Alison wrote (and Fiona said something very similar):
It would have a relevance to women if it changed the way men related to them in real life. For example if a man thought that a woman saying she was a lesbian (for instance in a work context) meant she was up for a threesome. I do think this sometimes happens. If men came away from other kinds of pornography thinking that 'no means yes' and so on, it could also affect real women in an adverse way. I think all these worries mainly apply to the sort of men who only have male friends, and don't really talk (or converse via email) to women that much.
I see what you mean. I do wonder what proportion of men actually fall into this category though.
You know some men don't even talk to their wives about sex.
Uh, yes, I was married to one for most of the last decade....
Fiona wrote:
Yes, agreed, but also feel that it's more complex than that. IMO a financially and sexually independent heterosexual woman, bi woman and lesbian are all threats to the patriarchy, but in rather different ways. The lesbian because she is demonstrably living without men; the heterosexual woman because she is demonstrating that it is possible to live within the heterosexual norm and still be independent, and the bisexual because she has the best of both, as it were :). I'd say all three are also affected by m-o "lesbian" porn as well, but in different ways.
Broadly agreed, I suppose. I'd also say that men can (and do) challenge patriarchal attitudes too.
Tavia