Former ‘90s sex icon Pamela Anderson and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Sex, adopted a paternalistic tone in their co-authored Wall Street Journal op-ed in which they blame porn for Weinergate. By doing so, they generously attempt to alleviate responsibility in implying we (the innocent Weiners of the world) are merely victims of circumstance: the circumstance being the addictive villain known as porn. “We are a guinea-pig generation for an experiment in mass debasement that few of us would have ever consented to,” they wrote. Yet they offer no evidence to substantiate that ex-congressman Weiner’s sexting habits are linked to porn addiction. They build on this nothingness to call porn addiction a “public hazard,” borrowing a line from the recently unveiled GOP platform.
Forget for a moment that porn has played absolutely no role in what is publicly known about the Anthony Weiner saga. There is the secondary issue that “porn addiction” isn’t actually an addiction, according to the latest research. And neither is sexting, claims renowned sex therapist Dr. Marlene Wasserman (aka Dr. Eve) and author of Cyber Infidelity: The New Seduction. There’s no rehab remedy for this “addict” behavior.
“I buy into the research that sexting is the ultimate high for exhibitionists and voyeurs,” Dr. Wasserman writes in her book. “I am not a fan of the word ‘addiction’ anywhere near the word ‘sex.’ I believe that online sexual behavior is driven by obsessive and compulsive behavior.”
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More than 8 in 10 adults admit to having sexted, fulfilling a fantasy by typing naughty sentences or sending nude selfies or dick pics. And that isn’t necessarily negative. In fact, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 123rd Annual Conference, “researchers found that greater levels of sexting were associated with greater sexual satisfaction.”
Contrary to the latest scientific findings, the Rabbi and Anderson offer old-world moralism, ignorance, and shame despite their mischievous and inaccurate use of the words “healthy” and “educate”:
“We must educate ourselves and our children to understand that porn is for losers—a boring, wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality.”
Never mind that “porn is for losers” sounds like something you’d hear out of Donald Trump’s mouth—or Alec Baldwin’s in Glengarry Glen Ross. Considering the overwhelming number of people who watch porn these days, we apparently live in a world with precious few “winners,” all of whom may very well be Amish (let’s face it: anyone who owns a computer has probably seen porn on it). Last year, according to data compiled by Pornhub, their porn site received 21.2 billion visits viewing 87.8 billion videos—or 12 videos viewed for every person on Earth.
And, ironically enough, as one of the first celebrities to profit from a “stolen” sex tape, Anderson accidentally (or not) pioneered a new genre that contributed to the mainstreaming of porn. Her career flourished, and she capitalized on her sex symbol status for decades to come—including numerous nude spreads in Playboy and the softcore flick Barb Wire. She almost had another sex tape “leak” with Poison singer Bret Michaels in the late-‘90s as well, before the musician successfully blocked its release. Given her salacious background, Anderson’s recent anti-pornography stance comes as more than a bit of a shock.
“People change their minds—change is inevitable—but she’s Pam Anderson, she’s made a career out of sexualizing herself, so coming from her of all people this is shocking,” says adult actress Alix Lynx. “It’s not a matter of banning things, it’s a matter of educating people. As adults we should know the difference between reality and fantasy.”
Less than a year ago, Anderson was gushing with gratitude when Hugh Hefner requested her for Playboy’s last nude issue. Getting older, being in her late 40’s, created a certain amount of insecurity. “I thought, ‘My gosh, I miss the Playboy days.’ It was so glamorous, it was so chivalrous, there’s so many people there that were so smart, and activism, and art,” Anderson told People. “I just kind of miss that whole crowd and us being these little giggling girls kind of running around the mansion half-naked and trying to get everybody’s attention.”
Unless you die young, no one can be a sex symbol forever, which then begs the question: is this all a publicity stunt?
As Jessica Drake, a porn star and sex educator, pleaded with Anderson on Twitter, “PLEASE don’t jump on the anti porn bandwagon in an attempt to stay relevant. You have had an amazing career as a sex symbol.”
