a blind eye to real issues affecting the people around us.