Porn stars are people too
TIMOTHY BROWN STAFF
Porn stars are people too. You’re probably thinking, “what? No they’re not. This guy is crazy,” but it’s true, they really are, and despite what you may have read, they can run for public office as well. In the Oct. 4 issue of the Manitoban, there was an editorial titled “How can a porn ‘star’ think of running for governor in ‘God’s own Country?’” written by Tope Oriola. The editorial mentions several different reasons why a porn star should not run for public office. Many of these points, I believe, are flawed.
In the editorial, Oriola states: “Anna Staller, a professional pornographer, popularly known as Cicciolina was overwhelmingly elected into the Italian parliament in 1987! However, Italians did not have ‘In God We Trust’ on their old currency, the lira.” Essentially, the paragraph states that it was far more acceptable for Italy to elect a porn star than the United States because of what is said on their currency. This only portrays Italy as being morally inferior to The United States. Just because Italy doesn’t have “In God We Trust” on their currency doesn’t mean they’re some sort of godless savages. While currency does show a sign of power, it’s not always an ideal symbol of good morals. Maybe the United States should just not use the phrase “In God We Trust,” with so much multiculturalism, that phrase might offend more people than a porn star running for office.
The second major flaw in the editorial is when Oriola wonders, “how would high school teachers advise young girls who show signs of sexual promiscuity?” While a decent number of our youth can be susceptible to manipulation through the media, they shouldn’t be simply categorized as stupid. Just because someone shows signs of sexual promiscuity doesn’t mean they’re going to enter the pornography business. As a teenager, a person undergoes many different changes and there is always the possibility that they may be interested in sexual exploration. To simply assume that every single sexually promiscuous teenager will become influenced by elected officials to join the pornography industry is a harsh generalization.
Are porn stars less than human? Do we honestly have a right to say that a person in a certain profession is somehow less than someone else in another profession? Understandably, a porn star might not be the most reputable to fill a position of public office, but throughout history we’ve had less-than-moral figures who held immense positions of power; people that we would have imprisoned before ever being elected. Let’s briefly examine Bill Clinton, whom Oriola defends. While he was a better president than most in recent history, that doesn’t negate the fact that he used an intern as a sexual plaything, using a cigar as a prop. How is that more respectable than a porn star running for office? Because he’s the one performing the sexual acts on the girl or because he’s giving instead of receiving?
In the editorial, Oriola uses other examples, such as, “How would you feel, a few years from now, if someone from your high school who took up pornography became mayor of Winnipeg?” While one can’t say for certain that a person from the pornography industry will be either a good or bad mayor, one can’t help but look at our current mayor. Sam Katz is definitely not an ideal mayor, and if someone from the pornography industry came along with a strong platform and the conviction to follow through on his/her word, then shouldn’t we, as the responsible voting public, give that person a chance to help improve our city? Porn stars are not evil people that we should extinguish from the face of the earth. Sixty years ago, the worse thing people thought could happen was electing a homosexual into office. Since then, we have become more understanding and tolerant, and as a result, Winnipeg had Glen Murray, one of the best mayors the city has seen in years. There is no reason a porn star can’t be equally as competent. Yes, as Oriola said, the kids are watching, so let’s set the right example and leave the pre-conceived notions and harsh generalizations for those bad Hollywood movies, where they belong.
Timothy Brown is the Manitoban's Arts reporter and a fine arts student.
